Way back when ICR-1 came out, I posted the same thoughts in this very newsgroup. I
was shot down by most. At the time, games like Stunts let you create your own
tracks from pre-built parts. What made ICR different though is that the binary code
to make a track work was also in the track file (this is perhaps why some look much
better than others??). I said it made no difference. Who cared if my version of
Watkins Glen was not 100% accurate, as long as it was close. Nowadays just about
every good sim in any category will let you at least create your own maps, some even
your own items like weapons, etc. nixx is correct, they do breath new life into an
old game.
I was also correct in my prediction that someday clever programmers would figure out
how to make their own tracks. Sure, they are not "from scratch," but hey, they are
cool anyway.
> I don't really agree with that. If you look at other types of games,
> particularly first person shooters, you can see that they have never
> been afraid of the amateur level maker. That same controversy came up
> years ago, and ID made the right decision with Doom. It seems that
> companies are so busy working on the next level of sim, that sometimes
> they forget to support the sim they already have published. It then
> falls to the amateur track maker to make new tracks to keep the game
> fresh. But, if a professionally prepared level (or track) pack comes
> out, and the game is good, it would sell regardless of the number of
> amateur tracks already produced.
> Smart game companies should make it as easy as possible to modify the
> game and make addons. It would seem that they would make more money
> on game sales and loyalty for subsequent sequels then they ever would
> by keeping the game inaccesible to hacks and simply trying to cash in
> on add-on packs. Makes me wonder if GP3 will be taking the latter
> route.
> >I think that it would be great to have a track editor in every racing game. It
> >would infinitely prolong the life and value of the game, especially with
> >downloadable tracks and objects. But I think that it might not be in the best
> >interest of the companies selling us these games, since any sequels would have
> >to compete with the user enhanced add-ons. It would be harder for them to sell
> >us a new version of the game each year. They would be undermining the upgrade
> >sequence a bit. Motocross Madness 2 for example, is an excellent sequel, but it
> >does not completely render motocross madness 1 obsolete given all of the user
> >made tracks out there on the internet. And I suspect that MCM3 or MCM4 will
> >find it increasingly difficult to supplant the preceding game on a players
> >harddrive.
