SuperTuxKart Forum - Game development

Feature Request: Change Online Username

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 03:03:57 +0000

Hello Everyone,
I'm playing this game from two weeks & i have realised that there is no way to change your online name once you created it & most of the people don't know either so it will be a great idea if you we had a feature were we could just go in our config files & change our online username too.

You can change your localname from config but can't change the online name & even if you try then get reset.

<current player="Talk2"/>
<player name="Talk2" -> Local Name which can be changed
last-online-name="No_girls_to_talk2" -> This get reset if you try to edit.

Directly changing online username in config can cause a issue probably in servers but could be great thing if we can.

Thank You!!!
NGTT2

Speedometer In race

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:44:05 +0000

Hello Everyone,
I want to make a suggestion that it would be great if there was a speedometer indicating the speed on corners & straight in the race for each car so that it would help users to know where they are slow & improve based on speed.

If there is a addon then it's great but it would be nice if it come as a default feature.

Thank You!!
NGTT2

The music is quite boring

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:47:16 +0000

The music is quite boring on most tracks. Will version 2.0 bring any changes to the music?

The proper way to add new Kart Characteristics

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:43:36 +0000

Assumes the changes in PR #5642 of the main repository, which targets the BalanceSTK2 branch.
Go into the game's source code folder, let's assume it's called ``stk-code".

This is the (recommended by me, but also seems to be the originally intended) set of guidelines and procedures to add new Kart Characteristics to the code, that must be accordingly declared in the ``data/kart_characteristics.xml" file. It is quite terse and a product of the time it was designed, so no one is going to be opposing complete overhauls, but it is still infinitely better than implementing the parser changes manually every time.

The parser for these is automatically generated by a set of two python scripts, allowing kart classes and handicap levels to override only the needed parameters from the base parameters, or modify them with mathematical operations. Quite convenient.

Inside the ``tools/" folder, there are two relevant Python scripts.

``tools/create_kart_properties": Edit the "characteristics" global variable at the start of this file to add new characteristic categories and/or parameters for these categories. The format is described at the end of the post
``tools/update_characteristics.py": Run it with ``stk-code" as your working directory, with the command ``python3 tools/update_characteristics.py".
It will automatically edit these files inside ``src/karts": abstract_characteristic.cpp, abstract_characteristic.hpp, kart_properties.cpp, kart_properties.hpp, xml_characteristic.cppThe edits will be made to match the new contents of ``tools/create_kart_properties.py".

After running ``tools/update_characteristics.py", you must make sure that ``data/kart_characteristics.xml" matches the edits you made to ``tools/create_kart_properties.py" as well.
If a category is called "NitroHack" or "Nitrohack", in the ``kart_characteristics.xml" file it should be declared as the XML element (caps will be ignored). The getter for all its parameters will have the form ``getNitroHackXXX()" (caps will be preserved)

If a parameter is called "timeResetSteer", in the in the ``kart_characteristics.xml" file it should be declared as the <... time-reset-steer ... /> XML parameter (change in capitalization results in a dash). The getter for the parameter will have the form ``getXXXTimeResetSteer()" (caps will be preserved, AND the first letter will be forcibly capitalized)

After running ``tools/update_characteristics.py", the KartProperties class will have getters for all the new characteristics as per the description above. You must have a kart's KartProperties instance to access them, since different classes can override the default ones (the overrides are ALSO defined further below in the ``kart_characteristics.xml" file, in the form of classes and handicap levels).

The ``characteristics" variable format

Categories are at the start of the line, have no special characters, and are separated from the parameters by a colon ":".
Parameters are after the colon, separated by spaces, with type annotations in parantheses immediatly following the parameter name.
An example from the file:

Code:
Turn: radius(InterpolationArray), timeResetSteer, timeFullSteer(InterpolationArray), brakeMultiplier

The types supported are:

float (don't annotate the parameter, e.g. ``param")
list of floats (annotate the parameter like so ``param(std::vector/floatVector)")
bool (annotate the parameter like so ``param(bool)")
InterpolationArray (annotate the parameter like so ``param(InterpolationArray)")
STK Tyre Mod Edition (not regular STK 2.X) also has string, annotated like so:

Code:
param(std::string/string)

My project and vision for STK

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 17:22:55 +0000

(I don't find a good place for put this, so I'll put here)

Read this, peeps: https://github.com/GustaLOLE/stk-code/discussions/4

Now, I cannot resume this, so just read

New method to control the kart in STK Mobile

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:52:00 +0000

I made a pull request in GitHub with this (left/right buttons on-screen to control the kart in Mobile): https://youtu.be/Db32VbMjiJc?si=3QXxu15sbPql2bQi.

Also, here is my PR: https://github.com/supertuxkart/stk-code/pull/5639

I hope you liked it

Questions about development version and giving feedback

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 18:59:20 +0000

Hi there!

Like I guess many people I'm also exited for SuperTuxKart to recieve a big improvement with the work on SuperTuxKart Evolution.

Recently, I wanted to test some of the new things out, to get a view of the current development. So I build the development version according to the instructions as mentioned in this post.

Looking at some of the new tracks and game ideas was interesting. I have already started to like the new Fort Magma map. But I also noticed some issues. Some are to be expected in a development version, like some parts of the map not being fully done. But there are other issues I think could be worth mentioning. For example, on the bridge section relatively at the start of that map, it is possible to get stuck at the skeleton and then having issues progressing, as resets also tend to place you in difficult spots to continue.

Now, I do understand that this is all work in progress and still missing several iterations of improvements.

What prompted me to write this post was however when I noticed the asset repository had it's last update three months ago. Which seems a bit odd, considering that I doubt development just stopped for that long.

So, I wanted to ask the question:
If I wanted to have the most up-to-date state of development, is the GitHub repository for the assets still the right place to look? Or have the Evolution assets since moved to the SVN repository (or another place for that matter).
Also, suppose I play around in a development build and find an issue with the tracks, like the one mentioned above with Fort Magma's skeleton, where should they be discussed? Or should I maybe just let you work on it for now until some official alpha?

random question about the games name

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:01:58 +0000

Why is the game titled all together "supertuxkart" instead of separating it? for ex: super tuxkart.

Skidding Improvements / Additions

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 20:37:13 +0000

Hello my dear Tuxers,

Me and a friend of mine would like to suggest new skidding-mechanics to maybe enhance the fun:

- Three skidding stages (maybe yellow, red, purple)
- Being able to jump straight by pressing the skid button without steering
- Being able to jump over gum and small patches of off-road
- No delay when skidding into the opposite direction than before, even after getting a skid-bonus
- Higher steering angles award the skid bonus sooner

These are just a few ideas! Some of them may be more diffecult to implement than others.
What do you guys think in terms of the added fun / difficulty of implementing?

With speedy greetings,
DRS

Sync more types of data to online account

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 02:15:51 +0000

Hello SuperTuxKart community! Thanks for developing this fun kart racing game.

I think a useful feature to implement into SuperTuxKart Evolution would be enabling new types of player data to be saved to an online account. In addition to friends and achievements, could a player's

Story mode progress
Favorite karts and tracks
Custom grand prix
Installed add-ons
Game settings and keyboard/controller configurations
High scores

be saved to their online account? If the team decided to implement this feature, the synchronization should be opt-in, maybe by enabling a checkbox next to "Online" and "Remember password" on the in-game login page. That way, a player could decide if they wanted their data synced on a per-device basis. Also, display and graphics settings should be excluded from synchronization since they would likely be set differently among the devices a player is signed in to.

Please let me know what you think.

SuperTuxKart 1.5.1

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 14:45:21 +0000

In a comment of a youtube video i have seen someone who has said there is a new 1.5.1 STK version which I haven't heard about before.

Where can I get this version?

Ranking On Servers

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 21:14:03 +0000

Would it be possible to make it so that on local servers ranking can be used without a central server, so that the ranking will only exist on the local server and not be used anywhere outside of the server?

The FEEL Branch (of Speed)

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 23:31:47 +0000

*Editing post after chatting and re-reviewing my code. Paired down to only speed lines!*

First off, happy new year all! I am writing this forum post at least partially on the 31st at 4PM!

I am pretty new to this project. The last game project I was working on announced they wouldn't be supporting Linux going forward, and that was a deal breaker. In finding a new project to contribute to, I found an amazing fun game to play! I really appreciate what everyone here is building.

I am also kadajett on Discord, so come and say hello! I have introduced myself there as much as possible in such a short time!

So, WHAT IS THE FEEL?

I started out playing the version of the game that is on the master branch. It was fun, but there were some quirks. I set out to find bugs that other people had posted first, with a goal of learning the codebase enough to form an opinion, and maybe fix some stuff.
A few days in after discovering the beautiful BalanceSTK2 branch, I learned how most of the kart, physics, map normal stuff, etc worked. With that, I started to play around with some minimal UI additions, not meant to modify gameplay at all, but meant to improve the feeling of the game. Make things feel more impactful. When you are hit, it should feel like you are hit! When you hit a zipper, you should feel like you are moving FAST. in addition to a few more things, I worked on a few new shaders to help see items on the track with my 5k widescreen, as the outlines were almost invisible. Turns out, someone had already posted an issue about this in github, so maybe I did the right thing!

Before I continue, I wanted to say that the goal of this post is to see what you all think! We can talk game design, or we can talk tech. I am happy to talk through either, since I am so new to this project, I have no right to a strongly held opinion!

what did I do?

Camera pulls back slightly during boosts

During boosts, the camera briefly pulls back to enhance the "speed" sensation, then smoothly returns.
Parameters:
- Max FOV increase: 8 degrees
- Speed threshold: 70% of max speed
- Lerp speed: 4.0 (smooth interpolation)

How it works:
1. Calculate speed_factor = (speed_ratio - 0.7) / 0.3
2. During boost, add extra factor (0.3 for nitro, 0.5 for zipper)
3. Lerp toward target FOV each frame
4. Result: subtle widening at high speed, more pronounced during boosts

Speed lines appear during nitro/zipper/skid boosts
Seen above!
You can see in the boost. This one is all technical, so I apologize.
For the non-technical, this is a boolean value based on whether the character is boosting, and what caused it. You could think of it like this equation, but you would be wrong. lol
`an=vn−vn−1`
It is far simpler. I did go the calculation route early on, but is wasn't as satisfying, as you could hit multiple zippers and sit at your max speed and never see the lines. This way, you feel FAST when you do something that should make you go FAST.

How it actually works:
Speed Lines Shader (speed_lines.frag)

Trigger: onBoostActivated() callback sets intensity

Uniforms:
- speed_intensity [0.0-1.0]: Line density and length
- boost_intensity [0.0-1.0]: Purple tint amount
- time: Animation driver
- center: Screen center (where kart is)
- inner_radius: Where lines start fading in

1. Calculate angle from screen center for each pixel
2. Divide into 60-100 radial sections (more sections at higher intensity)
3. Per-section random offset for non-uniform appearance
4. Smoothstep for anti-aliased line edges
5. Radial falloff: lines stronger at screen edges, invisible near center
6. Animation: lines move outward, fade in/out over time
7. Three layers blended for depth (60%, 30%, 20% weights)
8. At high boost intensity (>0.3): adds subtle chromatic aberration

Happy new year, everyone!
Small tidbit, moving from JS and C#, C++ here was weird. The observer pattern was new to me, but not completely foreign. Fun to learn, at least!

Add Rocket Boost powerup for catch-up mechanics

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 20:00:40 +0000

I was playing with a few of my friends and family who haven't played before and I noticed a few things when playing online.

1. With skill, you can get VERY far ahead of the pack. If this were a pure racing game that would be fine, but with items this is more party oriented so ideally you want to have a higher turn over a players in various places.
2. If you are below average, you can easily lose the pack and it becomes pretty hopeless to catch up.

The idea to solve the latter of these problems is the "Rocket Boost"

This "Rocket Boost" puts the player on auto-pilot and speeds them up to catch them. This would be for players really falling behind and would only be accessible to those in the lower half with those in last having more broad access to it.

I have created a PR for this to that end and value feedback on it as well as the idea in general for those interested.

https://github.com/supertuxkart/stk-code/pull/5606

I found a candidate to be destroyed

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 03:44:30 +0000

I was investigating on the STK subreddit and came across SeaLionsClub's NFT. Basically, they stole our code and violated the GPL, probably because they're closed source. It's obvious . Check this out: https://www.reddit.com/r/NFTsMarketplace..._wl_spots/ and you'll understand. Send a cease and desist letter; they may have had similar cases before. I know they're inactive, but it's a violation.