Excerpt from recent internal San Diego Studio memo…
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From: ModNation Racers Scientific Research Lab – Weapons Division (MNR: SRL-WD)
Re: Fun Factor
To: All Concerned
cc: Biff, Gary
bcc: Kevin Butler
b(cool weapons + explosions) + w(great racing + track design) * y(MNR’s “Secret Sauce”) = !(freaking fun kart racing)
Key: b = BOOM, w = WOW, y = YAHOO, ! = !!!
(please note: this information IS NOT CONFIDENTIAL)
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b1. Weapon Classes
ModNation Racers: Road Trip weapons add more excitement to our already great racing experience on the PS3 with all new weapons that give the racers more control both offensively and defensively. The seven weapon classes fall into these categories: Earth, Fire, Ice, Mines, Bolt, Guns, and Sonic weapons. Notice below that weapon classes are distingushed by color. Once a weapon is attained all future weapon pods collected will remain the same color until used. Color key: Red – Gun, Dark Green – Earth, Light Blue – Ice, Dark Blue – Sonic, Pink – Bolt, Orange – Fire, Light Green – Supercharger, and Yellow – Mines.
b2. Weapon Types:
- Track Based Weapons: These weapons are triggered by you or your opponents to bring potentially devastating damage to enemies and/or yourself if you’re not careful! Imagine being in the middle of a heated race and desperately needing to break from the pack. Well, if you have a Level 3 Phoenix in hand unleash that bad boy and watch it literally fly ahead of the pack. At the right moment your Phoenix will stop and unleash a rain of fire upon the track. Racers will scramble along with you to make it through the carnage. Some will make it, some won’t. Will you? This is just one of the uber-powerful level 3 track based weapons along with and Level 3 Rockslide and a Level 3 Sonic Rift.
- Spray Weapons: These multi-purpose weapons allow racers to swerve their kart while firing to spray projectiles across the track. This gives the players a choice: hit a single opponent with all of the projectiles, or spray to try and hit multiple opponents.
- Roaming / Near Weapons: These weapons add the random factor to your weapon arsenal. Set one off and watch as they travel freely down the track. They don’t lock on to your Kart but you’ll have to act fast to avoid these.
- Drivable Weapons: These give players the ability to use their driving skills to dish out punishment to their opponents. I personally can’t begin to tell you how rewarding it is to literally snowball over a racer(s) that just sideswiped me into a wall. No. Really – I can’t tell you. The judge and my anger management coach restrict me from articulating this pleasure any further.
– Lock-On Weapons: Ah, lock on weapons… so much fun to give, not so fun to receive – the pure definition of being “pwned”. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip you’ll have a little more say to the degree of “pwnage” your opponent can dish out. You will still have audio clues (can be turned off) of incoming attacks but you’ll now have the advantage of a “lock-on” reticule for visual assistance in timing your shields. This results in a more balanced racing experience while not removing the pure joy of unleashing your “Hydra’s” up someone’s tailpipe!
- Mines: Now a weapon class of their own and the only instance you’ll be dropping a weapon behind you (see below). This class includes Plutonium Mine, Toxic Cloud, and Toxic Cesspool
b3. Weapon Pod Cash In
In ModNation Racers for the PS3 you could drop weapons as mines behind you or in essence “dump” weapons that you did not like. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip you now have complete control of how to best use your acquired weapon. Don’t like the weapon you picked up and maybe running a little low on boost?… simple…you can press the weapon icon on the bottom right of the front touch screen or just hold down on the fire weapon button to “cash” it in. Voila… more boost in you gauge. You can “cash-in” your weapon up to and including level three’s! The sprint towards the finish just got a lot more exciting didn’t it? Yeah it did!
b4. Amnesty Shield
Another brand new feature to ModNation Racers Road Trip is the Amnesty Shield. This automatic shield comes into play when you fire a weapon and an opponent fires the same exact weapon at or toward you. This again adds a little more strategy to the racing experience and helps avoid races being decided at the very last second by the ever popular “Hydra-palooza”.
ModNation Racers Road Trip: Recent Features Preview
Track Studio I – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Your Wish is Our Command!
Track Studio II – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Part Two
Mod Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Mod Studio Preview
Kart Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Kart Studio Preview
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – New Racing Features
Triple Threat Team Challenge – Results!
A few weeks ago we challenged players to team up and create the ultimate MNR experience. Judging from the great response this was MNR’s best creation challenge yet. We choose our favorite overall “experience” based on these criteria – Track: 30%, Mod(s):25%, Kart(s): 25%, and Story: 20% (how it all ties together). After careful consideration of all the hard work that went into every creation, we came up with our overall favorite – Team “Parenthood” (DeathsMom, OnePoppa, POULTRY_GOD). Take a look around the track as you drive and you’ll see many of life’s big events. Congrats!
Please take time to download and experience all of the entries unique creations HERE
Creations of the Week: Team Triple Threat Challenge
Hot Lap Tracks of the Week: Team Triple Threat Challenge
Monday: Land of the prehistoric by Team “Prehistoric Invaders” (prob_alex, Flathletics102)
Tuesday: X’mas Cake [BSA] by Team “Japan” (skid18-18, asura-007, big-village_920_)
Wednesday: Parenthood by Team “Parenthood” (DeathsMom, OnePoppa, POULTRY_GOD)
Thursday: Kawaii High Rise by Team “5W” (Ginsu_Loki02, Blu_Caracal, Yika)
Friday: Hiroko’s Secret Dimension by Team “Otaku Trinity” (BandaiNamco209, parise93, John31269)
Saturday: The Astro-Prison by Team “Super-Duper-Leet-Awesome-Epic-Lazer Explosion-Steve” (Biver_, dane9261)
Sunday: Ivo’s Trash Lands by “Team Science” (IvoYaridovich, IndustrialSavior)
Have a great week everyone!
Mark (PSN ID: ModNationSD)
