One of the core features of FRHD is the track scoreboard. Whenever you play a track and complete it by collecting all of the stars, FRHD will tell you how long you took to complete the track, and if you completed the track in a fast time, your time will be saved onto the track scoreboard and you will be able to see a replay of your completion of the track. The scoreboard only holds the times of 10 users so many people see it as a privilege to get onto a track scoreboard especially when the track is very popular. FRHD will notify you if someone beats your time on a track and likewise other users will be notified when their time is beaten by you. This makes FRHD very competitive and makes it very difficult to get the fastest time on a track.
Here are some tips:
The ideal trajectory when going up a ramp
In this scenario time is wasted in the air
Slow down before ramps to minimize air time. There are multiple methods of slowing down:
Releasing the acceleration key: this method relies on friction slowing you down so it is the least effective method of slowing down however it is the easiest to do and should be used when you only need to slow down a bit.
Braking: this method is the best method to use when you need to slow down a lot as it quickly reduces your speed. In previous versions of the game this was a risky method as it would often make the rider spin a lot, however in FRHD the braking method is easier to do. Note that it is also possible to brake whilst holding the up arrow key which slows you down slightly less.
Pressing Z and trying to cycle in the other direction: By pressing z and attempting to go the other way just before a ramp, it is possible to control your deceleration.
Try to land each jump as early as possible as you can't accelerate using your wheels in mid-air.
Lean back when on ramps, this creates more traction between your back wheel and the ground so that you can accelerate faster. The reason this is rarely done on flat ground is that it is easy to lean too far backwards.
Make sure the back wheel is always on the ground as it is the back wheel which provides acceleration.
Here the rider has pressed z so the wheel rotation won't slow down the rider. The arrow indicates direction of travel.
Press z when the line you are riding on is above, not below, your wheels. An example of where this is used is on this track: Maze of Awesomeness.
Look for shortcuts, zooming out fully makes shortcuts easier to spot, but make sure that when you have found a shortcut, that the short route still lets you pass through all of the stars.
By slowing down before a loop, a faster time can be achieved.
Watch other replays, this is very useful as it allows you to copy the techniques of other riders and find out if they have found a faster shortcut than you. An example of where a shortcut is taken is on this track: Graveyard Ghost. By looking at replays it is possible to find a route that you never before thought was possible.
Avoid the Slow Motion power-up as this power-up slows you down but doesn't slow down your timer.
The rough ground here makes the rider prone to random accelerations.
An easy shortcut to take is where you slow down before a loop and avoid having to take the loop altogether. However as is the case with all shortcuts this isn't advisable if the loss of speed resulting from taking a shortcut counteracts the benefit of taking a shorter route. Many users use compare replays that don't use a shortcut against their own attempts when using the shortcut to check if a shortcut is effective.
Using glitchy surfaces: Occasionally a track may be constructed using many lines to create the riding surface as is the case with this track: Rocky Mountain. In cases like these, the ground can be buggy and it is possible to suddenly accelerate and gain a large speed boost. By using glitches like this it is possible but difficult to get very fast times on tracks.
Know how using these tips will affect your speed: By skipping loops or pressing Z when the line you are riding is above your wheels your speed can change drastically, the majority of track creators do not design tracks for shortcuts to be taken. Often by slowing down to skip a loop, another part of the track may become inaccessible as you don't have enough speed to complete that part of the track. If you know how your speed is affected by these tips then you will be able to know when you are going to fast or too slow and be able to correct that, for example if you speed up by using the aforementioned z tip when riding on a surface which touches the top of your wheels then you will know that you need to slow down more than usual for an upcoming ramp.
Advanced Tip:[]
If you lean back while riding up the ramp of a jump, try leaning forward right as your rider hits the tip of the jump. By doing this, you can propel your rider much farther than usual. Techniques like this can be found in a lot of higher-end racing games, like ATV racing, or dirt bike racing. If you use this method together with releasing the acceleration key method (as mentioned above), you can effectively shorten the amount of time it takes you to complete the jump. Please note that this method may not work on all jumps. Also, remember that by doing this, you may increase your speed drastically, and may end up overshooting the following jump/obstacle.
Here the rough ground is causing the rider to accelerate suddenly. See "Using glitchy surfaces"
