Employing the Air Brake

General Discussion

Employing the Air Brake

blackrabite 12-25-2006, 3:23 AM
The Air Brake is a nifty utility in that it allows NiGHTS to perform extraordinarily small paraloops while maintaining a fair bit of velocity. The benefit of the paraloop being small is that it comes out much faster than flying a full circle about something.

One of the best uses for this lies a spot in 'Spring Valley' Mare 1: the only set of chips one needs to paraloop. By using the Air Brake to make this loop, one can shave almost half of a second off of each lap. This is crucial, as it allows one to squeeze in one extra full lap if nothing goes awry. While doing the backwards infinite with no link-breakage is probably more rewarding, this technique is significantly easier and still manages to pull in the points.

Another terrific spot to spam the Air Brake is Mare 2 of this same Dream. You know that spot after the upward draft which has the stars and chips? Well, most people wisely opt to not paraloop this, for the link increment afterwards is not worth the time spent looping. But, by quickly Air Braking around all but one or two stars / chips, the player can manage to link this spot with the rings following and not have to worry about the clock!

If I had a method for recording video, I would be more than happy to demonstrate what profitable Air Braking looks like. But, until I come up with the means for something like that, please post any questions or results with Air Braking here!

Merry Christmas!
blackrabite

Re: Employing the Air Brake

tabitha 12-26-2006, 9:53 AM
I hope you dont mind but I moved this thread into the main gameplay section as I think its application may well go a bit further than Spring Valley, perhaps almost any level where you need to do a paraloop....

First off, thanks so much for sharing, I love that about this community, anyone finding a new technique gets it in the public eye for further development so it can be taken further.

Next bit, heh, I really dont see what you mean! So, when doing a paraloop to collect a bunch of chips I would normally just:

- fly towards the objects at speed,
- take my finger off boost,
- fly around the outside of the items,
- start boosting as I completed my circle and was at the correct angle to continue the level.

Forgive me not quite understanding, but if I remember correctly airbraking with L and R brings nights to a complete stop? I must admit I never really used the airbrake other than a couple of occasions when you need to do a 180 like SV1 Backwards of the extra bit of messing around at the end of SC4. Also how many times am I pressing brake during your manouver? Is it tap once on the way into the loop or hold L and R the whole time? I can't really picture it and cant get on a saturn to try it right now.

any help as always much apprectiated!

Re: Employing the Air Brake

blackrabite 12-26-2006, 10:54 AM

It's sort of a difficult concept to explain in words, so busting out your Saturn is highly recommended. However, I will do my best to explain some of the noted details.

The Air Brake does indeed bring NiGHTS to a stop. But, if you hold down a direction just as you do the Air Brake, NiGHTS will sort of swing around in that direction. When it comes to paralooping objects with the brake, it goes something like this: fly towards the objects which you wish to collect, let off of boost, then use the Air Brake while holding a direction almost opposite of the direction in which you were flying prior. It's something you certainly need to get a feel for, as are many of the aspects of NiGHTS. After you do the brake, keep flying in the direction you were headed in before. I recall still making somewhat of a loop motion on the analog stick as I did this technique, but I'm not near my Saturn right now to double-check this. Just to clarify, this entire thing is done with one Air Brake, and it all goes pretty fast. That's the benefit! Good luck, and let me know how it goes for you.

~blackrabite

Re: Employing the Air Brake

gsk 12-28-2006, 10:31 AM
I've found it easier to stop dashing, hold no direction, air brake, then loop motion, though of course I'm still trying to perfect it. If I hold down a direction I find that sometimes Nights will go off in a tangent and do a stunt that will just screw up your flight plan.

Good work Ben, this really could radically alter almost the entire scoreboard once people apply it properly. How did you discover it? Messing around, or you had the idea first? I 'm looking forward to using it more (and getting back my SV WR!)

Re: Employing the Air Brake

blackrabite 12-28-2006, 11:57 AM
I mostly figured it out by simply messing around in Time Attack, scraping my brain for ways to break 9'00 seconds. How you did it without an Air Brake loop still marvels me, though I assume some of it has to do with the angle you completed your paraloop.

Great idea on not holding any direction when slamming on the Brake! I'm going to have to try that out, for I have had numerous instances of NiGHTS showing off its tricks instead of grabbing items. Good luck on your endeavors in 'Spring Valley', by the way. If I can musta the gusta, I'm still going to attempt a 600k score. I'm still a little burnt out on that Dream though... it was a hell of a night getting it to the score I did.

~blackrabite

Re: Employing the Air Brake

gsk 12-28-2006, 12:47 PM
I've given it a quick go in SV and it seems quite fiddly. Your SR, was it with a link of 28 every lap (ie a perfect one)?

Re: Employing the Air Brake

blackrabite 12-28-2006, 2:36 PM
Yeah, 28 Link every lap. I used to have issues doing a perfect SV1 run in my scoring attempts, but after working MF1 for hours on end, this course is a relief.

~blackrabite

P.S.: Your non-backwards run in Time Attack, the one with the time of 8'637? I just can't beat it, though I have scored 8'638. Hmm...

Re: Employing the Air Brake

gsk 12-28-2006, 4:06 PM
OMG I thought your SR was 8.627 (which is on the front page) - I played for 5 hrs trying to beat that and thought I couldnt do it!! Arggghhhhh!!

Re: Employing the Air Brake

blackrabite 12-28-2006, 4:51 PM
Oh man, I'm so sorry. But, I'll have you know, that you and your 8'637 gave me almost 500 laps of servitude in Christmas NiGHTS. But...

Forwards: 8'636
Backwards w/ item-carry: 7'742

I'm positive the item-carry method's time can be improved upon by anyone with the will to do so, but those forward runs are rather taxing on one's spirits. While we're on this topic, are we going to need two different categories for the timed runs? I mean, the item carry method has been considered legitimate means for scoring thus far (think the MF2 chip carry to MF3), but for Time Attack... hrmph, I don't know. I definitely don't want any more database trouble than there is already for tabitha, but my opinion is to have two categories for the timed runs: forward and backward.

To keep this on topic though, has anybody found Air Braking to be trickier in Xmas NiGHTS than in the regular version? I forced NiGHTS into more tricks than I care to imagine while in the former version's 'Spring Valley', but I found doing the Air Brake loops somewhat more manageable in the less festive original.

~blackrabite

P.S.: Times here will be posted in my score thread as soon as I can upload the proof from the camera to the family computer. Thanks for your patience.

Re: Employing the Air Brake

tabitha 12-28-2006, 6:58 PM
Acctually, im going to overrule all of you guys being sorry and be even sorrier! I totalled dropped the ball on that.... I have corrected it and im going to try and work out how to fix the time section of the database just as soon as I can.

Re: Employing the Air Brake

gsk 12-29-2006, 5:49 AM
I vote for 2 records for TA - the Mario kart site has times with and without shortcuts, so why not?

I'm still practising the whole air brake thing at the moment, so both versions have their problems, though I do think there is a different feel to both.

Re: Employing the Air Brake

tabitha 01-03-2007, 8:58 PM
I agree, Im more than happy to have two records if somone could just clarify what the item grab backwards part entails?

Re: Employing the Air Brake

gsk 01-04-2007, 1:48 AM
Theres a thread about it in the XN forum

Anyway, I've got some time to kill so I thought I'd mentally go through the dreams and think where the Airbreak Paraloops (ABPs?) are/could be useful. Most are just off the top of my head, so if anyone works to prove anything below right/wrong, let us know and I could edit it all into one article

SV1 - Main group of items, as Ben first dicoveried.

SV2 - rectanglar group after windy section, also I've been using it in the group of stars where the dash token is hidden

SV3 - None?

SV4 - The first group (as SV1), and the group before the windy section going up the hill

SG1 - Scorewise, its best to not paraloop the first lot of chips, though it might be worth it with ABPs. You cant really use it for the group of stars between the fountains, because, as far as I can see, you need a bigger paraloop to keep the link going between the 'tracks'

SG2 - ABPs are useful to get all the 5 chips just before the clock, dashing down from the water bubble

SG3 - none?

SG4 - Not big enough for the off track chips just after the palace, but useful for the small group above left of the water bubble. Nothing in the water section?

MF1 - It seems to work alittle with that 5 chip group that alway caused problems.

MF2 - both groups just past the first dash panel

MF3 - None?

MF4 - None?

FB1 - The first group of items, but not the second - I dont think ABPs create a big enough loop

FB2 - as FB1

FB3 - the groups just before and after the palace could be useful

FB4 - group after the palace, but not before, again not big enough

SM1 - Current records involve not paralooping the group after the capture, but maybe there? And maybe the group of stars before the palace - though again might not be big enough

SM2 - Considering the emphasis for stunts, none?

SM3 - the two main groups before and after the palace - nothing else as you cant paraloop after the cannon

SM4 - As SM2, though there are a few groups that might get you another second or so for the stunts.

SC1 - Current records dont use paraloops do they?

SC2 - ABPs might help in the theorized infinite, but I doubt it (with the stars after the capture). Too small any where as?

SC3 - None?

SC4 - Maybe useful during the tower?

Cant think of anywhere during TS that it might help, though my memories not great for that level (probably because of the constant black background). It wouldnt be useful for star milking, as the switches need a second to reset anyway.

XE1 - Again, current records dont paraloop (except for first lap), so none?

XE2 - Theres the groups before the climbing section where it might be useful

XE3 - The two groups on the way to the stunt ribbons, but it is a stunt based mare anyway

XE4 - Might be useful in keeping the infinite going?

Re: Employing the Air Brake

blackrabite 01-04-2007, 1:51 PM
First off, that was a magnificent post! We should probably just edit that one as we figure out which loops are best for Air Braking.

On the topic of MF4, however, I think I may have found a use. There are some hidden chips in the string of loops near the end of the overhead section. It is possible to link the rings with the chips, and then with the items thereafter. But, like many cases, there is not enough time to do this in each lap. I think that if one AB-loops the hidden chips past the first boost ball each lap, the resulting extra time may be enough to grab the later chips.

Oh, man... I was hoping I'd never have to go back...

~blackrabite