Hey everyone, this is a a thread for general feedback of Pine Valley. I would like to hear about what you like and don’t like about the map. Is the map design fun to play? Are there any sections of the map that are annoying? What do you think of the visuals? Is there anything you would change? Is there anything in the map that you really liked? Do you have any other comments or criticisms?
Thank you for your feedback.
This whole downhill portion could probably have its elevation tweaked a bit. It is a bit difficult to drift here until you get used to the timing (which isn’t an issue, imo), but if you attempt to drift while having Moon Power active, the hop before the drift gives you too much air, and you end up flying off the side of the road.
The map looks visually impressive, it probably stands right now as the best looking TU map so far.
Gameplay-wise, it feels very linear. There are no jumps (I mean long jumps, not the little ramps on the shortcuts), no tight turns, no elevation changes, and no map obstacles whatsoever, making races with less than 4 players feel like a breeze (and also very boring :\ ). Stuff like open railings that lead to the water, big jumps supported by a boost, or enemies that force players to drive past them.
My last point I want to make is that the shortcuts are just flat out useless. They don’t offer extra items for taking them, and they always end up taking you more time to drive through than just staying on the main road. That is literally the opposite definition of a "short"cut.
Nevermind, it’s a WIP part of the track for a new feature (probably a way to get more units, like the melons in Ball Race).
The shortcuts that have Unit signs before them are not shortcuts. They are for a feature that has not been implemented yet.
I honestly quite enjoy this map a lot. Me and some buddies immediately caught on with the Mario Kart-styled inspiration with it all and had a lot of fun with it. Drifting takes some getting used to but definitely makes for some exciting races (with friends or other players in general).
We assumed they were shortcuts initially but upon reading the above post I’m now relieved that wasn’t their intention, and the possibility of what they might entail has me intrigued. However I will agree having driven around them they do slog down the race a bit considering the fast-paced nature of it.
I’m sure it was intentional so I don’t know if this feedback holds any weight, but so far I think my only issue is that grass/mud slows down karts to a bit of a crawl which can be annoying. This is forgivable though since once a player is able to use a melon they can zip through it pretty quickly. My first time playing through it I thought I’d still make it across without boosts but I was wrong haha.
I think maybe one could move the boost leading up to it (the one beside the rock towards the end) maybe a little closer, perhaps? Sadly I’ve only ever used it once but in that one moment I did I noticed the boost will end by the time it reaches that little ramp. I dunno if other players have experienced that, but it would make the jump a bit easier especially if you have no items up until that point. As mentioned the grass/mud decreases speed a considerable bit which is a little annoying. I find going around the corners around it is a lot more fun.
Still a solid effort and honestly made me play the Mario Kart 64 theme immediately afterward. XD
I feel like the networking could be tightened up a bit. Regardless of server I joined (all being under 60 ping), I would encounter rubber banding mid match, often times screwing up my drift or sending me into an obstacle I otherwise could have avoided.
What I’m thinking is Pine Valley isn’t really meant to be a huge, stunt/gimmick-filled behemoth like the Bowser Castle and Rainbow Road tracks usually are in Mario Kart. I think it’s supposed to have more of a “first track” feel, more along the lines of Figure-8 Circuit in Mario Kart DS, or Toad Circuit in Mario Kart Wii.
