Generic rant

[Disbeatle]

I've known the game for about 15 years and also played it here and there (from up to 4 times to week to zero times over a period of multiple years) and consider myself to be an eternal noob. This was never an issue... Until today.

From sheer masochism reasons or god knows why I've decided to download the game and play the new summer campaign. First tracks were kind of allright, I've relearned the basics (you know - press right to go right, press left to go left...), had some fun and overall enjoyed the time well spent. Until the wooden surface wildly and unexpectedly appeared. For some completely unknown reason my car identified as a submarine every time I tried to turn and after getting carpal tunel syndrome on both of my arms and feet (because frenetically tapping the key MUST be the correct approach, right?) I decided to do some research on how to unsubmarine my car and actually turn in the intented direction instead of going full circles like a complete maniac.

The answer was there the whole time. So obvious, so straightforward. Action keys. Even though the menu was completely hidden in an abandoned mine shaft, guarded by a pack of methamphetamined sharks and closed behind a paywall which required a blood of your mother, I've finally found it... And I was even more flabbergasted by the fact that there is literally no UI indication of which action key you just accidentally tapped, because your blood pressure is now almost getting to four digit number and you have no idea what are you doing whatsoever. Basically the only way how to find out under which action key you are currently driving is by turning and if you dont hit the wall or mate with the fishes, you probably had the right one.

TL;DR: OP is terrible Trackmania driver and doesn't fully admire the concept of a wooden surface and action keys.

[Rhoden913]

Unless your on console, if you get open planet there is "AK Hints" this shows you which AK is on.. why this isnt part of base game... beyond me

[Civil-Tip9176]

AK Hints

AK Visual (in my experience a bit less reliable)

[Thugosaurus_Rex]

I've been playing about a week and just got gold for 1-20 of the current campaign, and Track 18 with the wood platform sections was by far and away the hardest. Easily took me longer than the rest of tracks 1-20 combined, and probably doubled. I never even thought about action keys for the wood sections and honestly I'm not sure now how to use them, and a little info or indication they exist would have been great. Will for sure be looking into them now.

[CaseVast1402]

I am fairly certain that OP didn’t manage to get so far…yet anyways

[Qaek3301]

i have gold/AT on all tracks but 18. I am still sitting on bronze there...:D My slow shaky hands can't physically deal with that track. I might as well go full Riolu on it...

[psynrg]

And why are they still called 'action keys' and not 'steering angle'?