How do I recreate the booster pack system from BombRush Cyberfunk

Hi I am working on a game in where the player boosts around like Sam Gideon from the platinum game Vanquish but I wanted a more involved version of this. That’s when I saw BombRush CyberFunk. I played it and the booster pack mechanic was the closest and the least clunky in my opinion (other options were Sega’s Burning Rangers and GunValkeryrie). The idea for context in my game is that player can “boost” as a Sprint but I also wanted to incorporate Grinding on rails and I want the player to be able to “boost “ on rails. My first idea was to NOs logic for cars but applied to a third person character or fake it and just speed up grind button but that sounds terrible. I’m asking this at work, so I don’t have access to the blueprints as of now but when I get home I’ll post the blueprints or if not soon as possible. I just wanted to get this question out before I go back to spinning my wheels endlessly. XD

You’d generally use a Timeline to move something along a spline. How fast the thing grinds depends on the TL’s Play Rate which can be adjusted as needed.

So how would I be able to allow the player the ability to manually manipulate the characters grind speed as they’re moving along the raiI. Is it really as simple as attaching the “boost” button to the grinding functionality or at least a Boolean or enumerator check. Or am I overthinking or under estimating it ?

Assuming what’s needed is roughly what the anim shows:

It could be as simple as Press ShiftGo Fast and vice versa:

Or as complex as you make it. Note that I have never heard about those people :sweat_smile::

Sam Gideon GunValkeryrie Sega’s Burning Rangers