Thread 1716357

Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart is a standalone mod of a mod based on the Doom Legacy engine, turning the game into a kart racer similar to Super Mario Kart. Both games are lightweight and can run on most modern PCs.
Use this thread to start netgames, join other anons, give help/tips, spritework, modding, feedback, etc.

>How to Play (SRB2K)
Follow the guide here: https://kartinvidya.me/guide/#before-installing/
Compiling help for Linuxfags: https://wiki.srb2.org/wiki/Source_code_compiling/Makefiles#Compiling_on_Linux

>Do we have a /v/ server?
For SRB2K, yes! We're running a modified executable that allows for 256 characters and up to 32 racers, along with a large quantity of QoL improvements. The guide should link to the custom client, but in case you missed it, download the latest release here:
https://codeberg.org/NepDisk/srb2k-neptune/releases/tag/Neptune2.4.3

>What happened to the mods MEGA folder?
No need for it! Since we have upgraded to a new server with faster in-game downloader!

>Joining a server
1. From the title screen, go to 'Multiplayer'
2. 'Internet Server Browser...'
3. 'Specify IPV4 Address...' and manually enter the server IP
>OK OK, faggot, what's the IP for the /v/ server?
us.kartinvidya.me
>EURO SERVER?

>>1716357 (OP)
>>1484496
>SERVER STATUS SITE / LICENSES / SCOREBOARD / CYTUBE / discord circlejerk server
https://www.kartinvidya.me/

*+*BEGINNERS/NEWFAGS GIVE THIS A READ*+*

>/vm/ SRB2Kart protips
https://pastebin.com/YV6biqxq

>DRRR manual
https://www.kartkrew.org/rr-manual/manual/landing/

>Anon's Beginner's Guide:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q5oU5Lsy5PQHonDekMo2ThVvGgT1AkfYSFj-D1ac1iM/edit?usp=sharing (Long Version)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OkbSNPNmefnr6qcvlQSaNukEsODmcOIhIVwobp_6iBI/edit?usp=sharing (Short Version)

>DRIFTING TABLE (SRB2K)
Time it takes to charge a drift spark for each stat if you care about that nerd shit. The Google doc does not take the spark rate buff in the US and EU servers into consideration.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ub8HC-I-HuqpVjcj3Qcb-tyuJOssWMl8EtAGDQGQm7A/edit#gid=234796115
https://github.com/NepDisk/sparkrate-calculator

>How do I clip replays and share them?
Go into the Replay Hut/Egg TV (Title Screen -> Extras -> Replay Hut/Egg TV), select your desired replay and record whatever you want with OBS.
To convert the video into a WebM, use: https://github.com/argorar/WebMConverter
Make sure the file is less than 4 MBs if you plan on uploading it to 4chan.

Previous Thread: >>1484496

1 + 3 / 31 US
The casino is closed.

>>1718410
5 + 2 / 31 US

4 / 31 US

>>1720374
actually racing now

fix the item odds or the bunny cat gets it

2 + 1 / 31 US
Sunday driving.

>>1721850
6 / 31 US

REMINDER TO UPDATE YOUR CLIENT TO 2.4.4 TO PLAY ON KV US
https://codeberg.org/NepDisk/srb2k-neptune/releases/tag/Neptune2.4.4

Do we HAVE to post here again....?

nigger

so are we back fags?

>>1723419
You didn't want to post on 8KINGS like me so where else would you post?

9/31 US
rise from the ashes

19/31 US

Is the main thread here or on 8 now? I prefer 8 desu

>>1726373
Both I suppose
One for here and one for .moe anons

>>1726373
8 is better, this is a new exodus

Mmmmm
Friday Night Kartin?

Sunday racism in us 5/30

>>1737437
17/31 US

why is mapping for this game so miserable

>>1741547
DOOM engine

get the races started
1+2/31 US

6/31 US

Saturday racism?

>>1745253
it could start soon

3 / 31 US
Saturn's Day racing.

>>1745355
7 / 31 US

fuck you herc

Balance change test advisory : Max sneaker stacks while using rocket sneakers is now capped at 3. Max sneaker stacks outside of rocket sneaker use is still 5. Looking to prevent a rocket sneaker roll from instantly sending you from last to first for free.

Right now it's possible to end a rocket sneaker timer with 4 stacks if you boost to expire it, but I'll check into fixing that if this test goes well.

Unrelated : randomlistchar command now supports setting followers and their colors as well, including default for the follower's default color. The format per line is now
kartskin;color;follower;followercolor

Everything beyond kartskin is optional. The below lines are all valid in randomcharacters.txt

sonic;red;moogle;red
tails;default;toondragon;default
eggman;red;mobiums
knuckles;blue
sonic

4/31 this SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

Take care, faggots.
It's been fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTQfStXZbcM

>>1746085
Can't verify a follower's existence if it has spaces in the name, so it will now skip this check. If your follower isn't changing when it comes up then you've typed it wrong.

"none" for a follower name now removes the follower for that character.

Friday racing

>>1753815
18 / 31 US

Saturday night zoomin'?

>>1755606
could be

6 / 31 US
Big Saturday races.

>>1755666
13 / 31 US
So sayeth these trips.

Server client updated to a test build to try and stop desyncs. No action needed on your part.

Big client update soon™

5 / 31 US
Danger close.

>>1757747
12 / 31 US

4 / 31 US
Hump day races to make it through the rest of the week.

AIR BRAKE HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY DISABLED

11 / 31 US

Big Friday races.

7 / 31 US
For freedom.

>>1766995
12 / 31 US

It's Saturday. Plenty of time for more murder and mayhem.

>>1768793
5 / 31 US

>>1768851
12 / 31 US

mmmm
sunday afternoon/night traffic collisions?

IT'S SUNDAY
WHERE'S THE RACISTS
I WANT TO PLAY
PLAY NOW

NOW NOW
NOW NOW

btw my keyboard inputs are duplicated how does that happen
if I write something it writes it twice. I have caps lock on so it should be writing cap letters only

3/31 USA

>>1771095
8 / 31 US

>>1725272
lol

I am in need of racism.

5/31 US
get it started

5 + 2 / 31 US

Sunday funday racing

>>1778891
4 / 31 US

>>1778905
8 / 31 US

my server is missing the (GO) button when you get hit. Is this a mod or server option?

>>1779637
Thats some spin-out recovery mod.
No idea what its name was though.

>>1779637
>>1779815
it's part of juicebox.

>>1779815
>>1779818
thanks found it. I didn't have the jewbox mod added. I'm guessing that's a mod of juicebox made by someone in this thread. On that note I want to try creating some mods for myself does anyone know if there any documentation for creating srb2k stuff?

3/31 US

it

>>1785884
7/31 US

Going to be hopping onto kart.weedl.es:5032

Dude racism lmao?

>>1787816
maybe
but everyone's probably busy with Deltarune or Switch 2 gaming

>>1787974
Thats so fucking homosexual

2/31 US
cleanse yourself

>>1789370
more/31 US

FRIDAY THE 13TH RACES
>CAPTCHA D4KKK

>>1802734
SERVER UPDATE IT'S TIME TO RACE FOR REAL

9/31 US

Kart happening @ kart.weedl.es:5032 in about a half hour from now.

>>1716357 (OP)
which game has more players and which one is the best for a noob like mua?

robo blast 2 or ring racers?

>>1805897
srb2kart to both with asterisks
>more players but they're all splintered across custom clients
>easier to play and learn but you're gonna be playing against people with years of experience, but that doesn't matter if you don't care about losing and just care about having fun

>>1805926
got it ty

SUNDAY
SUNDAY
SUNDAY
Call your dad and tell him IT'S TIME TO RACE
3/31 US

>>1807284
14/31 US

...

>>1805926
>you're gonna be playing against people with years of experience,
While this is true, you also have to remember that karting is like gambling while driving.
Chances are you might eke out a win or good board placement solely because someone got violently vasectomised by a backwards orbi or a banana-into-mine true combo, or you rolled a grow and now half the server is pancaked

Comatose kart...

>>1822489
WAKE UP
SUMMER STARTED AND WE'RE ALREADY BEHIND ON OUR QUOTA OF BURNT RUBBER
3/31 US

>>1822523
18/31 US

3/31 US
race race race

>>1830568
7/31 US

Saturday races?

>>1831928
11/31 US

4/31 US
Last weekend before the second half of the year.

>>1833111
15/31 US

Updated signpost support for animated signposts via Simple Animal. Newly added Tenna is probably the first to use it as far as I know.

IT'S THE FOURTH OF JULY MY FELLOW AMERICANS
TIME TO CELEBRATE THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW HOW: WITH EXPLOSIONS, MURDER AND MILD INEBRIATION

(3/31 US)

>>1839188
9/31 US

17/31 US
OUR FLAG IS STILL THERE

Hello fellow Sonic Kart enthusiasts. I´m here once more to invite you to vote in the /vm/ Football Team Roster Poll. There you´ll find all potential candidates for a spot including your lad *rapes and kills you*.

Here's this season's roster poll:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScj1o5LNqbUefMIkSUlMBE5VoXDAIVxQyYzJzZk0zCy7hxwuQ/viewform?usp=dialog

The poll will stay open until next Saturday (12th)

hmmmm
racism?

>>1840533
yes

races?

>>1841987
5+2 / 31 US

>>1842004
12+1 / 31 US

>>1842114
>ACT
>X-Chuck

Sunday races?

>>1852704
8/31 US

FRIDAY

>>1860347
SERVER UPDATED GET IN

3 + 4 / 31 US

>>1860409
9/31 US Summer weekend racing

Will be playing @ weedl.es in about 2 hours from now or less

>>1860692
3/31
kart.weedl.es:5032

9/31 US on this fine Sunday afternoon

THE ORIGINAL STARWALKER IS TOO POWERFUL

>>1863878
his power is now contained

racing racing racing on a Friday afternoon

>>1871586
8/31 US
I LOVE TV

EVO weekend
that means it's time to fight each other while racing

>>1886225
6/31 US

Playan on weedl.es
4/31
kart.weedl.es:5032

ROUND 2
FIGHT

>>1888950
11/31 US

yep it's friday

>>1899379
7/31 US

obligatory Saturday post

8/31 US

ITS UP
>>>/v/717705486
REMEMBER TO BUMP

bump

been a long time since I posted in the /vm/ thread.
5/31 in KV US.
lepus is doing some RA

Saturday is back with a vengeance

>>1911996
7/31 US

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4wqmAD8jOlPfZuSWYAfvpZECFQJxRh_24gFnc2y9Trxf3TA/viewform?usp=dialog

New Tourney

Le streamer map mode has been removed, joke's over. Sorry for taking so long!

Also sign up for Dairy's tourney and vote for a date between September 12th-14th
>>1912690

ah shit here we go again

>>1922801
8/31 US

gotta go fast

>>1912690
TOURNEY UPDATE

14 RESPONSES ONLY SO FAR

MAY END UP HAVING ONLY 2 SETS: RETARD ZONE AND SKILL ZONE: PLAYERS IN MIDDLE SET WILL GET SPLIT 50:50 AND SENT TO THE OTHER TWO

STILL PLENTY OF TIME THOUGH SIGN UP IF YOU DO NOT HAVE 2 DADS

>>1718410
9+2/UK

thread post

sunday post

>>1721870
doesnt work for me

>>1722002
great link thanks

>>1726373
Go to 8

>>1949496
8moe /v/ thread's been pretty barren for a good long while though....

THE CLIENT HAS UPDATED TO 2.5, UPDATE YOUR CLIENTS.

Shitloads of fixes since the last update, check release page if you like reading technobabble.

https://codeberg.org/NepDisk/srb2k-neptune/releases/tag/Neptune2.5

performance boost is nice

THE CLIENT HAS UPDATED TO 2.5.1, UPDATE YOUR CLIENTS

Hotfix for boost panels raping frames.

https://codeberg.org/NepDisk/srb2k-neptune/releases/tag/Neptune2.5.1

Ringer Racers 2.4 before GTA 6..

>>1958551
I went into this board to post about it in the RR general, but that's dead so I'm posting it here.
https://www.kartkrew.org/news/2025-09-11_dr-robotniks-ring-racers-version-24-release-candidate.html
Complete fucking overhaul update, combing over it right now.

>>1958879
It’s still more of the same, with more mechanics on top. I don’t know how this is going to bring in new players let alone back people who hated everything about it from the start.

At least the turning/handling doesn’t feels less ass and more back to Kart’s.

>>1958879
>fall off the track once in a race
>fight my way from the back to to first
>get an A rank
>end up second place by points because the new main scoring system (exp) is based on consistent timing at checkpoints more than where you place
huh...
actual control is much improved and from the few hours I played and the new item rates / how its calculated (based on exp) heavily disincentivizes bag2win gameplay
there's still pretty heavy mechanics bloat

>>1958879
>all these changes
almost like RR was fucking terrible on release or something!

>>1958879
>they actually fixed it
well god damn

>>1959603
we'll see about that, seems they just replaced extreme bagging with extreme frontrunning

>>1959606
extreme frontrunning is based because it rewards actual skill

>>1959607
earned frontrunning maybe, not mechanically-enforced.
>position minigame gives an even stronger lead to the first out the gate
>no more self-hits means items can be spammed with impunity
>trap item hits give amps for if the pack even thinks about catching up
>item odds and ring box amounts are affected by exp so frontrunner continually gets more momentum

>>1959611
>no more self-hits means items can be spammed with impunity
that literally doesnt even matter if you're in first place anyways, if anything that's a nerf to frontrunning

>>1959616
having to potentially contend with your own traps on the next lap makes placing them on the "ideal" path much more risky.

>team mode is just baked in friendmod
come on even m*rio kart lets you do four teams now

racing on a Friday again

>2.3 ring racers
>master was a mostly fair and doable challenge can get the emeralds with enough skill
>2.4 ring racers
>what's that? you fucked up once? LOL you lose your A rank lmao
checkpoints with singleplayer are so shit you are at the mercy of the awful rival npcs noire 2.4 when

I would play with you if I could.

GET IN DA SERVER
Thread soon

ITS UP
>>>/v/720588605
REMEMBER TO BUMP

>>1960934
Per-race rank doesn't actually matter, dumbass, it never has. Overall score is what determines whether you get the Sealed Star and your final rank in general

>>1961204
My point still stands master too hard vicious too easy

>>1912690
did this shit get canceled? lmfao

Hmmm.....
Sunday night traffic accidents, perchance?

>>1912690
embarrassing.

>>1958879
I fucked around with it for a good while and while it makes massive improvements in a lot of areas (power items in the dirt thank GOD) it struggles even worse from "there's way too fucking much going on right now" syndrome. I think there's three different consumables you have at once now and even more moves on top of an already bloated moveset
Also Nep is in the patch notes lol

>>1967813
It's not going to win over people who didn't like 2.3 already I don't think, even if it is more balanced. They've done nothing to compress/simplify the input overload and have added more options on top of everything else. It feel less chaotic in single player if only because you get to stay in first but online it's just as insane as it ever was.

Kart....has perished....

>>1967813
The problem with this game is that the core game is too flawed, they would have to make everything straightforward and remove the convoluted bullshit, but that will never happen though, in fact im surprised they dint let the game rot away

>>1973435
>admitting that the last 5 years (4 years of VRchat+1 year of dev) were a waste
they would never.

>>1973385
Only if (You) let it
GET IN

7/31 US
join
now

>>1958879
Not a common user of these threads but played a bit of RR 2.3, could get plat on TTs on most maps with not Chao/Ring guy
The new time trial plats just seem insane, I watched the ghost of 1st after getting bodied and man its insane
Kind of discouraging, I thought I was gonna use 2.4 to replay the game, try to complete most of the game, get some medals, now I don't think I want to anymore. It seems like even more of a commitment than before.
Maybe I should return to srb2k.

>>1975670
Its not hard to pull a gold on time trial, the game is still dogshit though

Is it a good idea to shared privat hosted servers here? I typically play with a group of core friends up to 8 players. I would like to include some of you guys in the gameplay. v5.1 and all

It's been a bit since I last played, do you still have to rely on the console for pretty much all your settings?

>>1984163
Most if not all the settings have changeable values in the Options menu nowadays with the modern modded client, though the console is still faster to use so long as you're aware of what command does what.

>>1984114
I'd play sure. Whatever settings you have. Just know that the better players here might stomp.

>>1959606
>replaced extreme bagging with extreme frontrunning
With the constant complaints about bagging in the Crossworlds threads on /v/, Ring Racers 2.4 has positioned itself as the antithesis of Crossworlds in that regard

>>1987957
actually surprised with the amount of people hating bagging, there is some hope after all, its a tranny playstyle

>2.4 rc5 released
>EXP actually literally wasn't doing anything to item odds for the past four release candidates besides locking you out of garden top and shrink
lol

does anyone have that one image of motobug holding the papes

>>1988343
nevermind i found it

>>1985450
Well we utilized the xlib custom items and CGB's advance tricks. Plus we've been playing for YEARS now with each other as well. I think you guys have a ton more knowledge though, but I'd like to see how some would fair regardless

>>1987972
of course they fucked that up
also i don't know what they did but single player seems to be shittier than it was in 2.3 for some reason

>>1988508
Feel free to post the IP here and seed if you guys are playing

Sunday?

>>1995306
Kart....is finished......
Truly a tragedy

>>1996581
the karts were gassed, no one told the thread though.

Hey anon's. I'll host a lobby very likely within 2 hours, I'd share the server name you need to search in IP by then for those who are interested

>>1997054
what client are you using?

anyone up to some racism? been a while since we did that I think.
everyone has been enjoying cuckworld a little too much lately.

>>2007028
shitworld stole wathever potential playerbase this had and outright killed DRR ( but that game is already dead so wathever )

>>1997187
Hello, we are live now. It's 2.5.1 neptune.

Type in IP "SmashinArena.us" to enter

>>2007028
Worth doing later this Sunday desu provided people rember to post in the bread and maybe do a /v/ thread as well

We're going live right now again in "SmashinArena.us"

Hmm
Racism in kartinvidya, perchanceably?

>>2008970
Bump. We're hosting now atm. Worth a try

Any blankart updates?

No dying yet Sonic!
Spammer may be spamming but you can handle it!

>page 4 limit
Q-Que?

12/31 US

9/31 us
get in

hosting a game in "smasharena.us" for anon's who's feeling a little hungry rn

>>2030864
F "Smashinarena.us"G

>Onyo didn't pay the website bill
Kart...is reclining...

>>2037915
The fall of kartinvidya....all because Crossworlds decided to just up and exist....

>>2038207
Its not crossworlds fault, its RR garbage that killed everything, now that i think about it, we would be fine if the game never updated past 1.3 and let the community do its thing like before ( now there isnt even a community lmao )

life if 2.0 came out without all the maximalist shit

>>2038232
>>2038318
>they're STILL seething

>new ring racers update released
thoughts on it? could it be redeemed?

>>2039910
the release candidates have been fantastic from what i've played but people who didn't like that it isn't SRB2K2.0 aren't going to like it now

>>2039910
they made it worse and its the last update, its finally dead

>>2039910
Instead of addressing some criticisms with simple solutions, they tore up the game all over again and stuffed in a bunch of new mechanics. New players are still turned away at the door, old players have their muscle memory skullfucked, and even modders are inconvenienced because race map logic has been redone. It's a lost cause, I'm just going to be replaying 2.3's singleplayer for now on.

>>2039910
I like some of the fixes but why add even more mechanics on a already bloated game?

>>2039953
>New players are still turned away at the door
t. hasn't played any of the release candidates

>>2039953
>>2039959
What are the new mechanics?

>>2039970
https://www.kartkrew.org/news/2025-11-02_dr-robotniks-ring-racers-version-24.html

>>2039990
>Wavedash
These retards really want this to be Smash on wheels.

>This is the last version of Ring Racers to officially support Windows 10
lol
lmao

>>2039910
At this point, I kinda appreciate the kitchen sink design. Like if they're gonna commit to DURRRR being a different game and not even technically in the same """series""" as SRB2K, then go all out and add all the nonsense in the world that you want.

Never in my life would I want SRB2K to have a ridiculous suicidal afterburner system for the express purpose of tackling other players with the insta-whip, but hey it's fine for DURRRR. My only concern were the actual core issues that made it more objectively bad to play, rather than bad in a "oh god what did they do to SRB2K" sense. It was namely issues with the handling, which they seem to be trying to address, but I'll have to actually play it when I get off work later to see if it's for the better.

>>2040371
"Wavedash" has been a thing since 2.0. It's got nothing to do with Smash Bros. Wavedashing besides the name, it's just a small speedboost you get for sliptiding

>>2039910
Honestly I'm having a fun time with this, the feeling of going through certain tracks at Gear 3 feels like an adrenaline rush.

I wonder what new updates are going to come when it comes to content?

Well hey, I tried a few times to gather folks here for the kart lobbies that we run with agroup of 6-8 people consistently. I only ever got 1 anon join, So yeah, the game feels dead here in 4chan

>make a dogshit sequel
>split the already small playerbase
real smart there kart kucks, I haven't even played either game since drrr came out

>>2045330
>i enter threads just to announce how much i don't like what the thread is about!
okay fag

>>2045047
>So yeah, the game feels dead here in 4chan
Some moved to DURR, other moved to Crossworlds, and more still are just waiting for blankart. Playerbase is pretty shattered. Blan test sessions get upwards of 20 people so there's still hope

>>2045047
If you're looking to get people back in, just post that you're gonna join the serbian and update with player numbers so people know how many are in.
Also there was that other server an anon posted and that one isn't on the server list yet so uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

>>2045592
What's Blankart?

>>2046440
srb2k updated to the RR codebase, along with a bunch of other optimizations/updates on the side.

>>2039990
>>2040394
Is it just me or is 2.4 WAY more abrasive in singleplayer GP?
The CPU feels a lot more punishing overall and getting to emeralds at all is hell with the new exp system.
Honestly I can't even tell if I like the physics changes yet, the game seems faster sure but more responsive? Idk about that.

>>2046662
Some of the devs were vocally unhappy about how strong the bot nerfs were, and personally I agree. I also think it's reasonable to make emeralds harder to reach because the special stages being harder to get to makes it less likely for someone unprepared to get turbofiltered.
>Honestly I can't even tell if I like the physics changes yet, the game seems faster sure but more responsive? Idk about that.
The arc on Neutral Drift helps a lot, especially with heavyweights.

>>2046843
>relaxed is too easy
>intense is too sweaty
Intense/gear 2 felt really good to me before and I still had vicious for a real difficulty bump, I don't see the reasoning for making the AI harder when the exp systems seems to be very punishing in the GP environment.
If you get throttled early on in a track you now have to deal with much lower exp gains and restarting is a no-go because it is even more punishing for end point gain.

Now if I do bad early in a race it feels so much more anxiety inducing when before all I needed to do was push the lead by the end like any other racing game. I get the "consistent" racer argument when it comes to checkpoints, but that shit is moot when the AI easily outpaces you on extremely winding courses. Even if can you overtake them all by the end you've still missed all of those precious checkpoint exp bonuses. And I can't even restart to try for a better race because of lives.
>it's reasonable to make emeralds harder to reach because the special stages being harder to get to makes it less likely for someone unprepared to get turbofiltered
All that does is make them harder to learn and get better at, the more insurmountable you make reaching them the more annoying they'll be to actually complete when the emerald stages are an exercise in memorization anyway.
So now you have
>track exp
>ring bonus
>lives
>dynamic adjusting AI
>and the placement cutoff
which ALL work against you for ranking and the simple CHANCE of ATTEMPTING emerald. It's genuinely too much shit if you ask me.

>>2046969
>All that does is make them harder to learn and get better at,
Driving skill literally directly translates into Sealed Star skill outside of like two of the stages. If you're not good enough to get into them, you're not good enough to consistently beat them.

>>2046975
Sealed stars are so much more about item targeting/throws and knowing where the capsule will go while memorizing the gimmick layout of each course.
For the record, I grinded out all of the emeralds on 2.3 using freaky build (so my save didn't transfer back over to 2.4). On 2.3's intense I would consistently be able to get into and practice emerald stages, it felt like a fine balance due to the difficulty of the stages themselves.
In 2.4 actually reaching the stages is far more challenging than the emerald stages themselves since I have them memorized now. I'm definitely not a pro ring racist and play the game fairly casually, but I was good enough to get the master emeralds then while scoring well and I'm saying the 2.4 hikes in difficulty on the "medium" mode is going to turn off most intermediate players, simple as.

I feel like the exp system was built to prevent multiplayer bagging first and then was stapled on poorly to singleplayer without a second thought.

>>2047003
>Sealed stars are so much more about item targeting/throws and knowing where the capsule will go while memorizing the gimmick layout of each course.
With 2.3 I'd agree, but in 2.4 you get Sonic Boom so much easier during the special stages that driving skill matters way more. 2.4 also encourages offensive item play way more with Amps, so getting Emerald requirements necessitates getting better with items either way.
The only stages I think really fall into "memorization required" territory are Towers and Rooftops (and even then, Rooftops is only like that because of that stupid bit at the end, the rest is fine)

>I feel like the exp system was built to prevent multiplayer bagging first and then was stapled on poorly to singleplayer without a second thought.
Personally, it's felt way more forgiving than Lap Bonus, at least to me. Losing 5/20 lap bonus because you dropped to 4th on the third lap is way more punishing than losing somewhere around 10/150 EXP.

>>2047072
I see what you mean with the booms and amps which I admittedly am still struggling to adapt to using.
My main point really boils down to the GPs feeling far less predictable than emerald stages due to the CPU being inconsistent. I can brute force emerald stages through rote memorization and practice, whereas the GP itself can be a crapshoot to get to those if the CPU decides to pull out some ridiculous bs or rubberband like a motherfucker.

Frankly I have zero issue with how the emerald stages were designed, it's making them harder to access that feels like a chore. On a sheer "fun" standpoint I preferred when the CPUs were a bit more tame overall. I have no issue admitting "skill issue", but to me I wish we had a Gear 2 difficulty that had AI more akin to 2.3 slotted between relaxed and what vicious currently is.
I've had far more moments of being donked off into the abyss without a chance to recover on 2.4 than 2.3 due to CPU shenanigans, and with stun being implemented it feels way tougher to recover now.

>>2047116
>slotted between what relaxed and what intense currently is*
Whoops, meant intense not vicious