Checkpoint too early | Forums

[rlmergeuser]

Hi everyone.
I would first of all like to thank all track creators for investing their time in creating tracks.
The purpose of this message is to ask many of those creators to please not put a checkpoint too early in a track. Red lynx themselves are guilty of this so please don't think I am aiming this plea at anyone in particular.
When trying to set a respectable time on a track I need to be able to get the start right. If there is a checkpoint too close to the start then I can't press B to restart quickly, I have to press back and get 3,2,1 GO etc. this can be very frustrating and can lead to a lesser experience of the track.
Again thank you all for your creations and the time you invest in them.

[Barrybarfly]

The issue is that this only helps speedrunners, but doing it may hinder the experience of lesser riders. So its a real balancing act between trying to not hinder the speedrunners OR lesser riders. Its much easier on an extreme track than it is on a medium track as well (for instance), as you can place it after the first obstacle. Whereas on a Medium you would like it after the first timesaver (for speedrunners), which may be the second or third obstacle. Its a constant pain in my butt trying to get the placement of that first CP just right so as to suit both sets of riders! lol

[rlmergeuser]

I thought you only got the 3-2-1-Go on your first run. After that pressing the back button just gives you the "Go" message, that hardly wastes loads of time, does it?

The tips in the editor advise track creators to use lots of checkpoints and to put them close together as this helps the general trials community, which increases popularity and therefore increases downloads.

[ihazfaults]

I thought you only got the 3-2-1-Go on your first run.

That's correct... you have to cross the finish line and hit restart to get the 3, 2, 1 again.

[H3X23]

the delay of it saying GO! is enough to put you off of the starting obstacle. From a speedrunners perspective early first checkpoints are annoying. Finding a balance is hard but also the key to being good for both speedrunners and people that want to play the track. To be fair speedrunners are going to play your track alot more than anyone else as most people just play a track once or try for a 0 fault and not having an early checkpoint isnt going to effect the enjoyability of the track.

[dasraizer]

the delay of it saying GO! is enough to put you off of the starting obstacle. From a speedrunners perspective early first checkpoints are annoying. Finding a balance is hard but also the key to being good for both speedrunners and people that want to play the track. To be fair speedrunners are going to play your track alot more than anyone else as most people just play a track once or try for a 0 fault and not having an early checkpoint isnt going to effect the enjoyability of the track.

to be honest, i only hate the 1st checkpoint when i know i can nail the 1st obstacle, i like technical tracks and if the 1st obstacle is a challenge, takes several attempts and then beat it, im happy if there is a checkpoint there, noting annoys me more than having to do a few more obstacles before i get a checkpoint and if that is the case, i most likely rage quit pointing my middle finger at the screen.

if ya don't let it bug u then its not a problem.

[rlmergeuser]

I thought you only got the 3-2-1-Go on your first run.

That's correct... you have to cross the finish line and hit restart to get the 3, 2, 1 again.

That is totally wrong.

[rlmergeuser]

The issue is that this only helps speedrunners, but doing it may hinder the experience of lesser riders. So its a real balancing act between trying to not hinder the speedrunners OR lesser riders. Its much easier on an extreme track than it is on a medium track as well (for instance), as you can place it after the first obstacle. Whereas on a Medium you would like it after the first timesaver (for speedrunners), which may be the second or third obstacle. Its a constant pain in my butt trying to get the placement of that first CP just right so as to suit both sets of riders! lol

I tried to post a reply to this comment.

[rlmergeuser]

I thought you only got the 3-2-1-Go on your first run. After that pressing the back button just gives you the "Go" message, that hardly wastes loads of time, does it?

The tips in the editor advise track creators to use lots of checkpoints and to put them close together as this helps the general trials community, which increases popularity and therefore increases downloads.

I would ignore the editor tips in this case as they are misleading. As I said, red lynx are guilty of this in one or more of their campaign tracks. Putting a checkpoint 2 seconds into the track helps no one.

[rlmergeuser]

The issue is that this only helps speedrunners, but doing it may hinder the experience of lesser riders. So its a real balancing act between trying to not hinder the speedrunners OR lesser riders. Its much easier on an extreme track than it is on a medium track as well (for instance), as you can place it after the first obstacle. Whereas on a Medium you would like it after the first timesaver (for speedrunners), which may be the second or third obstacle. Its a constant pain in my butt trying to get the placement of that first CP just right so as to suit both sets of riders! lol

Barry, please don't assume I am inconsiderate because I am not.
If someone on a medium track cannot get past the first jump/ramp without faulting then they either will go on to complete the track with xxx amount of faults or they should be playing an easy track. The other alternative is bad level design. Making the first jump too hard.
There is no reason tracks cannot be set up for speedrunners. I am not asking for the checkpoint to be far into the track just that it is not 2 secounds in or after the first jump/ramp.
This is not an unreasonable request.