Okay, so I wanted to mess around with “FlatOut 2” again, specifically trying to get a handle on those penalty things. You know, when you smash into stuff and get time added. I wanted to see if I could really minimize them or even avoid them altogether.
First, I fired up the game. Good old “FlatOut 2,” still looks pretty decent, even after all these years. I picked a track I knew had a lot of destructible objects – one of those countryside ones with fences, hay bales, and all that junk.
Experiment Time
My initial approach was simple: try to drive “clean.” I focused on staying on the track, taking corners smoothly, and generally avoiding hitting anything that wasn’t another car. Of course, “FlatOut 2” isn’t exactly known for being a “clean” racing game, but I figured it was worth a shot.
- Attempt 1: Total disaster. I was so focused on not hitting anything that I ended up driving super slow. Plus, the AI kept ramming me into stuff anyway, so I got penalties regardless.
- Attempt 2: A little better. I started to get a feel for which objects were “safe” to bump and which ones would give me a big penalty. Still got slammed around by the AI, though.
- Attempt 3: Now we’re talking! I was starting to use the environment to my advantage. I figured out that you can sometimes nudge those smaller objects to slow down opponents without getting a huge penalty yourself.
After a few more runs, I realized a few key things. First, those big, solid objects? Yeah, avoid those at all costs. Second, the little stuff – like small fences, signs, even some of the smaller trees – you can sometimes get away with hitting them, especially if you’re just grazing them. It’s all about the angle and speed.
I wouldn’t say I ever got to the point where I could consistently avoid all penalties. That’s just not how the game is. The other cars would just keep smashing me. But, I definitely got better at minimizing them. I could shave off a few seconds here and there by being more careful about what I hit and how I hit it.
It was a fun little experiment. Reminded me why I like this game – it’s chaotic, but there’s a bit of skill involved too, even when it comes to crashing!
