eyebo says:
Everyone keeps saying Trial.

To me, Trial is a different style altogether. Trial is all about "finishing".

It's usually played in Time Attack or offline in Race mode. The route is extremely difficult. And you are trying for the best time, not the least respawns.

On many tracks respawning will help you get the best time. On some Trial tracks you will have to respawn if you ever hope to finish the track at all. A track like "Heavens on Fire" simply cannot be driven without respawns, at least not by mere mortals.

I'm sure there are style similarities. Many of the same types of ideas can be interchanged between Platform, Trial, and RPG. But the main difference of Platform is that the goal is to make a run with zero respawns. The track should be built in such a way that makes that difficult to achieve, but also possible.

The goal of how the track is played (driving for least respawns) should influence the track design. So whereas you might make a Trial track where you can make it through a section one time out of every 100 tries, in Platform you need to make sure that if the player's skill is sufficient... he should be able to make it through that section every time.

At least that's my take on it. I'm extremely curious to see what these new campaign tracks are like.

Sure, Trial is a different style from Platform now, but back then in TMU, there was Platform Mode, but no multiplayer for it, so people got around it by playing platform maps in TA, so Platform evolved into Trial, then branched off into RPG, which is bascially just big epic themed and modded trial maps.

So I see Platform as a track genre and Trial and RPG are subgenres of Platform.

A good way to look at it.

Wonder if will end up with puzzle at some point too.

Otherwise, as I see it, Platform is different from trial or RPG (as already stated) mainly in that you're going for least respawns, instead of best time. Additionally, however, trial/RPG often have a lot of transitions and challenges that you would never find in a Nadeo Campaign platform map. This is especially prominent in stadium, where you'd have to drive with two of your wheels on top of one of the thin wallride/loop blocks or on one of the blue and white platform edges in just about any community trial map. Platform was a lot more true to it's name; you were jumping from platform to platform with a checkpoint at each. Goal; to get to the end without using any of the CP's. Not nearly as many were created throughout the community (or at least posted to TMX) compared to all the RPG's and such. In Canyon though, there's less of an opportunity for such dividing characteristics. In the platform trailer, you saw a jump right on to a pipe, something never done in any stadium platform campaign map, but often done in community RPG's. Already created Canyon RPG's, additionally, often have more of the flow than you'd find in TMU ones. Though only a side effect of the capabilities (or lack thereof) of the Canyon editor, these inevitably appear to be leading to an evidently controversial hybrid of the two genres.

Ok so maybe I did overstate that a bit. I expect a middle ground of the two genres we're used to.

Lexino says:
Sure, Trial is a different style from Platform now, but back then in TMU, there was Platform Mode, but no multiplayer for it, so people got around it by playing platform maps in TA, so Platform evolved into Trial, then branched off into RPG, which is bascially just big epic themed and modded trial maps.

I'm pretty sure RPG would be a mix of the Story tracks-genre and the Trial tracks-genre.
And please don't ever call RPG "modded trial maps"

Well eie, like it or not... some are... or at least some claim to be RPGs when they only feel like modded Trial maps. They might be mislabeled though, in your estimation.

For me, an RPG is more than Trial, it also gives a feeling of adventure. And by the end of the track, I want to feel like I've been on a great adventure. The most fun RPGs I've played are ones with a multitude of driving styles within them. There might be some tech, fullspeed, some trial or platformer sections, ring rooms, and maybe even some epic reuses. And of course the scenery is there, and it's huge. Big rooms with MT FX. Fog, colors, so many elements to enable the story to progress and engage the user. And people like Enai Siaion and sol666 adding actual story elements into their tracks. Things you have to collect to progress to the next area. I guess those are probably the true RPGs.

cxomtdoh says:
Platform was a lot more true to it's name; you were jumping from platform to platform with a checkpoint at each. Goal; to get to the end without using any of the CP's.

A good description I think.

It's out!!! <- go read the challenge to win free copies of shootmania storm and get your replay made into an official nadeo video

Here's how to get Platform:

1. Update ManiaPlanet
2. Update Canyon
3. Restart ManiaPlanet
4. Click an empty Station to load the Platform Title into it.
5. Go play!

In case it's not clear, when you go online.... you want to finish the track with least respawns and also try to drive as many finished runs as possible. That's how drivers are ranked in online matches.

hmm, I just updated everything so I could get access to the platform pack
everything goes well untill I want to play

my controller does not react properly to what I want
in fact it's more likely TM² that does not react properly onto the controller
when I push the accelerate button, the car accelerates but suddenly loses speed although I keep pushing the button
it's really weird since it only happens in TM²

tried some other games where I use the controller and everything goes fine
even with TMUF it works like it should
only TM² doesn't go well

in the past, I did played TM² with my controller so it should be recently that the problem started

any advice or help?

So, Canyon or Platform? It doesn't matter which title you play? Your controller doesn't work in either?

Report it here in a new topic (unless you find one already exists):
http://forum.maniaplanet.com/viewforum.php?f=427

And be sure to include what drivers you're using, what controller model, and any other applicable details, as well as the version of ManiaPlanet you're using. Currently we're at Beta 1.2 if you've done the latest update.

eie says:

Lexino says:
Sure, Trial is a different style from Platform now, but back then in TMU, there was Platform Mode, but no multiplayer for it, so people got around it by playing platform maps in TA, so Platform evolved into Trial, then branched off into RPG, which is bascially just big epic themed and modded trial maps.

I'm pretty sure RPG would be a mix of the Story tracks-genre and the Trial tracks-genre.
And please don't ever call RPG "modded trial maps"

Sorry, maybe I should have worded it better. Note I said themed, that means giving the map a theme such as castle or pyramid or a forest, etc, and the story and adventure to accompany it. Of course I don't see RPG as a trail map with a mod slapped on.