So, anyway, I like that final map with the tracks (and trajectory). I had been keeping my own map (at least until the earthquake damage!
), and I'd added intertwining trails (making each preceding turn-layer more transparent) in the colour of the competitors. (Not quite the same colours as you eventually settled upon, I took my cue from the character artworks and we made slightly different choices for dots, but it helped disentangle the initial "everyone upon the same stretch of track", like the fading-into-transparency disentangled the temporal aspects as well.)And I'd
tried to keep a track of shots (lines whose hues gradiented from firer colour to (intended) firee), but as I often only knew
who had launched an attack, not towards where... I think you provided that information towards the end, but the map change had led me to abandon the project by then.
Oh, and then there were other splashes of colour, but I really ought to stop waffling. Let's just say that I very much like the final format. Though would make the trails player-colour coloured, and perhaps the base colour of the latest 'number roundels' likewise, for the easy early-game differentiation I mentioned.
And now, perhaps, most of the mechanics have settled down through our ongoing trials. Slightly disconcerting to suddenly find new and altered mechanics (and maps!) half-way towards an previously pre-planned trajectory round those damnable curves..
Still, if
I didn't know where I might be forced to move to in two, three or four moves' time, then surely I was going to be unpredictable in the eyes of my opponents! Well, mostly,
(An additional game mechanic I was expecting was that there'd be acceleration limits, and
maybe deceleration ones, but a longer and more sweeping course would be needed to make full use of that. Plus maybe additional vehicle stats for how quickly the respective pedals could be put to the metal, if it's not linked to Handling. An otherwise slow vehicle getting up to speed (and capable of later braking prior to corners and 'collection points', rather than zoom-and-crawl-and-zoom) might have been a useful feature for John Doe's progress... But it wouldn't be the most useful rebalancing mechanism on this course, probably.)
I don't know how much of this resonates with my fellow players. Was I playing too analytically to make it fun to play against? I wasn't even trying to 'win' (just not to lose too badly, while still pushing my luck on appropriate corners). And
obviously I was a little remiss at playing for the monetary reward aspect...
I should have tried to shoot the Bosses more, though, and I didn't feel like attacking John Doe. Especially once I thought it likely I'd crash and I ought to leave another normal player to finish the Boss off. Does that make tactical sense?