Thanks for doing a demo!

[JiminyJickers]

Thanks for doing a demo, so rare these days. Wasn't 100% sure about the game but the demo convinced me, buying it now.

[Niessuh]

I am glad to read this! demos are a dying breed these days, unfortunately

[amps63]

The demo made me buy it. Thanks!

[Ranger33]

I've played the demo a few times and it's winning me over, the visuals and production values are much better than the screenshots alone convey. Will probably give in and buy it this weekend!

[LaStarza61]

I have an observation concerning the demo. I've noticed that the AI opponents seem to very often stay high on the track in the outside lanes. All I have to do is stay on the inside and I'm able to win just about every race. I've also noticed that the AI opponents seem to take strange actions sometimes... like defending off attacks when there is no one even close by... and using the crash action when there is no one around them. Is this because it's just the demo and the official game has tighter or better opponent AI?

[Tamas]

Defending when nobody is around is usually taken in the rare instances when there is no need for an other order.
I don't recall seeing the crash action in such context, maybe it happened because it anticipated an opponent catching up, which didn't happen?

On which track did you see the AI keeping to the outside lane?

[LaStarza61]

ORIGINAL: Tamas

Defending when nobody is around is usually taken in the rare instances when there is no need for an other order.
I don't recall seeing the crash action in such context, maybe it happened because it anticipated an opponent catching up, which didn't happen?

On which track did you see the AI keeping to the outside lane?

Thanks for the quick response. I think the track is called Purpura (the Greek oval). That's the one where I've seen the AI opponents racing in the outside lanes a lot... usually for no obvious reason. They just go outside and stay there. It looks like sometimes they skid to the outside lanes during one of the turns... but they just stay there and don't try to move back inside.

[elmo3]

I also just ran a race in the demo where all three opponents went to the outside and stayed there the whole race. No idea which track it was but we started and ended at the midpoint of the track if that helps.

Edit - Nicopolis was the track.

[LaStarza61]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

I also just ran a race in the demo where all three opponents went to the outside and stayed there the whole race. No idea which track it was but we started and ended at the midpoint of the track if that helps.

Edit - Nicopolis was the track.

Yeah, that's the one. It's actually very annoying. I just won two more races on that track and all I had to do was go to the inner-most lane and use keep control as the action. There's no need to crash or lacerate any opponents because they're always way on the outside and way behind. To be honest, it's not a lot of fun. That's why I'm hoping it's just an anomaly with this particular track and that it's limited to the demo... because I really want to like this game.

[Niessuh]

Staying at inner radiuses at maximum speed at that circus is dangerous, you could get horse/wheel damage easily and probably even the flipping result. Sometimes you could take some risky turn and get lucky though. Anyways, the purpura auriga included at the demo has the level one skill upgrade (star), and this combined with the control order and the slowest horse team allows them to stay safer than other drivers without the skill upgrade and/or with faster horses.

Every circus configuration has an ideal upgrade combination and I guess this purpura team fits perfectly for Nicopolis...Try running there with the other aurata auriga with top fast horses (you could switch circus selection at the main menu after selecting faction)

[LaStarza61]

ORIGINAL: Turnopia

Staying at inner radiuses at maximum speed at that circus is dangerous, you could get horse/wheel damage easily and probably even the flipping result. Sometimes you could take some risky turn and get lucky though. Anyways, the purpura auriga included at the demo has the level one skill upgrade (star), and this combined with the control order and the slowest horse team allows them to stay safer than other drivers without the skill upgrade and/or with faster horses.

Every circus configuration has an ideal upgrade combination and I guess this purpura team fits perfectly for Nicopolis...Try running there with the other aurata auriga with top fast horses (you could switch circus selection at the main menu after selecting faction)

I just ran two more races at Nicopolis using the other aurata auriga as you suggested and still won both races by staying inside while the AI opponents all went outside and stayed there. I don't have to go that fast by accelerating or whipping because I have such a shorter distance to travel. I just use the maintain control action and I easily cruise to a win. I really want to purchase this game, but these results make me nervous.

I hope you don't take this as I'm bashing the game or something... I'm just hoping that there's something I'm missing since it seems much too easy to win... at least in the demo.
The biggest issue seems to be that all the AI racers go to the outer-most lane and, once they're there, they just stay there for the rest of the race.

[Tamas]

On that track, if you are going reasonably fast, you need the outer lane, basically, unless your auriga is skilled. So I would imagine that your AI opponents are on default skill, and find themselves with the problem of too much risk if they start something tricky.

This does happen in this track at times during the full game's campaign game, but there you have the different factions and levels of race tracks influencing the generation of AI opponents (and the advancement of the faction leader AI opponents!), so it is much more rare there.

But in fact it should be more rare here as well, as I don't remember encountering this behaviour as constant at all. I will do some testing of the demo tomorrow.

[Dorb]

Demo sold me on the game.- Thanks. Downloading now.

[vonRocko]

ORIGINAL: Tamas

On that track, if you are going reasonably fast, you need the outer lane, basically, unless your auriga is skilled. So I would imagine that your AI opponents are on default skill, and find themselves with the problem of too much risk if they start something tricky.

This does happen in this track at times during the full game's campaign game, but there you have the different factions and levels of race tracks influencing the generation of AI opponents (and the advancement of the faction leader AI opponents!), so it is much more rare there.

But in fact it should be more rare here as well, as I don't remember encountering this behaviour as constant at all. I will do some testing of the demo tomorrow.

I don't think there is a problem. I see the AI using all tracks. in fact, they go out of their way to move and block me!

[Dorb]

Well it is just a demo to get the general idea. I have not seen it in the purchased game yet. Just buy it, it's $20. It's dinner out with not drinks.

[blastpop]

I downloaded the Demo and played it. My son saw me playing and sat down and played- he loves it. He is 13 so the subject matter certainly appeals to him. At dinner this evening he was pushing me to buy it this evening. I think the $20 will be well spent since both of us will be playing it.

Reminds me a lot of the old classic "Circus Maximus" which I had countless hours of fun playing with friends.

[Temple]

I'll also agree, posting a demo was great. I made my decision to buy based upon what I saw there.

[rooivalk]

Demo resulted in me buying the game

[Qwixt]

I will probably buy it. Just waiting for a patch to fix the one issue I saw with my first game. Did not play it much after I saw that.

[76mm]

The AI in this game is actually pretty good I think, and you'll see it doing pretty fancy moves as you go along, I've actually learned quite a bit from the AI.