The History of Elasto Mania (1995-2018)

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 11:06

SveinR wrote: ↑2 Mar 2018, 23:26
Abula wrote: ↑2 Mar 2018, 17:03 Went through GAA07-10 recs. GAA11 data (+ candidates) missing goddammit! Please anyone har?
http://kopasite.net/up/lf7976c1dx7tz4q/gaa11_levs.zip
http://kopasite.net/up/j4q09919tnhs0mt/gaa11_recs.zip
http://kopasite.net/up/l8brycb6qv47a3m/gaa11_styles.zip
http://kopasite.net/up/5484lxmnlw4xd13/ ... c_logs.zip

Not sure what you mean by data? There's the topic at least: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8448

Max! This is exactly what I wanted! I thought you already went through your archives when you gave the GAA03-13 data (and 11 missing) but anyway, great thanks!

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 11:45

Zweq: do you have some modern day uphilling recs? Whose levels are these Fish? Can we considered them as first "serious" uphilling levels? Would be cool to have one rec from each year when uphilling has existed to see some progression. This zip covers 2007-2008 March. Would be nice to have one from nekit too because he is apparently the man of this area? Maybe Markku too?

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 12:09

Abula wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 11:45Whose levels are these Fish?

Found. teajay's. Didn't know this when we met

. Fish01-02 missing in the levelpack that was in Zebra's collection.

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 12:17

Btw, if there are any other interesting new concepts in the contests area after Moposite, I'm willing to hear + see material. I can't go through all those levelpacks that exist in Zebra's level collection.

Hiqh quality or new concepts or classics.

I've got now:

- MiE Pipe Cup
- Fish
- One Year Level Pack
- Legends of Kopasite (interactive system)
- TAP Elimination cups - first 2008-01-28
- Banana Cup 4 - 2009-02-02

Haven't checked yet:

- LOS Cup 3 - 2007-10-04
- Dakar Internal Cup - 2008-09-24
- MasterRacer II - 2008-12-03
- Spring Run Cup - 2009-06-21
- Teh Cup - 2009-08-12
- ReDesign Cup - 2011-01-14 (new concept I think)
- Master Cup 3 - 2011-04-11

I think I saw S/L cup somewhere too but I'll get back to it later.

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 12:32

What is this "elmasite levels"? Lots of levels and packs which I have never heard of.

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 12:34

http://www.elmaclub.net/eng/stats/level ... 2&level=22

Ooh, looks good!

Zweq · Post by **Zweq** » 3 Mar 2018, 14:33

yes id say fish had the first uphill levels,

except you had made them also like many years before teajay, mr abula, but i guess ppl didnt have the skills for them back then( ?! )

i have little idea about externals, because I didn't play any external contests back then. But when it comes to belma and battles I recall jappe2's effort and experimentation on extra long and difficult first finish battles quite substantial and groundbreaking. I'm talking like early 2007 now. Maybe ill try to dig some jappe2 20min + first finish levs later

Lukazz · Post by **Lukazz** » 3 Mar 2018, 16:33

Abula wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 12:32 What is this "elmasite levels"? Lots of levels and packs which I have never heard of.

elmasite.com was the website of the german-speaking elma community. It was founded as elastomania.de and renamed to elmasite.com later by Lasall (formerly known as RK). See here. There was some decent activity until around 2006 as far as I can remember. Later some non-german speaking kuskis joined the site too (igge and AKB the two most well-known names from what i can remember). The site was closed in 2012 due to inactivity. The elmasite level pack (ELP) had some very good levels. There were also some small cups hosted on the site.

EDIT: Actually it was founded as elastomania.de.vu. Elastomania.de is still online (last update in 2003) and has nothing to do with elmasite.com. As far as I can remember RK wanted to buy their domain but they requested some absurd amount of money, so he bough elmasite.com instead.

EDIT2: There was (is?) also a team EA - Elmasite Allstars. Most notable event in the team's history (from what I remember) was making second place in team ranking in Master Cup II. Also we won first (zelter), second (AKB) and third (me) place with our secret style in one event. Good times.

Kopaka · Post by **Kopaka** » 3 Mar 2018, 17:53

Abula wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 12:17Btw, if there are any other interesting new concepts in the contests area after Moposite, I'm willing to hear + see material. I can't go through all those levelpacks that exist in Zebra's level collection.

On the technical/organizing aspect there were some evolutions at least.

For cups we had the old hand made stuff back in the days, then I guess wc5 was the first to have some semi automated system with uploading, but it was more populized with "cup source" where most things like standings etc. were automized, and then later again we got EOL cups where you just have to play basically.

For level packs in the same way, we had hand updated stuff at first, later we got skintatious and then Kopasite with automated systems and rec uploading. Later again level packs in EOL.

milagros · Post by **milagros** » 3 Mar 2018, 18:05

is the demo text of the article available somewhere?
so that some pros like me can check if teh content is factually true:)

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 18:30

milagros wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 18:05 is the demo text of the article available somewhere?
so that some pros like me can check if teh content is factually true:)

It's not public atm. I'll finish my version first and then ask for feedback.

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 18:42

Lukazz wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 16:33 elmasite.com was the website of the german-speaking elma community. It was founded as elastomania.de and renamed to elmasite.com later by Lasall (formerly known as RK).

Cool, found material from archive.org! The site lasted till 2012-01-25 but yea, last time active in 2006.

Arzenik · Post by **Arzenik** » 3 Mar 2018, 19:30

maybe include some things from MEMO too? it was pretty damn awesome site, had forums osv

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 19:41

skint0r:

Elma Done Quick v2 (35:58,33) in 2007-07-28 had all WR replays? I don't see mentioning this (viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5381) but looking at WR table http://moposite.com/records_elma_wrs.php?table=268 it's same... so actually the video had two unpublished WR replays?

Ok, that's max!

Btw, who is this "Nakano Azusa"? He has forbidden the video embed in other sites...

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 19:41

TGR wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 19:30 maybe include some things from MEMO too? it was pretty damn awesome site, had forums osv

Url?

skint0r · Post by **skint0r** » 3 Mar 2018, 20:06

Yes goal was to get all WRs, and I'm pretty sure 99.99% that happened for both first videos (very vague memory now, but I imagine it would maybe not be made or released if it wasn't possible to gather all)

Arzenik · Post by **Arzenik** » 3 Mar 2018, 20:08

Abula wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 19:41
TGR wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 19:30 maybe include some things from MEMO too? it was pretty damn awesome site, had forums osv
Url?

shuted down, search elastomania.hu on webarchive
was hungarian site but has/had english version too

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 20:10

skint0r wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 20:06 Yes goal was to get all WRs, and I'm pretty sure 99.99% that happened for both first videos (very vague memory now, but I imagine it would maybe not be made or released if it wasn't possible to gather all)

Such perfectionist! It's a trap!

Ok, so the second version had 54 WR replays but first version not: "Elasto Mania Done (fairly) Quick by skint0r is the first Elma speedrun video created (2006-01-17). The total time of the replays is 36:56,80 which is only 0:16,27 seconds behind the contemporary WR total time."

Arzenik · Post by **Arzenik** » 3 Mar 2018, 20:12

http://web.archive.org/web/201207140708 ... nia.hu:80/
her link
click english version in topright corner and get coal stuff
downloads not working tho
i thought at least say some words about site
mb some hungarian guy can help you with teh, sach as me

Arzenik · Post by **Arzenik** » 3 Mar 2018, 20:14

yes, edq1 has same tt as some 2004 tabel, has mainly recs from there and with same tajms

Arzenik · Post by **Arzenik** » 3 Mar 2018, 20:17

axxually only menupage of memo worke in english, but if want hungarian guys can help you ofc

Post by **Abula** » 3 Mar 2018, 22:16

Yes, thanks, I'll include screenshots and a few words of these regional sub-communities such as Hungarian, Russian and German speaking.

zebra · Post by **zebra** » 3 Mar 2018, 22:54

Abula wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 11:02
zebra wrote: ↑2 Mar 2018, 19:55 Abula, nice to hear that my old battle statistics are useful. If some important files are missing, please tell me and I try to search for them.
http://zebra.mbnet.fi/battles_battle.html monthly and annual stats missing! kulde.net doesn't work anymore

Oh, back then there wasn't enough space for big log files on mbnet's server so I had to put them on skint0r's server.
But luckily I found all those files from hard disk. Nearly 2 gigabytes of all kinds of logs and statistics!

zipped and uploaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0dlnk2chgt5b ... ts.7z?dl=0

enjoy

Post by **Abula** » 4 Mar 2018, 00:03

zebra wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 22:54zipped and uploaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0dlnk2chgt5b ... ts.7z?dl=0

Thanks a lot! Now we know:

2005-04:

Code: Select all

 3.    Markku            771    (5.46)       97 / 141 (68%)    1:02:23,36   7 (1060)
 4.    jaytea            715    (3.37)       35 / 212 (16%)      56:51,84   2 (651)

Same points but win-% totally different. As it will be obvious in Belma Period, Markku beat jaytea in battles.

But.

Code: Select all

 1.    Zox               849    (4.14)       57 / 205 (27%)    1:09:55,90   3 (825)
 2.    axxu              774    (6.24)       106 / 124 (85%)     33:20,80   6 (778)

axxu had even better win-% in this month.

I've done some analysis in Belma chapter which should be online in some weeks.

Yes, it depends on when you play the battles. At prime time or at night. I haven't taken that in account.

bene · Post by **bene** » 4 Mar 2018, 08:36

Abula wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 19:41 Btw, who is this "Nakano Azusa"? He has forbidden the video embed in other sites...

No idea but that video is not the original soundtrack. It's some remixed. The original soundtrack had good songs.

Speaking of EDQ the 2012 version based on http://moposite.com/records_elma_wrs.php?table=356 does not include madness int43 rec. The one in EDQ is a 0.01 slower time. All other wr recs are there.

Post by **Abula** » 4 Mar 2018, 20:34

Made another (obvious) change to the chapter time spans.

Code: Select all

    I. Across Days              (1997 Feb - 2000 Feb)
   II. Prelude of Elasto Mania  (2000 Feb - 2001 Jul)
  III. Golden Era               (2001 Jul - 2007 Jan)
   IV. Belma Period             (2007 Jan - 2010 Jul)
    V. Elma Online              (2010 Jul - ?       )

First EOL battle in database is driven in 2010-07-26. I understand now that no one played in Belma anymore because of problems and better patch available. Belma stats stopped at 2010-09-03. I just need to make an exception with Ultimate because it was published in February 2011 but it's not a problem because it wasn't actually related to the relevant community anyhow. And I need to cheat by one WR table in Amazing WR replays chapter to include all nine crazy WRs by Zweq.

todo:
- (done) fix Belma Period chapters to reflect new era
- write a few chapters more to Belma Period
- research next chapter ... already looks like a lot of material ... maybe two more chapters needed dunno

Orcc · Post by **Orcc** » 5 Mar 2018, 10:52

Abula wrote: ↑3 Mar 2018, 12:17 Btw, if there are any other interesting new concepts in the contests area after Moposite, I'm willing to hear + see material. I can't go through all those levelpacks that exist in Zebra's level collection.

Goliath Cup by teajay with very long levels. Someone might have levs + recs

Lukazz · Post by **Lukazz** » 5 Mar 2018, 11:07

Goliath Cup levels are also in zebra's archive.

adi · Post by **adi** » 5 Mar 2018, 15:34

Lukazz wrote: ↑5 Mar 2018, 11:07 Goliath Cup levels are also in zebra's archive.

Awesome cup and levels! I've actually uploaded winrecs to recsource.
http://www.recsource.tv/search/?s=glt

Post by **Abula** » 5 Mar 2018, 19:22

Great! I already had Goliath in basic cup list but didn't know this much. teajay did interesting stuff. But but, which of those long replays are the best one? I wouldn't like to watch 1h of them, first one looks quite boring after some minutes

Edit: maybe these are meant for playing, not for cool recs

Orcc · Post by **Orcc** » 6 Mar 2018, 17:01

I actually eyed them all through with some fast forwading for nostalgy (and noticed I had forgotten almost everything). I think there's hardly any whoa-value in the recs since there weren't that many players in the cup and it was 10 years ago. It was a fun cup to play and would be nice to see a new similar cup, but modern first finish battles have about equally good win recs as Goliath cup had.

Post by **Abula** » 6 Mar 2018, 23:56

Ok, Belma Period is finished except polishing that continues forever. 54 h was needed so it was quite moderate. Across era was about 37 h, Prelude 113 h, Golden 165 h. I didn't find lots of material from Belma period but maybe ppl will send when the read the text.

Outline:

Code: Select all

 1. Belma patch
 2. #ballelma
 3. It's getting tight
 4. Amazing WR styles
 5. Zweqspin
 6. Uphilling
 7. Pipe Princes
 8. Active contests
 9. Golden Apple Awards (2007-2010)
10. Community reshaping
11. Gameplay videos
12. Elma Ultimate DVD

So next I'm going to research Elma Online (2010) and try to figure out what's relevant.

It's a bit strange here and there to notice how old things I'm writing about. I feel like I'm close to this moment (because that's the time when I went away so Elma time kind of stopped for me) but for real it's still eight years to go... For example the mobile phones in the old pictures are so ancient. I can notice that I'm a bit late here but on the other hand it could have taken 30 years more to finally find time to write this so all good.

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 7 Mar 2018, 00:32

So much respect for all the research.

This project is a great contribution

pawq · Post by **pawq** » 7 Mar 2018, 00:53

Could publish as a book when ready ;)

Obviously hard to say anything without seeing it, but it may turn out to be one of the most fantastic things created by the community ever. I'm looking forward to it a lot!

abruzzi · Post by **abruzzi** » 7 Mar 2018, 18:24

gonna be best thing ever if done properly. might need lang polishing by some native though

Post by **Abula** » 8 Mar 2018, 15:29

I guess it would be reasonable to lower the expectations a little bit

. EOL is the greatest thing of course (if ignoring official versions and the world records). But the ranking is not important, ppl have different skills, resources, interests. Just keep on doing good things for yourself and others.

Native English speaker's grammar help would be max appreciated. Dunno yet how to do the release. I'm thinking to give Balázs a week or two to comment + maybe new interview like what he thinks about the whole phenomena, community, future (Elma3 co-op) etc. after reading the text but let's see. Or maybe a pre-release for some 5 players (+ grammar guru) who know lots of details, especially from Belma + EOL times which I don't know and after that for Balázs, then Mopolauta (+ password) and finally open for everybody. But this won't happen in March at least, hopefully in April.

Would be cool to print on paper and hand out in FEM but dunno yet, let's see if ppl still find it good idea after reading it. Replays and videos don't work on paper. And where to print? I guess some 100-200 color pages isn't cheap and I don't have a printer but I guess I could buy one.

Updated a few question to the first post like who won Talvi Cup 2010?

skint0r · Post by **skint0r** » 8 Mar 2018, 18:39

There are now a million places online at least to print stuff, either in volume or simply by on-demand (for higher price. Amazon does this for example), with color and binding etc, and still somewhat affordable depending on place. Would maybe need some work to design it for it and make the effort, but would maybe be a cool idea.

Learn to use https://www.scribus.net/ and ez

pawq · Post by **pawq** » 8 Mar 2018, 20:31

I was planning to offer my services for proofreading, but if it's 100 to 200 pages then I don't know if I'd find the time

Could at least give it a try tho, so get in touch if you'd like me to help Abu

I'm not a native, but I've lived in the UK for 6 years now, wrote a lot of crap in that time, and even proofread stuff written by natives

Post by **Abula** » 8 Mar 2018, 22:25

skint0r: looks promising but I'm pretty sure I don't want to put that much effort for printing. Maybe later dunno but I think I will do something else after the article is public, information is saved.

pawq: ok good to know!

I checked how many pages in Chrome print preview at the moment and its 115 pages. I guess some 20 more coming? And if all thumbnails were in normal size... But replays could be removed which probably saves some 20-30 pages. The preview looks quite good btw but anyway, we will see. Looks like I enjoy more staying here than writing. Don't talk to me!

abruzzi · Post by **abruzzi** » 10 Mar 2018, 17:06

pawq wrote: ↑8 Mar 2018, 20:31 I was planning to offer my services for proofreading

pawq wrote: ↑7 Mar 2018, 13:34 (..) keep rs running. I think it's absence is already hurting the community. It would be a shame (..)

Dear Paul,

Thank you for your application. We will telegraph you if you are chosen from the candidates for aforementioned vacancy.

Best Regards,

The Article Team

Post by **Abula** » 11 Mar 2018, 01:02

I think I know the next chapters and their time spans. Counter arguments are heard.

Code: Select all

  I. Across Days              (1997 Feb - 2000 Feb)
 II. Prelude of Elasto Mania  (2000 Feb - 2001 Jul)
III. Golden Era               (2001 Jul - 2007 Jan)
 IV. Belma Period             (2007 Jan - 2010 Jul)
  V. Climax of Elma Online    (2010 Jul - 2013 Sep)
 VI. Encore                   (2013 Sep - ?)

2013 Sep: WCup6 which leads to the first modern FEM14 etc.

"Elma Online Climax" sounds better but "of" makes a clearer separation to Elma Online which is the actual keyword.

The best existing EOL readme are these incomplete wiki pages? I guess it's enough for me but if someone wants to help Elma community, I think there could be one complete and clean README.txt in the Eol.zip.

* http://wiki.elmaonline.net/New_Features
* http://wiki.elmaonline.net/Installing_EOL
* http://wiki.elmaonline.net/Playing_Online
* http://wiki.elmaonline.net/Elma_Online_Configuration

Ps. the trap of wiki and other neutral open platforms: no one gets the glory. It's a boring job without even social reward. Like: "Thanks to wiki that we have all these articles!"

Post by **Abula** » 11 Mar 2018, 10:47

Do we have nice zips of GAA14-17 somewhere?

Or if not, where can I find DAFF104.lev (gaa14)?

Or Ville_J's Julkalendern (gaa14)?

The rest I found but the zips would be great for the future.

Post by **Abula** » 11 Mar 2018, 19:19

People who started to play after 2007 or even later, where did you find this game & community?

I mean my generation found it via gaming magazines and friends who played but Elma was quite popular game back then. Quite many played it so it's was pretty much a matter of who continued playing when others took next game. Maybe some older guy showed?

Post by **Abula** » 11 Mar 2018, 19:24

Code: Select all

  IV. Belma Period             (2007 Jan - 2010 Jul)
   V. Climax of Elma Online    (2010 Jul - 2013 Sep)
  VI. Encore                   (2013 Sep - 2018 Jun?)

Maybe this doesn't work after all because Belma was played as much or even more than EOL (2010). But I don't have yet the "Average number of players per battle" stats to compare to Belma and #battle where we have this data to say which period was more popular.

Saturation of Elma Online? Revision of Elma Online? "Age of Elma Online" would be neutral.

It's not the birth (EOL 2006 was), nor death (still played), nor peak time (Belma was too). Also the term "Elma Online" isn't unique which would be associated to 2010-2013.

I can of course just list things and not make any story or any bottomline but that's more boring.

Maybe elmaonline.net is the new big thing. Patch is needed but it's not enough if no data is transformed for humans.

Or online playing just got better, it was big thing for players but maybe not so big for the Elma culture? Pleasure of Elma Online? Elma Online Remade? Elma Online Rewritten? Technically it's Elma Online v3 but can't use that for obvious reasons.

"Finalization of Elma Online"? "Upgrade of Elma Online" (official elma had also this word somewhere) or "Elma Online Upgraded"? "Elma Online 1.3"

Found original zips of Elma 1.1 and 1.11: upg_reg.zip, upg_reg111.zip. Didn't find original 1.11a though. Anyway, "upgrade" is "official term" so it's leading now.

There are three big concepts (afaik) which overlap in time: eol (2010-2018+), s/l (2011-2018+), "encore" (2013-2018?). Difficult to see the big picture, the major trend. Or maybe I just bundle everything under one chapter, Elma Online, the most obvious. It's open ended and don't have extra emphasis in the "encore" idea but maybe I've been only biased that it's important when new and old Elma traditions met.

Post by **Abula** » 11 Mar 2018, 22:06

Ok, I think I take the "Age of Elma Online" and combine everything from 2010 Jul to 2018 Mar. We haven't seen yet the new big thing that will change the path of history. Maybe EOL2, maybe Elma3 or an asteroid will do it.

It's a bit rough to combine so long time span but on the other hand the amount of material is decreasing anyway so the chapters would be shorter than previous ones have been.

Hosp · Post by **Hosp** » 12 Mar 2018, 06:07

Abula wrote: ↑11 Mar 2018, 19:19 People who started to play after 2007 or even later, where did you find this game & community?

My first saw game probably 2003 or 2004 at friends house on family computer, we played a bit osv his brother was player but probably not part of the community. Then as I recall it I wanted find that game (2009) so searched bike games found vids (EDQ especially) on youtube and started playing, then found belma somehow and started playing much for like 6 months then quit and played CS1.6, came back maybe 1 month or 2 after EOL launch since zlacc said it had been released finally, after that has never been more than 5 days in life withut elma imo

bene · Post by **bene** » 12 Mar 2018, 08:25

Abula wrote: ↑11 Mar 2018, 19:19 People who started to play after 2007 or even later, where did you find this game & community?

I didn't start in 2007 or later but I did start after 2007 as well.

First time I played was 2002-2004 sometime and as you say. The game was popular and everywhere. Especially in school. Then quit for some reason until
Second time I played was some belma period forgot how, probably kzon, I started again and quitted + completely forgot about the game until
Third time 2011 - now was because Kzon mentioned elma online had been released and was playing it.

Most know me as 2011 kuski because all earlier periods I didn't interact that much with the community except few good mans here and there privately. Some remember me and kzon wring on kopasite in 2007 osv. I also was a stupid man back then like everyone else because young.

jblaze · Post by **jblaze** » 12 Mar 2018, 10:45

Abula wrote: ↑11 Mar 2018, 19:19People who started to play after 2007 or even later, where did you find this game & community?

i dont recall seeing elma on classic school computers that a lot of kuskis claim to be their first meeting with the game.
i first saw the game in 2007 along with xmoto probably searching for "free moto games" on google. finished all internals and forgot it for a year.

around early 2008 i started playing more. found moposite WRtable somehow and kept checking it regularly, while having no idea about the board or any signs of community existence. WR table was a mysterious creature with hacked times. soon insomner joined me and we started competing on own internal modifications, own levels and some random packs from random googled elma sites. it took us many months to find EDQ, happened probably by searching "elma" on youtube. we had around 52TT by then, made with own styles. was amazing times when we found own styles, routes, kept things secret and quarreled causing worldwar in house sometimes. we were 12 and 15yo. amazing vibe. we were very equal i think, while he spent notably less time on it IMO. he had potential to be really pro in the scene if he didnt stop. just btw.

we played it more or less until the end of 2009 with some breaks inbetween never finding out about community. i rediscovered game in march 2010, found board soon after either by exploring "that site with WR table" or random google search.

conclusions: it is/was pretty hard for a stupid polish child to find the community.
sorry if post went a bit too personal without much useful content. i got sentimental as fuck.

Bludek · Post by **Bludek** » 12 Mar 2018, 11:18

jblaze wrote: ↑12 Mar 2018, 10:45 sorry if post went a bit too personal without much useful content.

those post are best post quite often

farnsworth · Post by **farnsworth** » 12 Mar 2018, 17:39

Abula wrote: ↑11 Mar 2018, 19:19 People who started to play after 2007 or even later, where did you find this game & community?

In Denmark a lot of schools had different games installed one of which was elma. That was from 2000-2001 and some 2-3 years after that. I was one of those whom played cs tho, but I saw elma back then, played a little and started around 2012 and found eol(: