Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (June 21st, 2019)

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

 

Well now. Quite an interesting development has arisen.

A lot of people are thinking this means we're getting Rilla Roo, Yaya Panda, "Fasty", Chick and Stew.

[Jango]

I'm guessing the last GP will have all this "odd" characters. Fasty, Rilla and YaYa.

[Sonicka]

So torn. why do you do this to me Beenox!

Glad KK is in. Have no idea who the possum lady or German guy that’s looks like the bean guys from Mario and Luigi are.

Love the New Karts and Decals, Animated Paint Jobs and wheels, Skins... Etc. Probably some of my favourite so far. 

Now the track. It’s amazing...

...ly short.

Ugh. Just when it starts going it’s suddenly Lap 2. I actually think this track is shorter than Spyro Circuit - I cleared one lap in just under 40 seconds on the first round. Despite that, it’s a visual treat with so much flair and things to do within its loop style circuit so I can’t NOT like it at the same time.

But considering the wealth of other updates I can perhaps understand this, especially with The inclusion of the King Chicken Hunt and also Ring Race mode. This is a feature I already know I’m enjoying lots from trying out on various tracks. The fact that you’re lured into a false sense of security thinking it’s way too easy before you reach lap 5 or 6 and realise Blue Fire + Tiny Rings obliterate you. Challenge accepted. Offline Game longevity appreciated Beenox.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I'm nearly sure we've known about Rilla and Chuck/Stew for months. In fact, I'm fairly sure they were among the first datamined characters. Yaya's new though.

Not that it matters much to me, I've officially hit total burnout with CTR. Didn't even bother much with the Halloween prix  despite really wanting Witch Tawna and Dark Coco. I just went far enough to get Moe, Nina, and Brio. It was one thing doing these prixes over the Summer with free time, but with limited free time, and how much of a tedious grind it is, I'd rather be using said time playing something fun instead of bored out of my mind. 

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

1 hour ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

I'm nearly sure we've known about Rilla and Chuck/Stew for months. In fact, I'm fairly sure they were among the first datamined characters.

Yes, but they, along with most were purged from the datamine back then.

The news is that they have been added back at this time, which suggests we're getting them along with YaYa and "Fasty", whose apparently now being called Hasty in the datamine.

Speaking of which, here to make things semi-official is BetaM's final dig for Season 6:

Spoiler

 

[Arcade Racer CC14]

Guess we already have an idea of what Eskimo Nash is gonna look like thanks to the cameos from his Barinian brethren:

[E-122-Psi]

This GP is lavish and I love they keep adding elements to the core game and making less remake more new title. The new track and mode is awesome and I like they expanded Adventure Mode in a clever way.

It's just....

It's just...

 

WHY'D THEY HAVE TO DO MY POSSUM GIRL SO DIRTY??? Her model and voice acting are atrociously lazy, she's edited from Tawna's model with no proportion changes and Coco's VA is trying so little to replicate her original voice that they even reuse Coco grunts with her. I get I'm whining about free stuff, and NF have to reuse assets to make so much content, but why is Pasadena, the one I waited for since June, the ONLY new character done this slapdash???

[Sonicka]

Yeah. Beenox, I adore the new track - but longer next time please.

Also super pleased that you can now bump the Nitro Percentage up to 70% with the right equipment. Very sweet. 

[Gumbit]

1 hour ago, E-122-Psi said:

This GP is lavish and I love they keep adding elements to the core game and making less remake more new title. The new track and mode is awesome and I like they expanded Adventure Mode in a clever way.

It's just....

It's just...

 

WHY'D THEY HAVE TO DO MY POSSUM GIRL SO DIRTY??? Her model and voice acting are atrociously lazy, she's edited from Tawna's model with no proportion changes and Coco's VA is trying so little to replicate her original voice that they even reuse Coco grunts with her. I get I'm whining about free stuff, and NF have to reuse assets to make so much content, but why is Pasadena, the one I waited for since June, the ONLY new character done this slapdash???

I feel in your pain , even I was so disappointed , they turned her from totally original great character to recycled half-assed character .

Have you seen how they made her so stupid in victory animation , I don't buy that Pasadena would act like that .

I was wondering why on earth , would they make another skin for Fake Crash ?  he already so many skins .  why they even created King chicken ? he is so unnecessary .

A lot of effort gone  on the other characters , while Pasadena got the minimum effort . Beenox really have priority issues .

[Ryannumber1gamer]

How has no one mentioned Liz's circus outfit is literally just Sombra from Overwatch?

[Harkofthewaa]

I messed around with Ring Rally and I like it. Rings appear on the course and you have to get as many points as you can within the time limit. For each ring you get you a boost with some reserves and extra time. The rings get smaller with each lap but give more points and a stronger boost, eventually giving full blown USF(blue fire). And, the more points you get the more coins you earn, with the weekend multiplier on I got over 300 coins from getting 400000 points on Hot Air Skyway. Be prepared to git gud if you wanna get 700000 for the Nitro Challenge though. Also, since Pit Stop skins give 25%, stickers 5%, and wheels 10%(for 70% total), I've already hit gold tier (17000 nitro).

[Sonicka]

Unlocked all the newbies fairly quickly now that they’ve thankfully reduced most of the prices of the packs and made it much easier to obtain coins (more on this in a mo) and Nitro. 

King Chicken took all of 5 minutes to get but was a nice Easter Egg to add in from the mystery back when the game released. It does make me wonder if it was just cut content that was only pieced in now because the game has done well? Quite lucky if so. Hilarious that he seems to take top spot for all the Time Trials. He’s utterly pointless but absolutely hilarious to have as a racer. 

Also Happy to have finally Unlocked the Ami Skin - the others were alright and they’ve completely ruined Isabella but I love they added in part of the old Trophy Girl pose into the win routine. A nice touch. 

Anyway, I’ve found that as well the Nitro Percentage being able to reach up to 70% as mentioned earlier, it’s now become much easier to grind for coins offline during the weekdays and now with the x2 weekend bonus they added in for offline mode last month.

This is a pretty sweet deal weather you play online or not as it nets you extra coins either way. I experimented with numerous tracks just to make sure how it works, but the new mode you want to be earning coins through offline is RING RALLY.

I’m sure others have found this out as well (Edit: literally just above after I posted lol). It might also be possible to obtain more coins this way in other offline game modes... but this is certainly going to be the quickest and most fun way. 

So, essentially if you can make sure to reach at least 6 laps in any track on Ring Rally this will double its regular track coin quota - do this on a weekend and it will double it again - giving you a sweet x4 bonus offline overall. I can only imagine that this will x3 bonus on 9 laps, which again at weekends will double the coins to a x6 bonus. There may be a few more nuances to it than that but is what I’ve deducted from playing over different tracks and trying a few different wins scenarios. 

I think Beenox seem to have understood the horrible grind and burnout somewhat by accommodating for these, which is appreciated if a bit late.

[Sonictrainer]

Anyone else not get the Halloween Champion Skin?

[Harkofthewaa]

@Sonictrainer I got it. I do go out of my way to get to 5% in both leaderboards though, never know when the game is gonna pull a stunt like that. 

Anyways, two of the pro challenges are winning five races as N. Tropy and using the Champion kart. Might as well be called "Make Yourself A Target Part 1 & 2". For extra fun throw on the digital skin and platinum paint and watch as seven strangers unite against you with a greater passion and desire to kill than the Avengers against Thanos. What were they thinking? Also, the Champion kart doesn't give a nitro bonus and that bothers me.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

4 hours ago, Son-icka said:

I think Beenox seem to have understood the horrible grind and burnout somewhat by accommodating for these, which is appreciated if a bit late.

Debatable,  considering the skill level needed to grind effectively with ring rally mode.

If they really wanted to help offline folk out with grinding, they'd give them better than just 2x the amount of already meager coin amounts they get and have it be week-round.

Anyway,

Due to this visual glitch, in actuality, stickers still don't give nitro bonus. I've tested it out myself.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Somebody call Smash Bros. That "everyone is here" tagline? They don't own it anymore.

(Arguably they still didn't add Evil Twins or Madame Amberley and if you wanna be really scrupulous, Willie Wumpa Cheeks  and Viscount)

Why do I live in terrible worlds where Crash fans can play as Panda Yaya and Mario fans can pick between any Koopaling, but we can't even get Cream or Espio playable.

[Sonicka]

2 hours ago, Nina Cortex Jovahexeon said:

Debatable,  considering the skill level needed to grind effectively with ring rally mode.

If they really wanted to help offline folk out with grinding, they'd give them better than just 2x the amount of already meager coin amounts they get and have it be week-round.

It’s definitely debatable for better or worse.

I guess what I mean is it at they seem to be aware it’s an issue, that’s the impression these small improvements seem to show. Especially the hidden bonuses. 

It stands that they would lose more than us if they start losing players anyway so they have to do something. But, I don’t think these small alleviation’s fix the main problems.

I had hoped that the bonus coins for offline players or those without a subscription would extend to x2 daily Wumpa and x5 weekend so that at a minimum would make it much more tolerable and fairer for some. However Nitro grind is a heck of a ton faster with a few of their changes to the easy win schemes and the percentage increases. Which in turn makes the grind less frustrating and worry some to complete.

A few of these factors seem to appear as though they are trying to push players away from the physical spend option which I think is a lot less worse now than it was at the beginning, and it feels as if this is something Beenox rather than Activision are doing intentionally. That’s probably complete rubbish - but I like to think the best of developer than the publisher where possible.

Disagree about needing the skill level to grind in Ring Rally though, by which I mean I think you should really be mastering or getting better at the game to earn what you reap. And also after trying some more tracks (unless it’s an error) the game recognises you’ve done 6 laps so long as you’ve passed 3 for some reason anyway.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

7 hours ago, Son-icka said:

Disagree about needing the skill level to grind in Ring Rally though, by which I mean I think you should really be mastering or getting better at the game to earn what you reap. And also after trying some more tracks (unless it’s an error) the game recognises you’ve done 6 laps so long as you’ve passed 3 for some reason anyway.

Let's just say, offline folk who don't play online may not have as much incentive as us. Again, they are needlessly left at a disadvantage. Which is really one of the reasons why there's been a loss of players.

7 hours ago, Son-icka said:

Especially the hidden bonuses. 

What hidden bonuses??? They're all in plain sight.

Besides, the max you can get is 65%, not 70%, since the stickers don't actually give the extra 5% that they advertise.

7 hours ago, Son-icka said:

It stands that they would lose more than us if they start losing players anyway so they have to do something. But, I don’t think these small alleviation’s fix the main problems.

They don't.  You know what would fix issues? Fixing the game's problems. Making it so that the super engine isn't such a stupid hindrance. Giving us host migration. Fixing the innumerable glitches, invisible walls, invisible beakers, the broken physics on ALL jumps, better online, more fairness to the offline community. The list goes on.

Yes, all this content is nice, but it hasn't addressed the biggest issues. Heck, sometimes even when they try to address the bigger ones, it's backfired before too. Like with SBMM, and the item variation becoming something of a bother with balance.

8 hours ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

Somebody call Smash Bros. That "everyone is here" tagline? They don't own it anymore.

They still do. Would you like the short list or the long list on why that's the case? XD

 

16 hours ago, Nina Cortex Jovahexeon said:

Somebody call Smash Bros. That "everyone is here" tagline? They don't own it anymore.

Pictured below is this ugly ass datamined model of one ugly baby.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/382361414548848641/642467325366239252/pyjama_baby_coco_model.png

Given in url form to spare your eyes.

[Sonicka]

2 hours ago, Nina Cortex Jovahexeon said:

Let's just say, offline folk who don't play online may not have as much incentive as us. Again, they are needlessly left at a disadvantage. Which is really one of the reasons why there's been a loss of players.

Absolutely, but there still should be some sort of trial and reward basis. Saying that... I have to agree that currently it is completely stingy as eff.

Heck this was the game that practically forced my hand to get a PS subscription. I was totally not bothered about this before. You really have to utilise online play to make the most out of the game unfortunately. 

I somewhat understand that they have incentives for having an online model in place with better rewards. But yes, you are screwed if you are offline. Even my usual argument that “but all these extras weren’t even in the original game... they’re basically free” doesn’t fly anymore. The games evolved in terms of content and what it is from day one of being just a remaster. And nothing is free, you either pay real life currency, or most of your free time. I get it. It just depends on each players ability to suck it up now and deal. And I don’t mean that rudely either, because that’s a terrible model Activision have implemented to assume everyone can approach and play this game the same way... or pay up.

 

2 hours ago, Nina Cortex Jovahexeon said:

What hidden bonuses??? They're all in plain sight.

Besides, the max you can get is 65%, not 70%, since the stickers don't actually give the extra 5% that they advertise.

I’m not quite sure what I meant by this either reading it back (it was a quickly put together post on a bus journey on my phone I must confess).

As for the Nitro... what do you mean? Are you saying the display of 70% on the gauge after a win is incorrect and it gives a 65% bonus, has someone calculated their points and worked this out? ...Or does the display of 70% not show up for everybody and it’s a visual thing. Or do the percentage bonuses not add up in general? I’m Genuinely intrigued.

 

2 hours ago, Nina Cortex Jovahexeon said:

They don't.  You know what would fix issues? Fixing the game's problems. Making it so that the super engine isn't such a stupid hindrance. Giving us host migration. Fixing the innumerable glitches, invisible walls, invisible beakers, the broken physics on ALL jumps, better online, more fairness to the offline community. The list goes on.

Yup. Yes. Absolutely. I’m also glad you brought up the Super Engine because I thought I was going mad thinking it felt more useless than the regular boost power up. Often is feels like I’m going regular speed and the only use it has is a fast accel if I get hit.

Other items to fix include Missiles. Missiles just don’t work. But they feel like they work for the CPU or other players to follow me relentlessly around a track. I don’t get this. And often I can’t gauge when they’ll hit either because the indicator is not accurate.

Hit boxes need to be amended as well, this is very screwed up in a lot of online i play - I could have completely missed a bomb chucked at me for example, yet it will still act as though it hit me - but I think that’s due to the unstable servers When you see players glitching above and beyond the track. 

Would also be nice if they could fix the direction you’re weapon fires when you turn during a drift, just because the character looks cool in motion veering that far to the side doesn’t mean I’m directing my aim for an attack at the wall, it should be ahead.

I will say though, I must have become so accustomed to some of the other stuff you mention as I have never really noticed thing like issues with jumping. The only jump physics that makes no sense to me is still in sewer speedway (and that’s kind of been fixed to the players advantage now). But... I have yet to really notice any other problems with this elsewhere, or invisible walls.  

But yeah, there are still plenty of other problems. The online breaking apart or chucking you out is a pain I agree (although this CAN work to your advantage when you’re the sole player left on the field during a race, it feels amazing to win by default and still reap the rewards) but that’s not the point you’re making there, I know.

[Sonicka]

Scratch the percentage thing above. I think  everybody is getting confused in some way here. 

Yes. I agree the stickers are not giving or showing 5%. However that means I should be getting 75% instead of 70% like I have been. 65% is NOT the maximum. That has definitely been raised.

When I calculate my costs for my current ride:

- Ami: 10%
- Circus Ami Skin: 25%
- Roadster: 10%
- Palmtree Decal (Legendary): 10%
- Electron Team Bandicoot Wheels: 10%
- Neon Red and Yellow Paint Job: 5%
- Fireworks Sticker: 5%

= 75%

I think with the higher percentage some people may not realise that there are certain (older) decals or wheels that give 10% rather than 5% leading to some confusion. 

But yeah, I’m in agreement that those stickers do not give anything right now.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

23 minutes ago, Son-icka said:

think with the higher percentage some people may not realise that there are certain (older) decals or wheels that give 10% rather than 5% leading to some confusion. 

Well son of a gun. It looks like you're right on the money with that!

[Ryannumber1gamer]

>beat Oxide’s time on Dragon Mines

lo fucking l

[Harkofthewaa]

21 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

>beat Oxide’s time on Dragon Mines

lo fucking l

The funny thing is that when I did it the first time I tried Oxide. Now thanks to the power of U-turning I've gotten good enough to beat it first try. After doing a lot of grinding yesterday and with the coins I amassed in preparation, I'm sitting just over 17000 nitro with the Circus Ami bundle being the last thing I want to get. From then I'll be able.to start stockpiling coins for next time.

I also want to give my thoughts on the new track, which I have love-hate feelings for. I love it because it's simple and fast, being a oval speedway type course with a blue fire pad and some jumps here and there, taking about as long as Papu's Pyramid while giving a slightly higher coin amount. I hate it because due to it being an oval speedway Speed types.have a disproportionate advantage over everyone else, more so than any other track. I main Drift but I have to switch to Speed whenever this track comes up online last I get left in the dust. Seriously, I had a race where I was in second and literally could not catch up to first because of this (getting nothing but TNT really didn't help either).

[Jango]

Didn't had the time to play this new GP, but I'm reading a lot about the nitro multiplier been raised and some prices been dropped.... Awesome! Still, I agree with Jova, the game's getting new stuff every month shouldn't be taken as a form of "compensation" for the many issues it still has, especially the online mode. Also, stuff like invisible walls are still a thing, and they are really annoying. I just saw a video of this new track, it has some riddiculous invisible walls...

 

[Jango]

I also read that our "official" leaker BetaM found files pointing at new GPs up untill May 2020, and I'm just like: "we're gonna be getting a loooooooot of joke characters, aren't we?" XD

I mean, sure, there's still Willie and Rilla Roo, but beyond that... Basically everyone is already here indeed. We finally got all the Crash Bandicoot 1 cast (and all the Naughty Dog era characters for that matter) with the addition of Koala Kong, we already have all the CNK cast, except Fake Velo of course, and with Pasadena and Von Clutch we now have all the CTTR cast. 

I feel like this year's last GP will have the "odd characters" like Fasty, YaYa Panda and Rilla Roo, heck, VISCONT maybe? Then Beenox could move on to stuff like Skunks and Venus Fly Traps as playable characters lol

Or Tribesmen and Lab Assistants (which could have unlimited skins). Still, if we're really getting GPs up untill May and every GP is getting 3 characters minimum, that means nothing less than 18 characters to come. Like, Holy Jesus, stop XD 

Maybe starting in January, each GP could have only 1 new character? Or maybe they will indeed go nuts.

Aah, more cross-overs would be awesome. I'll be so down for a cross-over with Mario, Sonic, Sly, Ratchet. Could make at least one exclusive GP for each console (since I doubt we'll be seeing Mario on PlayStation XD).

But hey, Sonic is multiplatform :3