Implementing Racing (Still Editing)

[Rinamii 16]

Introduction

 

What do you do when all lights are out, the districts are almost empty or you're simple fed up with doing missions? Well, some of us race, and with APB being a game with so much freedom it gives you the option race just  about anywhere. I've played the game for a few years and I've noticed that racing has kind of faded away. It could be because people don't draw any joy from it, or they've simply never been introduced to it. But I don't want racing in APB to die. I think it deserves a little recognition by the developers and perhaps we can have something introduced down the line after more important updates.

APB for me is a game that introduces the player to a lot of emotions, negative, positive. Those feelings of choking up, heart pounding, hysteria and amusement from random events happening. It really is something I sought to chase, and everytime I race in APB, those bursts of emotional highs come rushing through me. I've been in races with as much as 20 people at once, and it never felt like winning mattered. Just being there next to that many players laughing and having fun was really enjoyable. I've heard stories of massive races being told, and stories of people racing for pink slips "the car itself", and the winner would take them all. When I explained I had never experience this the teller reacted almost out of pity, that I had missed out. The common denominator of these stories were passion. APB doesn't have to be a game with a reputation of a gloomy community, I think implemented racing could be one small step in the right direction.

 

Table of contents

 

Part 1: How to Race
1.1 Acquainting

1.2 Race tracks

1.3 Making up tracks
 

Part 2: Current health of Racing

2.1 What to expect when racing

2.2 Certain bugs

 

Part 3: What I would like implemented

3.1 Structure

3.2 Custom Tracks

3.3 Custom Tracks public library

3.4 Rated Race Tracks

 

Part 4: Conclusion and additional notes

Part 5: Credits

 

 

How to Race

 

1.1 Acquainting

Finding new people to race with or simply setting up your first race can be a long process, it consists of a lot of trial and error. You have to either find a small community of people that race or continuously ask in chat till someone seems interested. Sometimes those people just wanna do one or two races, and some of them have a short attention span so learning the track results in them giving up. However, there's a sneaky way to find people that will be interested in racing. Asking people to see their cars, showing your cars and talking about the cars in APB can quickly flush out the people you wanna find. When you finally start racing don't talk to the ones you're racing with privately, rather talk in district chat. When you're talking in district chat people tend to ask about it or simply want to join. Think of it as commercializing the fact that you are racing, like a meme, commercials familiarises people with it and it's in the back of their mind till they eventually decide "It might be fun".

 

 

1.2 Race tracks 

APB has so much freedom, every corner becomes a potential track. Some race tracks are more known than others for many reasons, when something becomes too complicated it's forgotten, and when something is just outright dull and plain it's ignored. That's why it's important to find which types of races you like and which cars that go along with it. The best kind of race track is one which allows for a variety of cars to participate. Vegas RWD and 4x4 has their intensive acceleration but suffer when you have to turn. Jericho is fast with much benefits for being a good all round car, but nonetheless has its weaknesses. Bishada allows for control with great handling but doesn't have the best speed. Growl is a generalists favourite for being good at everything, but doesn't stand out. Micro/Vaquero are nimble, quick and handles the best, but highly lacks top speed. Finding a track were these can race equally together is highly rewarding.

 

1.3 Making up tracks

The start is important and needs to be equal. Racers start next to each other, so there needs to either be a straight that's long enough to gain some speed after a good launch, or two opposite corners right after each other that allows the outer car to catch up on the second turn. During the race, if you have the time to look behind because you're racing a long sprint the track might be dull, remember that racing should require you to  have full concentration on the objective the whole time. Lots of turns can be fun at times, but be careful of making it tiresome. Areas that elevate are a good way to create risk and reward, a good example would be financials second story parking lot above the highway entrance. There are two wood pathways that makes a race intense, drive a little to carelessly and you're out of the race. When making long races, or races that have a lot of laps needed to be taken around the same course could incentivize it going through gas stations, not all of us have a co-pilot with a blow torch. Lastly try being creative, two people can race the same car and therefore you can add exchange zones. The pilot swaps seats with the co-pilot before leaving the exchange zone. Perhaps joker laps, have a little area racers need to race around at some point during a long race, and they would themselves have to decide when's the right moment.

 

 

Current health of Racing

 

2.1 What to expect when racing

This game is far from perfect, and I believe many would agree the quirks and imperfections make the game what it is. Therefore 'shit happens', honestly these fucking cars suddenly turning when I drive by, some random curb is like a spring loaded launch device causing barrel rolls, etcetera. These things are so rage inducing but equally hilarious when it doesn't happen to you. This is something that needs to remain in the equation, the environment and randomness that APB manages to throw at you makes it so exciting similarly to other open-world games. 

 

2.2 Certain bugs

There are a handful of areas around the maps of APB that just ruins races and general gameplay, car randomly explodes, corners that make you crash even if you didn't hit the corner seen, objects getting stuck inside the car and sometimes make you explode. I wouldn't say no to a little less buggy experience when racing.

 

 

What I would like implemented

 

3.1 Structure

This part will be divided up sections of most important Yellow, moderately important Orange, not so important Red. This is mainly to push forward the ideas I would like to see implemented first.

 

3.2 Custom Tracks

A feature with personal markers you can set to path a way which is saved as you go. With these markers you can create a path from start to finish. Once the Racing track has been made by the player, they can store it to a personal library of Racing tracks. In this library they can view all their saved Race tracks, with an option of setting up the race. When setting up the race the player can choose between "Start race", "Place wager", "Invite players", "Laps" and "Disband race". Display current race on the map and with blue and purple waypoints on the minimap. Blue for current waypoint, and purple for next. 

 

 

3.3 Custom Tracks public library

A library of public race tracks created by different players. Players can try these tracks and vote on them if they liked it and add one of try three difficulties: Easy, Moderate and Hard. When searching for race tracks in the public library you'll have options such as Search by name, Search by Creator, Popularity, Upvotes and Difficulty. The players can then try the race for themselves and invite others to it. As an addition they can also save the race track to their favourites. 

 

3.4 Rated Race Tracks

The 50 most upvoted race tracks yields rewards for the racers, assuming racing will have its own standing separated from the two factions Criminal and Enforcer, the players earn standing with racing contacts with rewards such as customizable and non customizable cars, symbols, clothes, etcetera.

Race rewards will be determined on a few factors.

• Track duration (how long the race is in distance, not how much time to take to finish it)
• Track difficulty
• Number of Opponents you're racing against
• Time (Less time is more)

 

 

Credits

 

Thank you, Intake - For providing stories of Races you experienced and also for giving suggestions along with testing races. /profile/926-intake/

 

Thank you, Voljiin and Focxzeh for helping me get the photos!

Edited May 29, 2018 by Rinamii

[Intake 27]

Pretty good thread.

 

More than anything, we definitely need the ability to race for cash money, and maybe even rep with factions.

 

Anyways, we need the racing district. I have suffered too long tbh.

[NotZombieBiscuit 3146]

The racing district meme is back.

[Seedy 324]

more likely to happen now that ever before..

I would love to see organised races!

[NoobOnDrugs 15]

big support for this suggestion i hope and see it to be implemented within the game, i love the context you put into this topic and im glad to see that you took your time with every detail

[magik 184]

Probably the best way would be to have an editor in game, in social (place it in the big building to the north, almost empty in there all the time), where you can customize your tracks. Place waypoints, (which can just be the go-to this point as are in a few missions, just don't need to sit on it, but drive through)

 

I'd love to see the addition of a racing district. (Midtown with elements from wf and fin) Only problem I see, is everyone using a Vegas, 4x4, Jericho, and Bishada; Make racing more fun, and allow for a our lower tier cars to be upgradable for races too! (Give the Fresno and Broadwing some love)

[Rinamii 16]

17 hours ago, Sergsininia said:

Probably the best way would be to have an editor in game, in social (place it in the big building to the north, almost empty in there all the time), where you can customize your tracks. Place waypoints, (which can just be the go-to this point as are in a few missions, just don't need to sit on it, but drive through)

 

I'd love to see the addition of a racing district. (Midtown with elements from wf and fin) Only problem I see, is everyone using a Vegas, 4x4, Jericho, and Bishada; Make racing more fun, and allow for a our lower tier cars to be upgradable for races too! (Give the Fresno and Broadwing some love)

I like the idea of upgrading cars, could I add it to the post, I will credit you.

[xnyuu 23]

It's great what you are doing, simply role playing as racers and such. I sorta find it cool.

But, I think we do not need a racing district. There are plenty of racing simulators out there.

Edited May 30, 2018 by xNyuu

[Rinamii 16]

59 minutes ago, xNyuu said:

It's cool what you are doing, simply role playing as racers and such. I sorta find it cool.

But, I think we do not need a racing district. There are plenty of racing simulators out there.

I never said anything about a racing district

Edited May 30, 2018 by Rinamii

[magik 184]

7 hours ago, Rinamii said:

I like the idea of upgrading cars, could I add it to the post, I will credit you.

That would be fine with me, you don't need to credit me, but thanks!