Starmourn RACING

Lhundrup

(This is not a post about space racing, but ground-based racing)

Text-based racing! Here's how I imagine it working in Starmourn:

Firstly, I think vehicles that can be used for racing should have several slots available to install upgrade parts which will improve the vehicle's performance. A vehicle's performance should just be represented by a hard number, say 100 is stock, and 130 is fully upgraded. With just this portion installed, we have the potential to have drag racing! Drag racing; I believe, should depend solely on a vehicle's performance and have a randomized value drawn when racing another driver. So, If your vehicle had a performance value of 115 you would draw a number at random between 95 and 120 (or so), your opponent would have a performance value of 105 and be able to draw between 85 and 110. So, when the race commences there could be some flavor text, but the winner is determined by whomever draws the highest number.

I think that would be fun! We could have vehicle meets, betting, npc drivers, tournaments, etc.

That would be a fun first step in the world of Starmourn RACING!

Straight lines and super engines are fine and all, but what about some futuristic racing with awesome gravity defying tracks?

Here's how I see it potentially working:

It will basically be bashing. You could have 3(or so) stats dedicated purely to racing. They might be: Handling (responsible for decreasing stamina loss from turns; or enemies) Strength (increases "damage" dealt to turns; or enemies) and Stamina (increases your total stamina) I see it working similarly to hacking, You have a pool of stamina that you need to maintain in order to reach the goal. Let's say at level 1 Racing you have 1 point in each stat and 1000 stamina points. Let's race! When you start a race you are taken to the track and are in your vehicle of choice. I see the "track" as just being a private room in which enemies (turns, obstacles, stunt areas, straightaways) will spawn! I think that by using this, you can even let people design their own tracks by allowing them to select what enemies spawn in what order. HERE WE GO! "You are teleported to your Delta Racer" The christmas tree lights up! 3 - 2 - 1 - GO! The first enemy to spawn is "a medium straightaway" This enemy will not attack you, and will replenish some stamina when you "FLOOR IT" (which will kill it). This will spawn the next enemy: "a soft left turn" which will immediately "attack" your vehicle for low stamina damage (let's say 100) You must then TURN LEFT to retaliate, and you will inflict damage on the "turn" which is determined by your vehicle's performance value and your strength. The amount of damage you inflict on turns will be a big determinate factor in your final score (Or time). I think you should only be able to "attack" each "enemy" once... So, it wouldn't be a traditional enemy in that you need to reduce it to 0 health. But, rather a numerical source for the driver's final score. You hit the turn, it disappears and spawns the next section of the track: "a right hairpin turn" that immediately hits your vehicle for large damage (300?) but you deftly TURN RIGHT and deal (200?) damage. What's next? A ramp! Simply TURN NITRO to initiate a powerful boost to launch yourself off the ramp; crossing a pit of not-so-lucky racing vehicles and inflicting damage.

After several turns, obstacles, loops, and jumps you find yourself crossing the finish line! This is the final enemy, it does not attack, and you need only FINISH RACE to receive your final score (or time) and return to yourself like when finished hacking. Okay, I admit, I am horrible at math... But I think a person's final time should be derived somehow from their total damage dealt to enemies...

So, what happens when you reach 0 stamina? YOU CRASH! But, I feel this shouldn't simply end your run - Maybe you simply hug the wall violently and your final score is reduced by a %. But, then you correct yourself and are given 30% stamina back to get back in there!

Using this method, I think you could create some really neat and challenging tracks! I see a rankings board being pretty popular here...

ROLEPLAY

I think that there should be an awesome raceway where everything vehicle related happens! Maybe a space station in it's own right! What I envision as a raceway of the Starmourn sector would be a HUGE warehouse filled with pre-made sections of track that are mechanically assembled by some kind of robots into pre-configured circuits going around the space station (kinda like slot car tracks). I could see this method including both pre-made  tracks and player-made tracks. All you need is a nice variety of "sections" of track and you got yourself a track builder! We just have to determine the order, and which of the enemies spawn. Say we can build our own tracks willy-nilly but we need to fork over some marks if we want to publish said track and have it available as one of the station's regular tracks.

Lhundrup

I imagine races starting every RL hour. Then, everyone is welcome to join in and race to submit a score (or time) for the race of the hour. Then, marks and experience are distributed accordingly depending on how you placed at the end of the hour. There should definitely be NPC racers available for when no one else is racing (like 8?) and as players complete the course, their score (or times) will replace the NPC's (If they beat them). Of course, players would only have 1 opportunity to complete the course per race.

Squeakums

Neat idea.

While it's pretty fleshed out and there's lots going on in your proposal, I just wanted to chime in and say that I would absolutely participate in any kind of speeder or bike racing initiative, no matter what shape that takes. Love swoop races. Love pod races. Love TRON. Etc.

gravithicc

It's possible to do TRON bike race duels in text. It would be like a game of SNAKE but with two players each controlling their own snake on a big grid. If you slow it down enough we can reliably change directions without needing superhuman reflexes.

Steve

gravithicc said:

It's possible to do TRON bike race duels in text. It would be like a game of SNAKE but with two players each controlling their own snake on a big grid. If you slow it down enough we can reliably change directions without needing superhuman reflexes.

That sounds like it could be a hacking type game. I'd be down for that sort of thing.

Steve

But now that I think about it, that SNAKE idea would pose a problem for VI players. Probably shouldn't propose expanding that to a full-on hacking system like our current Hangman is.

Hmm..