Line Rider
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Line Rider is a Flash game originally created for exam purposes by Boštjan Čadež Also known by his Username *fsk, a Slovenian university student, and became an Internet phenomenon in October 2006. In the week ending on 16 October 2006, it was the seventh quickest gaining keyword in Google.[1]
The basic concept is to draw one or more lines with the mouse on which a small character with a sled can ride. The game includes a physics simulation, which means the track must be sufficiently smooth to prevent the character from falling off the sled. The author has said that he prefers the description 'toy' to 'game' as there is no goal to accomplish.
In spite of its simplicity, many complicated tracks have been created, which include loops and other stunts. The game is now popular for its scenery created by its advanced users. Some tracks are even set to music and include hand-drawn scenery such as mountain slopes and trees. Tracks are typically shared by uploading a video to web sites, such as YouTube or Google Video.
Linerider has also recently been on the front page of Yahoo! (featured on November 9, 2006), gaining even more publicity. It was only November 8, 2006 that it had been downloaded for its one-millionth time from deviantart.
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Imitations
Several copycat or hacked versions of the original game have been made. Some of these, like Line Flyer, (which rides on a BMX bike) alter visual elements of the game, while others alter the programming to make playing the game easier. Others include Jeep Flyer, Line Boarder, and Chair Flyer. Some either try to make it easier, or change the graphics alone. The legality of these versions is questionable. Čadež had called these actions theft in his news post on deviantART and planned to prevent hacks in future versions of Line Rider. Some of these include different functions, such as: Change the colour of lines, draw Straight lines, and an eraser. There are countless other imitations such as Oineflyer, Chairflyer, Boardrider, etc. There is also a new unofficial update out: Line Rider Zada 1.3c [1], made by Idog at the linerider.ca community.
Techniques
Even without options incorporated into the game, several people have discovered how to create straight lines in the Beta version of Line Rider. This can be done by starting a line, then right clicking with the mouse, followed by a left click at the place he/she wants the straight line to end, basically "stalling" the mouse. This technique is quite effective, but may be slow.
Another method used by experienced players is one based on creating a near flawless curve. The start of the process is to create a rough angle, with no curve. Starting at the beginning of the curve, a line is added slightly lower than the beginning of the fall. The line would stray slightly from the base line and would end up a small amount past it, connecting to the other base line. The process is repeated, adding on to the last line made, moving farther down the second of the base lines. This method creates a web like appearance, and is extremely effective in creating the smoothest of all curves.
Version History
Beta
The original version of Line Rider was released on 23 September 2006. Line Rider beta uses a very limited tool set. A pencil tool is used to draw lines, a left to right stroke forms floor lines, while a right to left stroke forms ceilings. It also includes a trash can icon to erase your current track. The beta includes the ability to save tracks and reload them later.
Line Rider ZaDa 1.3, Official update
The new version of Line Rider was scheduled to be released on 24 October 2006, but the creator lost several days' worth of work and the release was delayed to a later date. On 23 November 2006, Boštjan Čadež made a comment on his DeviantART page that the update will be released sometime in December. It was finally released on the 5th of December. Anticipated additions in this new version include:
- Eraser
- Straight line drawing
- Line snapping
- Three types of lines:
- Regular
- Accelerating - which appear red and provide a forward speed boost
- Scenery - which are merely for decoration and appear thinner
- Three levels of zoom
- Flag that tags the location of line rider during simulation to aid track editing
- Bug fixes
- Hack prevention
References
- ^ Google Press Center: Zeitgeist Archive. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
