Chengi's Track Attack Pack (kr_CTAP) v7.0 [updated 09/23/2021]

[Level Pack] Chengi's Track Attack Pack (kr_CTAP) v7.0 [updated 09/23/2021] v7a

The checkpoints and waypoints in Obsidian Oasis Zone are a bit messed up.
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Since someone suggested it to me, i thought i might compile a bunch of thoughts and complaints about this pack's maps and some other things!
starting with, obisdian oasis: the newly added lily pad shortcut is way, waaay too powerful for how easy to access and free of risk it is, so much so that just running through it without using a sneaker to cut the offroad is faster than the normal route, fixing this would take a lot of effort i'd imagine so i'd just suggest bringing it back to what it was in versions before this

like ne_gamer pointed out, the waypoints in this map did get really messed up in the latest version, i'd often get sneakers and triple sneakers in first place because of this, this is something that really needs to be fixed

otherwise, i have no real complaints, while the map can be a bit on the shorter side, it's really chaotic, well designed and just fun to blitz through, i like this map a lot!

shuffle square: this is the map where i start noticing something, you don't often go back to maps that aren't obsidian oasis for fixes and the such, which i find a bit odd, anyway, here's my critique of it

you can easily lawnmower this cut and reach the other side of the u cut without sneakers, it's a fair bit faster as well! and with a map this short, this is a really huge advantage
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minimized players still can't make it through this jump
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the map is just generally way, WAY too short, first place being able to finish in 1:10 (if not less) in a netgame is pretty ridiculous, you should really increase the lap count by 1, if not 2 laps, otherwise, this is another map that i really like, really aesthetically pleasing, really fun to play, and the music is top notch

vermillion vessil: the hardspeed sneakers option in kart_mp makes it so you can do this, this, is extremely powerful and can make someone go from 7th place to 1st from my experience with a single sneaker, you might want to fix this considering the majority of servers that run your pack also run hard sneakers
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other than how short this map can be, again, it can use an extra lap, i have no other issues with it, just a generally solid and excellent map, i like it a lot

avant acropolis: this map i don't really enjoy playing on, it's designed really greatly and is fun to play, it's music is a really great pick, and it's aesthetics are great because i really love most everything NiGHTS, but the shortcuts really handicap it, there're a lot of shortcuts in this map, all of them really powerful, to the point where it's really not uncommon to see people sandbagging at the start to get rocket sneakers or triple sneakers to take all the cuts in the map and be a solid 30 seconds ahead of everyone, if not moreso considering how kart is, with people the people in the back hitting each other and all, that's the only issue i have with this map but it's a really bad one

765 studios: i have nothing to complain about here, this is a pretty great map if a bit on the generic side
 
All of these tracks are, visually speaking, a treat. In general they flow quite well and the focus on multiple paths is really cool. 765, Avant, and Shuffle are all personal favourite tracks, not just for racing but also SPB Rush and Wipezones (even did Expert SPB on 765 ;P ).



That said, the multiple paths don't always work. Shuffle Square's last stretch has a series of red spring jumps that supposedly link each other, but the simple fact of the matter is that nailing these is quite difficult and I'm quite certain slower than just taking the inside corner. I spent a lot of time when the track first came out experimenting with them and was disappointed to find they just weren't rewarding to do in terms of time-saving, stylish as they may be.


Much the same extends to Vermillion, with the added detractor that it often just doesn't feel like some of the alt paths work consistently. It's a great track otherwise, it's just a shame to see all these tempting offroad sections not really offer much (IMO).


As a side note, both Vermillion and Shuffle feel like they could use a fourth lap. I can finish Shuffle without using shoe cuts (I do miniturbo the ramp at the start) in under 1:20, and Vermillion in under 1:30



One last note, is Avant Garden Zone also made by you? It certainly shares your stamp of multiple paths and excellent visual design.
 
This cut doesn't work for characters under 5 speed. 4 speeds occasionally fail the jump while 3 speed and under always fail it.

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Also, this particular section of Shuffle Square is impossible to read. You don't see the offroad coming until you're practically on top of it.

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Updated to v5.0.
Sketchberry Spring:

  • Added.
General Fixes:

765 Stadium Zone:


  • Removed the unnecessary death pit at the start of the map.
Shuffle Square Zone:

  • Adjusted the first cut so that lower-speed characters can make the gap.
  • Removed turnstile setpiece to help the start of the multiple paths feel more spacious.
  • Overall directioning improvements.
  • Changed lap count to 4.
Avant Acropolis Zone:

  • Changed lap count to 3.
Vermilion Vessel Zone:

  • Increased friction to first ramp cut (again).
And about the AAZ cut: I only became aware of this as I was updating the pack, but I'll try to fix that as soon as I possibly can.


Also, this is mostly in response to Claudia's post, but because it's brought up very frequently I feel it's my duty to address, it.



Shuffle and Obsidian are by far some of the most problematic maps in my pack. The unfortunate thing is that because they're heavily set in stuff like sector scenery and complicated setups, meaning they are maps that are difficult to tweak. They're some of the earliest maps I've made and I did not have a good sense of closed-circuit course design and how it works within the constraints of Zone Builder.


The fact of the matter is, my involvement in other projects often means that these maps don't get the polish that my later maps do. It's difficult to refurbish something that's held together only by the level design equivalent of duct tape and glue over several months worth of patches. And because this is a multiplayer-centric game, yes: that means that these maps are in need of these tweaks in order to keep them on par with the quality of the other maps, but making the time for that is a completely seperate story.


Yet, I am not going to use those as excuses because I am aware that they are glaring flaws that need to be addressed. I am absolutely willing to take the maps in question out of the pack temporarily so that they can be given the time to sit in the oven until the kinks have all been ironed out. But I am going to leave that up to the community.


Either way, I don't want to make that sound like I'm not thankful for the advice that's been passed along over the months that this pack has been running in public servers. I absolutely am. Your continued critique is greatly appreciated. I only hope that I can make these maps as good as the others. Thank you for your patience.
 
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If the question is on the table I'd rather the maps stay in. I'll admit I don't know much about course design. However, regardless of balance issues my friends and I think these are some of the most fun tracks in the game. Avant Acropolis and Shuffle Square especially. Seems like every time they pop up it's a near unanimous vote.


That's not to discount any criticism though. If it bothers enough people maybe the problematic courses could be made available in a separate file. I'm happy as long as I can keep them all in my rotation.
 
Updated to 5.1.
Sketchberry Spring:

  • Fixed all known exploits.
  • Fixed death pit near the end not being tagged correctly.

765 Stadium Zone:

  • Improved the palette.
Shuffle Square Zone:
As of 5.1, Shuffle is now a Hell Map and here's why:
The way that the turn in the mandatory ramp section before the window break is structured means it is actually, literally impossible to redo without drastically messing up the map geometry beforehand.
I am sorry, I have done literally everything within my power to find a natural fix for this jump. It is actually impossible. As for now I'm making Shuffle a hell map until it's fixed.

Changes have still been made, however.

  • Slopes have been made easier to anticipate.
  • Mobjscaled by 10%
  • Adjusted the ramp/arcade cut so that lower-speed characters can make the gap with the mobjscale change.
 
Being a more casual kart player, this has always been one of my favorite track mods for the visual splendor. Great looking tracks I enjoy racing around in for record attacks. Shame you couldn't get the Shuffle Square track to work, I loved it.
Oh well, it'll live on in the earlier versions.
Great new track too, had to pause and see how you pulled off those neat looking crayons.
 
Updated to 5.2.


  • Fixed the jump in Shuffle Square thanks to Eldog's Wizardry. (I'm not taking it out of hell though I'm actually getting tired of needing to update it but I know people like it so I'm going to leave it where it's at right now)
  • Fixed a missing deathplane in Sketchberry near the middle of the map.
  • Minor 1.3-compliant changes.



Hello, just felt i should share these two issues i had in sketchberry springs today, yu is 5,8 for reference

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The pits are shallow so that the killplane is entirely visible for the sake of player conveyance. Even when failing the jump. It's also just meant to get you back on course quicker with less time spent recovering.



This also looks like it's possibly an issue with hardsneakers. And even then, this is a result of the waterskip workaround. I can't fix this without making the waterskips feel worse.
 
hard sneakers wasn't turned on in this server, but, if you can't fix it without making the waterskips feel worse then that's fair enough
 
I wish you would at least give us an option to take it out of map hell, I quite enjoyed racing on this track and I'm disappointed it'll only show up once in a blue moon now
 
Hey, just making sure, the geometry might need to be further adjusted regarding shrink compatibility on Obsidian Oasis.
 

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I'll admit, I'm not quite sure why Shuffle's jump can't be fixed. Just off the top of my head:


Add a small bridge to the middle/right side of the jump for shrink players to use.

Use a zipper instead of boost panel to have a hard speed set for the jump.

Use fans at the start of the jump to grant extra air.


As for Sketchberry's water skips, why not just have the opposite side slanting down under the water a bit to avoid frustrating bonk deaths?


IE
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Chengi updated Chengi's Track Attack Pack (kr_CTAP) v5.3 [updated 11/15/2020] with a new update entry:

Chengi's Track Attack Pack [updated 3/23/2021]

Version 6.0: "I WANNA RETIRE" Edition has been released. Incredibly hefty changelog ahead, so bear with me.

OBSIDIAN OASIS ZONE:
  • Solid linedef near the first jump has been fixed.
  • Turn readability/geometry leading up to the first jump has been improved, slightly.
  • CHECKPOINTS HAVE BEEN FIXED.
  • Spring Jump has been replaced with a Zipper to be shrink-safe/item-safe.
SHUFFLE SQUARE ZONE:
  • Lap Count has been increased to 4.
  • General map...

Read the rest of this update entry...
 
Chengi updated Chengi's Track Attack Pack (kr_CTAP) v6.0 [updated 03/23/2021] with a new update entry:

Version 7.0 - "The Revival of AVANT GARDEN CLASSIC"

GENERAL:
  • Significant balance changes to prevent jank and frontrunning.

OBSIDIAN OASIS ZONE:
  • Added zippers to prevent path split cheesing over the lilypad section.
  • Added better signage before the tunnel entrance, lined the sides with a grass midtexture to help readability.
  • Springs before the jump have been brought back.
  • Gap has been added to prevent mowing the first cut.
  • Adjusted ending of the final spring jump, should now be harder to...

Read the rest of this update entry...
 
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Introducing C.T.A.P! (Pronounced see-tap, or si-tappu) A collection of levels I've put together for your SRB2 kart racing pleasure!


NOTE: On account of current obligations, I am becoming increasingly more preoccupied with other work to continue making frequent patches for C.T.A.P. They will likely still happen, but expect there to be long periods of time without any updates. Apologies in advance.


CURRENT ZONES:
CURRENT VERSION CHANGE NOTES: (5.1)


Special thanks to SoupBowler, Eldog, and roy for getting a lot of this stuff to work.
General Fixes:
Sketchberry Spring:
  • Fixed all known exploits.
  • Fixed death pit near the end not being tagged correctly.
765 Stadium Zone:
  • Improved the palette.
Shuffle Square Zone:
The way that the turn in the mandatory ramp section before the window break is structured means it is actually, literally impossible to redo without drastically messing up the map geometry beforehand.
I am sorry, I have done literally everything within my power to find a natural fix for this jump. It is actually impossible. As for now I'm making Shuffle a hell map until it's fixed.
Changes have still been made, however.
  • Slopes have been made easier to anticipate.
  • Mobjscaled by 10%
  • Adjusted the ramp/arcade cut so that lower-speed characters can make the gap with the mobjscale change.
Less cheese. more try your luck.
 

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