Leaderboard

This is actually the most sane thing I've done in the game today.

What kind of race tracks should we add in? Personalyl I would want to get hold of the LR2 tracks and possibly put them into LR1 while also making them all more unique. Also we could add in the race tracks from the now dead Lego Universe. What kind of tracks would be good to add in other than remaking the current ones?

Understanding the .SPB (startposition) and .PWB (power-up position) files in the LEGO.JAM This is my first attempt into creating a tutorial for LEGO Racers. The tutorial is more like an explanation of the files, and serves to help you on your modding with these files. I already know that many on this forum know how to work with the .SPB and .PWB files, but to those few who just started modding and run into some issues, here it is anyway. I am not going to explain how to extract the LEGO.JAM or how to open the **B-files, that is explained on other topics. However, I can give you a link to the >JAM-extractor and the >Binaryfile-editor. Ofcourse, position-editing has become much easier with grappigegovert's >In-game coördinate viewer, but really understanding what you change will be told here. Remember, before modding, make a back-up of the original LEGO.JAM. When having the JAM-file extracted, you'll end up with a map containing the subfolders: GAMEDATA and MENUDATA. What you want is the former. Opening GAMEDATA will show a list of more folders. Any of the RACEC*R* folders will have an .SPB and .PWB file, as well as the folder TEST. These folders contain all sorts of data about each track in the game. For example; RACEC0R0 = Royal Knights Raceway, RACEC0R1 = Imperial Grand Prix, TEST = Test Track. Navigate through the folder until you bump into either one of the binaryfiles. .SPB file Opening an .SPB file with the binaryfile-editor will give you code lines like these: k_27 [6] { k_27 2 { k_28 (float)379.492 (float)210.5133 (float)0.065082 k_29 (float)0.008727 (float)0.999962 (float)0 (float)0 (float)0 (float)1 } The [6] at the top means that there will be 6 entries below, one for each racer. In this case, the number under k_27 is 2. The code lines below 2 are meant for an AI's position, not something you can mess with, as the startpositions for AI's cannot be changed directly via the .SPB file (for that, you'll have to seek for the >.RRB files). You need to seek for number 0, the number for the player's car. The floats under 0 apply to your car. In the code lines below, you see a brief explanation of the most notable floats. k_27 0 { k_28 (float)368.3372 //x-position (float)193.9604 //y-position (float)0.065082 //z-position k_29 (float)0.008727 //x-position rotation (float)0.999962 //y-position rotation (float)0 //z-position rotation (float)0 (float)0 (float)1 //flip vehicle } How do you work with these values? I've made some simple images to show you what happens when you change a certain value (concerning the first three floats). Changing the x-position to a higher value will result into placing you more to the right of the map, lowering the x-position value will result into placing you more to the left of the map. I guess you can figure out how this will work for y-positioning too. This works for all tracks; take the map like this, and draw imaginary lines over it like seen in the image. Note that the values in code lines do not apply to these maps. I did not forget about the z-position, but it would be hard to show it to you in the same image. Now with a different perspective, see the image below. Changing the z-position to a higher value will place your vehicle higher (but you will fall back down to track level, or remain stuck in the air (if value is too big)), lowering the z-position value will place your vehicle lower (resulting into getting stuck if value is too low). Now we've had the positions, now for the rotation. The rotation is a little more difficult, but not hard to understand either (at least, I hope). With the coördinate viewer I was able to understand it more, although I was very close. Rotation is based on radians in LEGO Racers. I've heard of quaternions being used for rotation, but radians work as well. Just showing you the code lines for rotation again: k_27 0 { k_28 (float)368.3372 (float)193.9604 (float)0.065082 k_29 (float)0.008727 //x-position rotation (float)0.999962 //y-position rotation (float)0 //z-position rotation (float)0 (float)0 (float)1 //flip car } The x-position and y-position for rotation will rotate your vehicle horizontally. As far as I know, rotation values are numbers that range from -1 to 1 (or in mathematical terms, [-1;1]). If you have no experience with radian values, I'll give you some basic values for the rotationfloats. The image below will be an example. See the green rectangle as your vehicle. This image will work with all track maps in the game (if you take the map as shown in the example). To make the vehicle face any of the arrows (twist them 180 degrees, 90 degrees or 45 degrees), change the rotationvalues to the following:(Note: Calculate the 'square root-values' in decimals to use them as floats. I used square roots to give you an understanding of the values.) Green arrow: x=0 y=1 Purple arrow: x=-0.5√2 y=0.5√2 Red arrow: x=-1 y=0 Lightgreen arrow: x=-0.5√2 y=-0.5√2 Blue arrow: x=0 y=-1 Lightblue arrow: x=0.5√2 y=-0.5√2 Yellow arrow: x=1 y=0 Gray arrow: x=0.5√2 y=0.5√2 Ofcourse you might want to use other angles as well. To give you an example of 30 degree and 60 degree values: I cut the former image to the upperleft 90 degrees of the circle. If you'd like to create these angles (i.e. have your car face these angles), do: Red angle: x=-0.5√3 y=0.5 Green angle: x=-0.5√2 y=0.5√2 Blue angle: x=-0.5 y=0.5√3 This is basically the principle of radians. I think you can figure out how this would work for the other circle parts as well. The z-position for rotation will change the angle of your vehicle with the surface. To give you an image of what I'm talking about: On a flat surface (no gradient), changing these z-position values (for rotation) won't do much, as your vehicle will align with the surface instantly. The sixth float (//flip vehicle) can make your car turn upside down, when the value of this float is changed to 0. After changing values in this .SPB file, save the file (opt for overwrite) in the correct track folder and you can start recompiling the .JAM. I hope I explained you well how to modify and understand startpositions. .PWB file The .PWB files apply to the position and colour (thus effect) of the power-up for a track. You can find them in any RACEC*R* folder. You will find two files with this extension, POWERUP.PWB and POWERUP2.PWB. The former applies to tracks in single, multiplayer or circuit races, the latter applies to tracks in time trials. This division is made because time trial tracks share different power-up layouts than the others. Anyway, when opening a .PWB file with the Binaryfile-editor, you will see code lines like these: k_27 // Colored Bricks [27] { k_27 // Colored Brick { k_28 // Position (float)340.7048 (float)-425.0762 (float)19.03339 k_2D // Green } k_2F // White Bricks [12] { k_2F // White Brick { k_28 // Position (float)-196.6214 (float)-288.5213 (float)11.53108 } The [27] under '//colored bricks' means that there are 27 coloured power-up bricks on this track, each given a position and colour. The [12] under '//white brick' means that there are 12 white power-up bricks on the same track, each given a position. You know how to modify xyz-positions (of the power-ups), the three floats under k_28 are the xyz-positions for each brick. The k_2* code line under '//colored bricks' defines the colour of the brick (therefore the effect as well). If you'd like to change the colour of a brick, change the * in any of the following letters: k_2A //Red Brick k_2B //Yellow Brick k_2C //Blue Brick k_2D //Green Brick Want to add more power-ups to a track (or decrease the amount of power-ups), always make sure that the number of entries below 'k_27 //Colored Bricks' or 'k_2F //White Brick' is equal to the amount of entries specified inbetween the parenthesis, . To add more power-ups, simply copy a section for one power-up and modify the values. (The in-game coördinate viewer provides you easy positioning of power-ups. Place your vehicle on the position where you'd like to place a power-up, write the coördinates of that position down and change the values in the .PWB file with those coördinates. Then add 5.0 to the z-position float to make the power-up brick align 'perfectly' with the surface. For removal of certain power-ups, use the viewer as well. Place your vehicle on an existing power-up position, write down the coördinates and then look for (almost) identical coördinates of a brick in the .PWB file. Then delete this (identical coördinate) section for the power-up brick. Again, don't forget to change the entry-value inbetween parenthesis when deleting or adding power-ups.)Coördinate viewer in action! (try to guess the LEGO set in the background ): After modifying, save the .PWB file in the correct track folder (opt for overwrite) and recompile the .JAM. I hope I explained you well how to modify and understand the .PWB file. Feel free to correct me if I made mistakes.

Like this:

It means 6 stud long x 1 stud wide x 5 stud high walls are perfect squares. That's all I got...

I don't see how that's even directly related to the specific 5:5:6 ratio of a 1x1 brick and how it's significant in building models.

The only AI I found annoying was Basil the Batlord in LR1 but only because he somehow spammed the green bricks (and nearly always got a start boost) other than that the AIs are too easy. LR2 is more easy than LR1 IMO especially rocket racer in LR2. I usually am 3/4 of a lap ahead of him in LR2. LR1 Rocket racer is nearly always behind me. Personally I think some of the physics in LR2 would fix up the physics in LR1 but this is another topic. Anyway, the fact the that they follow the same path kind of shows lazyness when making the game. AI on both games are stupidly easy and have no variety in the paths they go.

I know what this is for Test 1: 0 Test 2: 320 EXE: 736,768 ; ‎September ‎27, ‎1999, ‏‎11:42:04 AM ; diskless Same results as last time.

Eh. I played FTL, and I couldn't see why it's so fun. Moreover, the space craft didn't really engage my curiosity. I think there are better things for LEGO to turn into actual themes. Namely, the Valve games.

Lego is Serious Business

And still doesn't change the fact that both are rubbish.

It doesn't really break my point because Battles wasn't as much as a super major game like LCU (or maybe it was, but I never viewed it as such compared to a game that reminds me much of many classic games) and handheld stuff is cheaper. Plus, This is exactly what is wrong with it.

But the Wii and DS did not have the first major original LEGO game in a decade only on that console (excluding LEGO Battles) despite almost every other game being omni-platform, and they didn't have that touchscreen... GIMMICK thing.

*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* Also, don't forget all the Adventurers cameos Indiana Jones had, and all the throwbacks to old themes in LEGO Rock Band, and the cameos of classic LEGO space ships in LEGO Star Wars 2/TCS, and the Space Port astronaut cameo in LSW TCS, and the classic town sets appearing in the various "LEGO City" bonus levels. TT Games actually has quite a history of referencing past themes in their games. :P