01-25-2008, 03:26 PM
Basics:
The basics of racing applies to TMN as well as the real world.
To get around a track in the shortest ammount of time you want to brake enough before the turn to take it smoothly and get maximum acceleration out of the turn. The quicker you're on the accelerator the faster your car will go. So; slow in, fast out!
I'm no master in driving loops and wallrides but the theory is quite simple.
In wallrides you want to go as low as possible and if possible without losing contact with the driving surface. Try imagining the wallride as lying flat on the ground and drive the shortest distance between the two lowest corners. The same applies to loops and cork screws. Set up the car so that you don't have to turn/correct much while in the loop. The shortest distance between two locations is always a straight line, or as straight a line as you can manage.
Jumping:
When you hit a jump and fly through the air your car will start to pitch forward. To stop this pitching motion tap the brake and the car will "freeze" in mid air. Try judging the angle of the landing so that all four wheels of your car hit the ground at the same time. This will minimize the ammount of bounce the car gets from hitting the ground and increase your control.
Sometimes a jump is constucted that you have to brake hard to be able to make the next turn. Try anticipating the turn and angle your car by turning your car at the last moment before you leave the ramp. This will make your car go straight into a slide when it lands. If you need to lengthen the slide, press the brake and/or the accelerator as you land.
Also, if you for some reason need to adjust the length of a jump, do so in the begining of the jump rather than at the end. You should have the maximum acceleration possible when landing. You can reduce the length of a jump by just releasing the throttle or by using the brake. Yes, TMN-cars come with air brakes, or flaps.
Good thing this isn't a drivng simulator but an arcade game.
Powerslide/sliding
[see above for description on how to perform a powerslide]
When you want to powerslide through a turn you need to anticipate the turn and start the slide well ahead of the turn so that you slide into the turn. I find that if I start across the center line of the track when I start my slide I usually get a good "hit" when coming into the turn.
High speed driving:
On tracks that are designed for speed, really high speed, you want to keep your car from sliding at all! Sliding on a speed track will make you lose time. To avoid sliding, release the throttle a bit at the start of a turn you know your car tends to slide, and accelerate through it. Again; slow in, fast out. Though here it prbably is better to say fast inn, faster out
Learning a track
There's no use in being the best driver in the world if you don't know the track you're driving. And learning a track can be a pain in the b-hind.
It takes many runs to get every curve right. Breaking points, jumps, landings all have to be memorized.
If you want to learn a track faster I suggest that you join a server online and go into spectator mode (Esc --> Spectator) and watch how the best drivers drive the track. Some players may start to complain about being specced, but I wouldn't pay them much attention. It's a part of the game and they should in my opinion accept it. But if you want to be nice you can ask before speccing someone or sitch between who you're speccing.
Select who you're watching by holding down "Tab" and clicking any nickname.
Be aware of the fact that speccing can be forbidden on some servers.
Another way to learn a track is to download replays uploaded for each track here on TMX and to view them in the ingame editor. You can even drive against the replays and that way see where you are losing time on a track.
I hope this little tutorial will help many of you into becoming better drivers. As in all things it takes time and practice to become better.
I'm not the best in the world at playing TMN, but I've played this game since February 2006 and have picked up some nifty things here and there.
I will add more to this post when I remember more. I'm currently at work but had nothing else to do, so I thought I'd write a guide to help you newcommers discover how great Trackmania Nations is.
Copy/Paste
The basics of racing applies to TMN as well as the real world.
To get around a track in the shortest ammount of time you want to brake enough before the turn to take it smoothly and get maximum acceleration out of the turn. The quicker you're on the accelerator the faster your car will go. So; slow in, fast out!
I'm no master in driving loops and wallrides but the theory is quite simple.
In wallrides you want to go as low as possible and if possible without losing contact with the driving surface. Try imagining the wallride as lying flat on the ground and drive the shortest distance between the two lowest corners. The same applies to loops and cork screws. Set up the car so that you don't have to turn/correct much while in the loop. The shortest distance between two locations is always a straight line, or as straight a line as you can manage.
Jumping:
When you hit a jump and fly through the air your car will start to pitch forward. To stop this pitching motion tap the brake and the car will "freeze" in mid air. Try judging the angle of the landing so that all four wheels of your car hit the ground at the same time. This will minimize the ammount of bounce the car gets from hitting the ground and increase your control.
Sometimes a jump is constucted that you have to brake hard to be able to make the next turn. Try anticipating the turn and angle your car by turning your car at the last moment before you leave the ramp. This will make your car go straight into a slide when it lands. If you need to lengthen the slide, press the brake and/or the accelerator as you land.
Also, if you for some reason need to adjust the length of a jump, do so in the begining of the jump rather than at the end. You should have the maximum acceleration possible when landing. You can reduce the length of a jump by just releasing the throttle or by using the brake. Yes, TMN-cars come with air brakes, or flaps.
Good thing this isn't a drivng simulator but an arcade game.Powerslide/sliding
[see above for description on how to perform a powerslide]
When you want to powerslide through a turn you need to anticipate the turn and start the slide well ahead of the turn so that you slide into the turn. I find that if I start across the center line of the track when I start my slide I usually get a good "hit" when coming into the turn.
High speed driving:
On tracks that are designed for speed, really high speed, you want to keep your car from sliding at all! Sliding on a speed track will make you lose time. To avoid sliding, release the throttle a bit at the start of a turn you know your car tends to slide, and accelerate through it. Again; slow in, fast out. Though here it prbably is better to say fast inn, faster out
Learning a track
There's no use in being the best driver in the world if you don't know the track you're driving. And learning a track can be a pain in the b-hind.
It takes many runs to get every curve right. Breaking points, jumps, landings all have to be memorized.
If you want to learn a track faster I suggest that you join a server online and go into spectator mode (Esc --> Spectator) and watch how the best drivers drive the track. Some players may start to complain about being specced, but I wouldn't pay them much attention. It's a part of the game and they should in my opinion accept it. But if you want to be nice you can ask before speccing someone or sitch between who you're speccing.
Select who you're watching by holding down "Tab" and clicking any nickname.
Be aware of the fact that speccing can be forbidden on some servers.
Another way to learn a track is to download replays uploaded for each track here on TMX and to view them in the ingame editor. You can even drive against the replays and that way see where you are losing time on a track.
I hope this little tutorial will help many of you into becoming better drivers. As in all things it takes time and practice to become better.
I'm not the best in the world at playing TMN, but I've played this game since February 2006 and have picked up some nifty things here and there.
I will add more to this post when I remember more. I'm currently at work but had nothing else to do, so I thought I'd write a guide to help you newcommers discover how great Trackmania Nations is.
Copy/Paste
