Hey Party Panic! fans,

Chris here!

This week, I'm excited to announce the completion of "Crash'em Karts," a fast-paced, high-adrenaline kart racer mini-game. This project presented a fair share of challenges, but the results are quite rewarding!

Initially, the karts had a tendency to stick to the walls upon crashing. They would clip through just a tad, which prevented the user from backing up and freeing themselves. I found a solution by limiting the speed and adding a slight "bounce" effect upon collision with walls. I had to adjust the bounce value for instances where the kart hit the wall at a shallow angle, as the side of the kart would get wedged into the wall and lock up.

Next came the daunting task of teaching AI to drive! Using a waypoint system to guide the AI karts turned out to be the most effective solution. The AI karts aim for the target in the waypoint, and as they get closer, they shift their focus to the next one. Initially, the AI performance was less than satisfactory until I added a plethora of waypoints. But too many waypoints resulted in lack of variation in their paths.

To tackle the issue of AI karts getting stuck, I implemented a 3-second respawn timer for karts that aren't moving. The AI karts also had trouble understanding the concept of slowing down to make a turn, so I added AI-specific braking zones to instruct them to decelerate.

All in all, I'm thrilled with how "Crash'em Karts" turned out! Despite the hurdles, the process was an enriching learning experience and a fun addition to the game. Looking forward to seeing you on the racetrack!

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Keep the party going!
-Chris