Kart uncontrollable with only 2 wheels on the ground #5460
Description
This issue has been well-known for quite some time, but apparently no ticket has been opened in the bug tracker for it.
In summary:
- In some tracks and situations, it is possible for the kart to end up sideways on 2 wheels, with the other 2 not touching the ground. It usually doesn't happen in most races, but it is still common enough that experimented players have encountered it dozens of times, especially if they played more some of the tracks more prone to triggering it. When testing, the issue can also be produced with 2 front wheels (and I'd guess maybe 2 back wheels too).
- With only two wheels on the ground, the kart can almost not turn, making it nearly as uncontrollable as with the old hover bug. Acceleration and braking are also less effective.
- Whereas with all wheels off the ground, a rotation is applied to the kart to help keep it more or less parallel to the ground, there is nothing to help the kart get back on balance when some wheels are touching the ground. Therefore, with a sufficiently tilted kart, it can easily take 2 or 3 seconds for the kart to recover. This usually means a crash.
What's needed:
- Apply a rotation to the kart to help it recover more quickly. It's fine for it to be uncontrollable when on two wheels if it never stays too long on two wheels.
- Ensure this is only applied when needed. Naïve implementations can lead to the kart keeping wheels off the ground on slopes in order to stay "parallel to the ground".