Pr2

[Acno]

Some thoughts..
What was pr2's original attraction all about? And what can be done to make this game great again, does anybody theorize 'bout that? no? Well, i think what made me like pr2 initially is that it seemed like it had a future ahead of it, i used to like to sneakily come to the forums and read things. But once i got past level 40 i didnt feel any more interest, as if the entire game for me revolved around, attaining the hats. There was a goal, there was a reason to play and constant challenge to look forward to, now i dont feel like there is a point playing it, when i log in i still see my old maps hanging in there, but there really wasnt much attraction to those either, there are countless good maps in the game, but why do we even make them? I feel like my point is fundamentally the game is broken, and this has never been adressed well enough..
Why are we trying to keep something alive that is already lost? If the game functioned on its own like back in its golden days, if people seen there is a reason playing it just for the sake of playing it, perhaps, there would be more fun.

I have been wondering about this for long, shouldnt the game promote leveling more, shouldnt it have maps that are good, better, and incorporate tactics and themes from previous lesser maps but improve upon them, shouldnt guilds be about racing each other and holding contests.
Shouldnt we continue building the game somehow further?
Overall, i just dont get it.
I used to like this place coz it had a multitude of character within it, but years have passed, and it just seems like.. what's the point..? hope i didnt come off to depressing. 

[JEEJAYEM]

It was fun back in the day because a lot of people played it. Other than that, its still the same old game.

[Camer the Dragon]

Big playerbase, lots of people to race
chat that's actually not dead 99% of the time

[Northadox]

Nothing can be done, unleash something absolutely miraculous happens. It's an eleven year old flash game whose decline occurred due to a neglectful developer and the platform it was created on.

I find myself bored a lot with PR2. It's lost a lot of its grandeur and mystique. I think why I feel that way is because of how underpopulated it was. Watch a PR2 video from the late 2000s/early 2010s (like this one) and you'll find the campaign constantly bustling with 4p games. It was fun to play with people of all skill levels. But now that it's so vacant, four player games are a rarity on anything except the campaigns, and even then those are infrequent. The game's always had the same objectives: find parts, gain EXP and rank up. But as the EXP curve gets so harsh quite fast and almost requires you to macro in order to get to a high number, there's a point where the reward for racing is so minute that there's no point playing.

It's like Minecraft. Initially, it's a great and absolutely inspiring first impression. You think there's tons of levels to play, and tons of ways to express your creativity. But with many repeated visits, you'll find that the game is a lot more shallow than you may be let on. Considering the minimalistic level editor of PR2, many levels just fall into categories. There's almost no way to have an iterative and satisfying level curve to enjoy with how limited the LE is (I can name a few exceptions) and to create a unique gameplay identity with your level. I find that many casual racers prefer the more art-heavy courses, because it's the only way you can have a unique and memorable level in PR2, but at the end of the day it's the same gameplay. It's the "play" problem, something that Mario Maker has - there's not much incentive towards playing a huge variety of levels. Compared to MM though, PR2 is much better with its play aspect, but still, there's just heaps of POTENTIAL that is missed out.

PR2 is prolonged for nostalgia and for those who want to grind up ranks, as fruitless as the effort is. I'm still in it for obtaining all possible parts, but once I'm done that, there's not much to return to, sans new updates, which won't amount for anything more than QoL stuff.

This is why I hope everyday for PRF. It's the only way that magic can be recaptured again. A new revamped level editor, physics, just a huge expansion to the original Platform Racing formula, supplemented with a lively and creative playerbase. I'm worried that the PR2 levels being able to be ported in will mean that the game will just rely on a more than decade-old base. PR2 but not in Flash and widescreen sounds great, but it won't push the genius formula of the game any further and squander its potential.
I'm delighted that there is a fan making tangible differences to this beautiful game, but I can see why you may think there's no point - the game's as good as gone, despite claims saying that it's still alive. It bums me out to say that, but it doesn't have a future. I will enjoy any additions, but I can understand your perspective.

To sum up this perplexing rant: PR2 is prolonged due to nostalgia, numbers, and the vague hope for a future PR installment.