![]() ![]() This is a matter of pride if you eventually upload the track for other players to compete on, it is these validation times that they will be racing against. Once you’ve built up a track to a usable state, you “validate” it by driving it over and over trying to set your best time. It’s easy to erase blocks and replace them, so there’s very little cost to trying new things until you get it just the way you want it. In my first efforts, it was not uncommon to come up against completely unreachable portions of track. Oddly enough, that seemed easier to do in the advanced editor since it allowed more latitude in moving the viewpoint to better show if blocks were in alignment both horizontally and vertically. All of this combines to make it childishly easy to create sophisticated and attractive race tracks once you get the hang of positioning the blocks so that they will fit together. Most include highly detailed scenery objects too, such as grandstands, billboards, etc. The blocks aren’t just plain sections of track, though. Many of the blocks include inclined sections of track so it is a simple matter to design in all three dimensions. In both cases, the designer is provided with collections of building blocks that can be spread across the desert environment in countless variations. There are two flavors of editor, one being a simplified model for novices, and the other being an advanced model for more experienced designers. There are a few dozen tracks included right out of the box (to use an arcane expression) that can be used for the single player mode, but the real fun is in the track editor. With all of those open fissures to work with, it seems natural to have vast open areas to jump over built right into a track as if it is the most common thing in racing to fly hundreds of yards through the air on every lap. While that isn’t the first type of geography one thinks of when it comes to areas in which to build race tracks, it somehow feels just right. The first and most obvious feature is what put the “canyon” TrackMania 2 - Canyon: the tracks are built in an arid region reminiscent of the southwest territories of the United States, up to and including the stark canyons that are so common in that region. While the basic collection of capabilities remains essentially the same, the overall polish that comes with half a decade of work is apparent from the get-go. With five years of incremental development under their belts, one would expect Nadeo to have pretty much reached the pinnacle of sophistication with the release of the latest version, TrackMania 2 - Canyon, and you would be correct. There is also a multi-player component that allows players to race against track times set by other players from around the world. ![]() Once completed, tracks can be uploaded to community servers for sharing amongst other players. Also included is a texture editor that will allow you to paint your own cars. It comes with all of the track you could ever want, an easy to use track editor for putting together your own designs, and some cars to drive on your creations. Rather, it is more akin to the super box set of Hot Wheels cars. TrackMania, the first version of which came out five years ago, is by no means a racing simulation in the manner of SimBin’s Race and GTR series. For the other end of the spectrum, the more casual builder that doesn’t want to spend six months building a track, there is TrackMania. Naturally, those editors come with a pretty steep learning curve and the effort to design and build a nice looking, functional track can easily become prohibitive. For the true aficionado, there are various third-party track editors that can be used to design and construct virtual models of real world race tracks, or for the more imaginative, completely original “fantasy” tracks for high-end simulators such as the SimBin series. With that humble beginning in mind, you might be better able to appreciate my never-ending awe at the multitude of options available today for those that want to create their own tracks and race on them. Keep in mind, though, that this was a much more interesting way to roll things down the stairs than the former pass time: trying to get a slinky to “walk” all the way down without stopping prematurely. You built your track basically straight down the stairs, and gravity did the rest. Back then you could build any race course you wanted, as long as it was arrow straight. And if the car selection left a bit to be desired, well, you wouldn’t believe the state of the track situation. At the time, there were only a handful of cars available it was, after all, 1968. For me, it all started on my seventh birthday when I received a gift that would guide my interests for the next forty years: two Mattel Hot Wheels cars and some track to run them on.
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