maxdman

1 hour ago, DiggerFan13 said:

Intro type thing

I remember seeing your name on the old MTC forms!  I'm another from there under the same name and same avatar (Thanks MadRat for the avi like 10 years ago!) 

Welcome to the site! 

3 hours ago, AaronLurie said:

I scaled it down slightly and it looks a little better. Each row is 4 feet tall.
 

Agree it looks better, but I think it could still be scaled down for less seats/people per section but maybe that's my preference as a modeler, you do you fam. Also not sure if it'll look good in an outdoor stadium, but in my St. Louis 2019 I used a darker texture for the crowd higher up as less light gets to the upper section than the lower due to the lights being centered on the playing field.  Perhaps use those so it looks like the sections get darker the higher level up they are - but again this might look bad in an outdoor stadium, just a thought.

Also if you need help with a model or texture shoot me a DM, I'll see what I can do to help out if you need it/want it.

3 hours ago, AaronLurie said:

Just wanted to give a small update and let everyone know that the track is still being worked on and I haven't given up.
Ignore the transparent texture issues. 

Still in the rough stages, but progress is being made. 

Feel like your crowd texture is sized too small as in there are too many people per row, and each face of the crowd "row" is too short.  It just looks like there are a TON of people in each section

7 minutes ago, kmp21093 said:

All said and done it was a pretty good world finals, a lot of debate about freestyle but if you get technical the top 3 runs are all deserving to be there and somewhat interchangeable for the positions they got. For every screaming that Todd should’ve got it, lay off the kool-aid all he did was a HUGE leap, a back flip and one big jump the rest was nothing special. 

The same and more can be said about Scooby.  Backflip, decent air and a cartwheel save thing.  There wasn't one over the top clear cut winner in my opinion, but I think Scooby didn't deserve the win.  Top 4 or 5 yes, a win, no from me.

1 hour ago, MonsterJamThetourMaster said:

What track is that 

World Finals 20 freestyle track.  The event already happened in the time zone I'm in.

Happy World Finals Freestyle Day

11 hours ago, Outlawed said:

just gonna drop this here
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/monster-jam-manchester-arena-complaints-16232960?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR1CV1ZWF4MQUiSbSmT8Iy8PI7bXUjeOB_BkLqASRqFjlg-NyfhwDJMXZmo

I get some of the complaints, but people have to remember what they're buying tickets for.  I don't buy arena football tickets expecting to see an NFL quality game or long bomb passes down field because the venue doesn't support that.  Obviously an arena is much smaller than a football or soccer stadium (yes I know that's advertised on the promo videos) so I mean people gotta use a little common sense here.

That being said, from the videos I saw, it didn't look close to being up to par with current day arena shows.  But you can't blame FELD as I'm sure they were told to not bring dirt in, and not using cars for a safety concern (don't nice lady at safety.  An accident with debris into the crowd could drastically ruin this for all of us) really puts them in a box with what they can do.  I think they made the most of what they could.  I'm sure a year from now different approaches to concrete shows with no cars will improve along with the quality of the shows.

7 hours ago, steiale said:

Monster Jam will be having a traveling themed area at Cedar Valley theme parks this summer:

https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/news/monster-jam-thunder-alley

Not gonna lie, it does sound rather interesting what all they have planned...

To me it seems like new ride trucks on a course with a probably more violent ride since it's an amusement part, going over obstacles like that had at the ride truck zone in the World Finals.  The surrounding trucks are going to be prop trucks if I would have to guess like the display Spider man/Megaladon fire vertically standing on its nose.  

Regardless, seems like a cool concept that might draw people to Monster Jam that hadn't been interested or heard about it before.

Any suggestions on making the blue paint pop more?  Using paint.net and the overlay function.  Any help would be appreciated.

1 minute ago, P3ForLife said:

Finally...that short wheel-base, tall truck truck thing was killing me. This looks promising

Both previous Rock Star's had extremely short wheel base's, probably shorter than this Rock Star

Still monster truck industry related, Dennis Anderson is coming back with a brand new King Sling mud bog truck.   Also how crazy similar to Ryan's throttle rhythem is his brother Weston's

1 hour ago, DJKBarn said:

I understand this side completely, I haven't experienced first hand the amount of stress and work they put in during the week, but I've chatted about it with crews. While I understand emotions can get the best of people, this is also part of the job and I would expect everyone to do their job and do it well. Like every other job involving customer communication, it's expected that the customer is respected and treated well, right? Why should FELD allow their employee to disrespect paying fans.

Same thing goes for any customer service oriented business, I get what you're saying.  Sometimes people are rubbed the wrong way unintentionally.  Just because it's part of the job doesn't mean that everyone in said job does it well, look at every business anywhere.  People get in bad moods, some are better at hiding it than others.  No one is intentionally rude and disrespectful to fans or whomever, sometimes it happens because they're humans just like the rest of us, nobody is perfect. 

8 hours ago, DJKBarn said:

While I agree, this is a very child focused environment that tries to really encourage driver to fan interaction, straight up turning down fans shouldn't be a thing

Everyone is a human and makes mistakes, gets annoyed, isn't in great moods or what ever it is.  Being on such a strict schedule, meeting literally thousands of people every event day, you can't give 110% and be a saint to everyone, it's just not possible.  Some make it seem that way on tv or in interviews, but personalities are also different.  Some just have more energy and enthusiasm than others.  

I'm sure not all drivers love pit parties and autograph lines.  Sucks to hear it and think about it since we all are fans and love the industry, but they have EXTREMELY long days and nights, both fly in drivers and especially those who own and work on their own stuff.

This is what happens when they give out participation trophies.  Everyone gets too soft.

17 hours ago, CarCrusher said:

 

The foot trucks also run heavily cleated firestones which also changes the way the trucks handle in the corner.  Chassis CG is a component but you also have to take into consideration wheelbase, tire combo/cleat, shock set up/ride height 

I'd rather not have cars at shows versus two cars in an arena and have debris come off into the crowd and severely injure or kill any number of people.  That would be the end to a lot of promoters as we know them if something like that happened.  Cars or not, now a days the entertainment value doesn't rely on crushed cars at all, so who cares if they aren't there anymore.  The industry has evolved past crushing cars as a spectacle, grow and move along with it or get out.  All major sports and entertainment make changes away from their roots, just the nature of running a business. 

This has to be one of the first times that all 3 stadium series have Saturday-Sundays shows.  Looked like LONG hours last night to get trucks prepped for the early shows today, especially Indianapolis.  

Expect a trailer for the new THQ/Rainbow Studios game to come out later this month.

2 hours ago, Jon Cannon said:

A while back as in I haven't followed Monster Trucks that closely in years, he very well may still be building complete trucks but I haven't heard anything recently regarding that, there are many people around here that would know way more than me on the subject.

While a CRD and a Cohen may look similar, they were developed by two totally different people. Paul Cohen designed the Cohen and I believe was building them solely for Monster Jam up until recently, CRD is Carroll Racing Development, founded and owned by Tim Carroll. There have been MJ trucks that have run them but also many independents. Last time I heard Paul was building Cohen's for anyone and I'm sure some independents run them now. 

 

If any of this is wrong please correct me.

 

You're correct.  I believe the most recent Cohens that have rolled out are Hurricane Force, Krazy Train, and Full Boar 2.0.  I believe both Team Over Bored trucks (not Wild Side obviously) are Cohen as well, no?

From what I recall, Cohen chassis have a vertical (perpendicular to the ground) piece of tubing support just behind the rear shock towers.  Cohen chassis have the same rear shock tower supports at an angle behind the rear shock mounts.  

59 minutes ago, xyrose said:

I wanted to help @LordFrosting with paints, so here’s my hand drawn rendition! I’m gonna touch up the sides so they aren’t so blotchy, but other than that, this things ready to rumble.

Smells like RII trouble and getting stuck on a box van

4 hours ago, Jon Cannon said:

Unless the independent already has loads of money, I.E Koehler. 

From other business ventures though, Koehler often times operates in the negatives because of how hard and big that entire team runs.  A lot of independents have other forms of income from their other businesses and have their teams as a hobby.  Yes some independents can fund themselves but its a 24/7 365 operation with very little off and down time.  Drivers and team owners say they do it because they love it, and that' the truth because if they did it for the money, it would't last long at all.

I'm not directing this at you because I'm sure you probably know, but just stating info

10 hours ago, CarCrusher said:

I mean no offense to anyone by this, But it just kind of puzzles me that folks in the monster truck business, truck owners and drivers, don’t want to see their support become a real motorsport. Why they just accept it the way it is, a Disney on ice show. I can’t believe monster truck teams don’t want to actually complete, to have a real racing series that is just like NASCAR or NHRA or the Lucas oil truck series. Seems like every other motorsport is real. It is focused on racing and real competition. The teams actually get into it, they hire the best drivers, etc...  seems like monster trucks are the only one in which people are OK with just monkeying around doing freestyle and only being nominally considered a “sport”, and that being a generous descriptor. It just kind of blows my mind. Monster trucks are so freaking awesome, They deserve a serious racing league like every other motorsport, and no one seems to care. Blows my mind. 

There's a few reasons.  Money, $, money, money $ $ money $$$$$$.  

Independents often times don't break even after weekends, and if that goes on for months that puts a massive hurt on the operating costs.  There's just not enough money involved in the industry to make it where winning means something, where drivers will push their equipment to the edge every single weekend.  It's not like NASCAR, NHRA, or other top forms of motorsport that have big corporations backing teams and shoveling money to be the best operation on the track.  Monster trucks just simply aren't like that.... yet.

Big businesses and brands have been pulling out of motorsports, mainly due to the extreme costs its required to run teams (if anyone follows NASCAR look at Furniture Row Racing, or Ganassi not fielding Xfinity cars this year), if there's no business giving the teams money the operating costs are too high.  But that being said, Monster Jam is pulling in contracts with corporations at a time when other major motorsports are losing them, which is an upside.  Downside is that it goes to the company and not the teams or drivers (due to FELD owning over half the field which is whatever).  And I don't have actual figures but I'm sure the BKT and Great Clips deal aren't anywhere close to what NASCAR sponsorship contracts are.  But if saying the word "BKT Tire" and "Great Clips Mohawk Warrior" gets the job done and keeps the industry alive, then say it every run.  If you argue that you don't want to hear it, then don't watch motorsports because that's everywhere, Goodyear tire, driver of the number 48 Lowes Chevy.  It pays the bills so it gets done.

But bottom line, independents don't have the financial backing to bash their equipment every show, because it just simply isn't worth it.  If everyone was paid show pay (as discussed before) and on top of that based on points or where the driver finished in the event, then I'm sure it would be a different conversation because operating costs would be covered, and everything else can either go in their pocket, or back into the equipment.

15 hours ago, bkelly said:

I'm gonna give the unpopular opinion here. I think Feld is in the wrong for doing this. First of all, if I understood the article correctly, Feld ended the relationship with Mattel? When Mattel has been there for 20 years producing solid (at worst) products? The only year where Mattel's products were bad was 2015, when all of the trucks just looked lazy but 2016-2018 was some of the best years for MJ toys. Also, the Hot Wheels tour is significantly less than MJ. It's not like Bigfoot and Hollman and whoever else runs those bodies is going to be backflipping, I mean, it's a concrete floor show and the tickets are about $30? It's not a shot at any of those teams, I'm glad to see them competing and whatnot, it's just obviously more of a Thunder-Nationals-esque kind of thing when Feld has pretty much abandoned that type of competition. 

The only truck that the HW tour runs/sells toys of that I think resembles anything close to a Feld truck is the tiger shark truck. I believe the toy version uses the shark body that Mattel has owned since it produced the Great Bite truck in 2002, not the Megaladon body that HW used in 2018. But I can see where Feld is coming from with this part. Boneshaker has been a Mattel entity since about 2010, and that's just the monster truck. I'm pretty sure the Boneshaker concept has been with HW for far longer than that, and Boneshaker is definitely not a rip on Grave Digger. I think Feld shouldn't rip on Boneshaker because they've never had that actual truck. I've always associated Boneshaker as a HW thing. Again, I can see why Feld is upset over this but it's not like they copied an actual truck Feld runs.

Not really trying to start a war or anything, but Feld dropped a loyal partner after 20 years and now they're trying to take them out? If I was Mattel I'd be equally upset and wouldn't sell a product for a company that just dropped me. And I know Feld wasn't entitled to stay with Mattel, its just that after so much success where the toys have literally formed their own fanbase, I thought Feld would stick with them. 

In all honesty it all just looks a little childish. Feld drops Mattel, Mattel stops production of MJ trucks, this pisses off Feld who just dropped them, Mattel starts up production of their own line of trucks, keeps the trucks that they created, hires former Feld employees, and then gets Bigfoot. And this all started because Feld got upset over a mold made for trucks you can hold in your hand.

Some of what you said is correct, but there are other legal issues that FELD is taking action against.  I read the suit and it's deeper than FELD just being mad at Mattel.  Yes FELD ended the contract (not sure if it was terminated or not renewed), in 2018 but the contract they had between each other was that the products would be produced until the end of the calendar year (2018).  Not only were there accusations of Mattel reporting false statistics when FELD asked about distributors and other business metrics, but Mattel didn't restock suppliers when they reported shortages of products, Mattel also cut supplies of Monster Jam molds, and other properties to manufacturing in replacement of their own Hot Wheels Monster Trucks line, thus violating the contract between Mattel and FELD.  So now not only are less Monster Jam/FELD products on the shelf (during the fourth quarter which FELD reports as their biggest and most important quarter for selling products), but Mattel replaced what they should have been producing (FELDS/Monster Jam products through the end of the year) with their own Hot Wheels Monster Truck branded items, in a way stealing profits from FELD as Monster Jam products should have been on the shelf.

The lawsuit talks about Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live but isn't taking action on that and doesn't really care about that tour from what I gathered.  They are upset over the loss of royalties they would have gotten had Mattel not violated the contract and finished out 2018 with the proper production and marketing of their Monster Jam products.  

Were Mattel could get into hot water with is that while Bone Shaker and Tiger Shark and other names are their own property, they were advertised and sold under the Monster Jam line of toys.  FELD is claiming that some versions of Bone Shaker, Rev-Treds, Stars and Stripes, and Mattel Hotweiler were purposefully made and designed using concepts from the FELD Monster Jam product line, violating not only the contract between Mattel and FELD, but FELD is claiming that Mattel did this purposefully when they quit giving suppliers FELD products, began to advertise and brand their own line (Hot Wheels Monster Trucks) based on trucks with FELD's trademarks to purposefully confuse customers and drive their own (Mattel's) sales.  The trucks in question of the trademark violation are a specific version of Mattel's BoneShaker with FELD's Grave Digger, Mattel's Stars and Stripe Rev-Tred with FELD's Stars and Stripes line, and Mattel's Hotweiler with FELD's Monster Mutt Rottweiler.

Not going to lie, FELD does have some basis here from what the suit is claiming.  Mattel did report false figures and didn't properly restock suppliers with what their contracts said they should have.  I think that has more basis rather than the trademark issues, but we'll see what the jury decides.