I agree with some of the sentiments expressed in this thread already: Nadeo has rather effectively shot itself in the foot by making each ManiaPlanet game separate instead of TMU2, e.g. a singular Trackmania game with numerous environment expansions, most of which would be paid. Really, ManiaPlanet feels like a stripped down version of Steam, uPlay, or even Origin, with keys having to be purchased externally from either Nadeo directly or from a third-party, like Steam.
Trackmania, Shootmania, and Questmania, under the TMU2 model, could be separated into three different map types: racing, shooter, and questing. So as to prevent players from having to click through 3 different menus (map type, environment, time-of-day) just to build a map or play a campaign, all environments could be visible, sorted by map type, with the option of viewing the environments as thumbnails (default) or as full title cards. Also, the game could initially come with three unique Trackmania environments (Canyon, Valley, ???) and Stadium so as to tide people over until new environments become available for purchase, and everyone who purchased TMU2 could receive the first environments of Shootmania and Questmania for free.
So as to give TMU players a reason to upgrade, all TMU environments could be available for free to them via a complementary copy of a paid, day-one expansion which could grant new players the ability to play all the old Trackmania environments and tracks in the new engine.
Also, TMU2 could also allow the ability to combine elements from all or just two of the map types, allowing for various combinations:
- Trackmania's vehicles + Shootmania's gameplay + Questmania's questing system = variation of Unreal Tournament 2004's Assault mode.
- Trackmania's vehicles + Questmania's spells + Shootmania's collision detection = variation on Carmaggeddon (spells replace mounted guns on cars)
Of course, the above is just my ramblings on how Nadeo
could've done things. ManiaPlanet is the here-and-now, so we'll just have to see whether Nadeo, along with ManiaPlanet, actually dies, or if something else entirely happens.