First Motorstorm Online Impressions

[Naboomagnoli]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/757/757640p1.html

Jostling for first place among a pack of racers from around the globe is what this game is about, especially when players of all different skill levels are competing on pretty much an even playing field. The best players still have the edge because they're less likely to total their car, which always costs precious seconds, but MotorStorm's multiplayer game promises to succeed because anyone can compete in any race and still be in with a chance of taking the chequered flag, and that's definitely a good thing in our book.

The "anyone has a chance of winning" refers to a catch-up mode in which trailing players get a faster filling boost bar (I think they confused the two situations in the article). Still no split-screen, and currently still only 12 players in a race. Still, will undoubtedly be plenty for most!

 

[ban25]

The "anyone has a chance of winning" refers to a catch-up mode in which trailing players get a faster filling boost bar (I think they confused the two situations in the article). Still no split-screen, and currently still only 12 players in a race. Still, will undoubtedly be plenty for most!

Hmmm...I hate that rubber band mechanic in racers.

 

[phat]

Hmmm...I hate that rubber band mechanic in racers.

Well, getting lapped isn't much fun for the beginner. As long as the rubber banding is enough to keep the novices from falling too far behind, and not enough to present an exploitable advantage, then it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[Acert93]

Sounds like a lot of fun. Some of the courses can be long, so the rubber banding can keep people closer to actualy race, but I tend to hate this mechanics as well. 12 people online... sounds like fun

 

[Nesh]

Keeps the game more challenging online that way me thinks

 

[Arwin]

In the ideal world, you can switch rubber-banding on or off according to your game preference, like, say, in GT3.

 

[PARANOiA]

Rubber banding is what made Daytona eventually suck in the arcades. No one wanted to be in front because that person pretty much always lost when everyone else got a magic speed boost on the last lap.

 

[Npl]

Hmmm...I hate that rubber band mechanic in racers.

Thats what I said, until I played Burnout 3 online.
Playing a game that lives from Full-Metal-Contact and then only seeing other players only sporadic sucks.

 

[Nesh]

Rubber banding is what made Daytona eventually suck in the arcades. No one wanted to be in front because that person pretty much always lost when everyone else got a magic speed boost on the last lap.

What the? Probably thats why I was loosing in Outrun2 near the end of the stage when quite clearly I was driving better than my friends!!

I think if it's done well it wont be a problem

 

[AntShaw]

Hmmm...whats worse?? Magic Speed Boost?? Or Magic Mushroom/Invincibility star?

Sounds fun. I can see both sides of the story for rubber banding. It's nice to compete, but if the banding just keeps you at the back of the pack, it's not really banding. Since we aren't looking at a full racer sim, I think we should be OK.

 

[Acert93]

Rubber banding is what made Daytona eventually suck in the arcades. No one wanted to be in front because that person pretty much always lost when everyone else got a magic speed boost on the last lap.

Mario Kart 64 is one of, if not, worse example of this. My friends and I would intentionally sit in 2nd or 3rd until the last lap, get an uber weapon, let the rubberbanding catch us up, nail the people ahead, and coast to an easy win

Man did I ever hate that game

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Mariokart 64 wasnt that bad? I never played mk64 but I did play the snes version to death and played the DS version alot on a lan at school with some classmates and I think its pretty balanced. Sure sometimes you get screwed right before the finish but that is also part of the game, its not fun when it happens to you, but you and your mates will be laughing your asses of if it happens to someone else. But in general I felt that you wouldnt get screwed if you are #1 very often.

 

[Cheezdoodles]

Well, getting lapped isn't much fun for the beginner. As long as the rubber banding is enough to keep the novices from falling too far behind, and not enough to present an exploitable advantage, then it shouldn't be too bad.

Your forgetting one crucial point in your theory here:

Rubber banding works for all players that are behind, not just noobs.

Basically what this means that if the rubber banding is significant, people are gonna stay on a close 2nd and 3rd until the last lap and just boost their way tru everything

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Banding should stop once you are close to to leader. IMO banding should allow you to only get close to the leader, but only close enough so that you can only win if you really have the skills to win. I dont see why banding should be something that starts at the beginning of a round and stops at the end.

 

[Bobbler]

It isn't really rubber banding, as all it does is refill your turbo bar a bit faster not make it last longer or give you a higher speed boost, as far as I know (doesn't recharge when you're using it, I don't think, so it'd be hard to abuse it like straight up speed boosts, since by the time you got to the leader your bar would refill only as fast as theirs and you'd likely have had to use most of the bar getting there).

A game like Motorstorm is going to be most fun when everyone is in a tight pack all together, so some sort of "rubber banding" is necessary.

Can't wait for it though! 12 player online should be enough for some good mayhem.