Re: [TuxKart-devel] Thoughts on Kart Models.

[Ryan F. <rf...@gm...>]

On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 03:49:43 -0500, Steve Baker <sjb...@ai...> wrote:

> Here is what I would build for a BSOD kart - I'd like to see a model of a
> classic beige-box desk-side PC with CD-ROMs for wheels and the CD drive tray
> opened up to make the seat-back. Take some liberties with real PC design by
> putting the computer on it's side - it doesn't have to be a literally correct
> portrayal - so long as it has recognisable elements of a PC, that's how people
> will see it. However, turning things around allows the back panel of the to be
> on the back of the Kart where we can see it. Plan to have some cables trailing
> out fluttering in the breeze as though they were ripped away from whatever they
> were connected to as the *evil* BSOD absconded with someone's PC. The CD-ROM
> wheels can have 'TuxKart 1.0.0 Backup: 27th July 2005" textured onto them like
> it was hand-written in magic marker.

[snip]

> 5) It opens up the possibilities for 'special' attacks and defences - like if you
>     try to rear-end BSOD, you get electrocuted by the sparks from the trailing
>     cables.  He could shoot CD-ROMs as weapons and get huge speedups from driving
>     over nVidia chips in the road on his own special levels. The players will
>     understand why this is immediately if the kart is a computer on wheels. If it's
>     a regular GoKart driven by what looks like a grey cube - it won't make *ANY*
>     sense at all.

For SuperTux GotM we moved away from the geek-theme (ie, evil BSOD's)
and made it a little more "realistic" (you know, walking iceballs and
iceblocks :). I don't think that would be a bad idea for TuxKart to go
thise route either. There seems to be quite a few linux-geek-theme
games out there and to anyone new to linux (or that just doesn't get
the "joke") it may look kind of dumb or not make sense.

I'm not saying that we *definitely* should get rid of the BSOD's
(after all, I think it fits a lot better into a racing game than into
a game like supertux), but I do think it's something we should think
about. Also, if we invent new characters (so we have 6-8), it gets
kind of repetitive when we have a bunch of boring geek stuff.

I do think that "geeky" characters like the suse lizard or beastie,
the BSD demon, would fit quite well into the game (for the same reason
that tux does: they're things that work well when taken completely out
of context).

Also, Gown should be renamed to Penny :P Ok.. maybe not. We ended up
doing this in SuperTux because we found it sounded much nicer. After a
vote it won by a landslide (I'm pretty sure all votes went towards it
:)

Anyway.. off to bed.

-- 
Ryan