Carmageddon II introduced the opponent status. When driving, the opponents have a certain status that corresponds to what they are doing or want to do. Technically, the opponents in other games also have different statuses, but only Carmageddon II and Carmageddon TDR 2000 show them on the bottom bar on the HUD.
Overview
The opponents can have a big variety of different status at a time. They change status either randomly or according to certain actions. For instance, if the player gets to close and/or attacks an opponents, (s)he may switch from passive to aggressive. The "opponent nastiness level" that can be set by different ways also interferes in their mood swings.
Normally, at higher difficulties, the opponents will be more aggressive, whereas in lower difficulties, they become more attached to racing through checkpoints. Sometimes, if an opponent has lost its way from the track, it may just be wandering around, and there is also a status for that.
When an opponent is wasted, another target is automatically locked. But, in Carmageddon II, if the player has locked an opponent, and said opponent is wasted, the status will still show its condition for some seconds, with a flashing sentence saying something about its death.
The possible statuses are grouped, and for each group, the game selects a random phrase.
Carmageddon II
One may edit STATUS.TXT to edit, add or remove messages. These are the possible statuses in Carmageddon II:
Racing
When the opponent is just crossing checkpoints.
- "Racing around"
- "Chasing checkpoints"
Trying to kill the player
When the opponent is near the player and trying to waste him/her.
- "Trying to kill you"
- "After your blood"
- "Sworn to destroy you"
- "Seething with fury"
- "Totally pissed off"
- "Trying to bury you"
- "Spitting nails"
Running away
When the opponent has taken a beating and is running away from the player.
- "Running scared"
- "Shitting himself" or "Shitting herself"
- "Panic!!!!"
- "Quivering with fear"
- "Soiling his shreddies" or "Soiling her shreddies"
Meandering/chasing player
When the opponent is just driving around or trying to get close to the player.
- "On a mission"
- "Exploring"
- "Searching the area"
- "Biding his time" or "Biding her time"
Frozen
When the opponent is frozen thanks to the frozen opponents powerup. However, some frozen opponents may display a different status.
- "Frozen!"
Stuck or confused
When the opponent has been damaged and is having a hard time trying to fight back, or regain his/her mind for that matter.
- "Sulking"
- "Dazed and confused"
- "Taking a breather"
- "Lurking dangerously"
On grid
When the opponent is waiting for the countdown.
- "Waiting to race"
- "Poised and ready"
- "Champing at the bit"
- "Ready to kick ass!"
- "Let's do it!"
Stunned
When the opponent has been hit and is temporarily knocked out. During this period, the opponent doesn't move and it's a good time to hit him/her again, provided (s)he doesn't regain his/her senses and moves away.
- "Knocked for six"
- "Unconscious"
- "Stunned"
- "Hurting badly"
- "Bleeding like a stuck pig"
- "Twisting in agony"
- "Spitting out teeth"
- "Nursing whiplash"
Wasted
When the opponent has been wasted, and is locked on, one of these messages will show briefly.
- "Wasted!"
- "Obliterated!"
- "Stuffed!"
- "Totalled!"
- "Mangled!"
- "Terminated!"
- "Breathed his last!" or "Breathed her last!"
- "Dead meat!"
- "R.I.P!"
- "Worm food!"
Carmageddon TDR 2000
These are the existing statuses in Carmageddon TDR 2000:
Racing
When the opponent is just passing through checkpoints or through pedestrians.
- "Racing"
- "Hunting peds"
- "Looking for checkpoints"
Trying to kill the player
When the opponent is close to the player and is trying to waste him/her.
- "Kicking your arse"
- "After your blood"
- "I see you now"
Running away
When the opponent has taken a beating and is trying to run away from the player.
- "Running for cover"
- "Running scared"
- "Help help"
Following player
When the opponent is trying to get close to the player.
- "Coming to kick your arse"
- "Coming to waste you"
- "In pursuit"
Wasted
When the opponent has been wasted.[confirmation needed]
- "Wasted"
- "Crashed and burned"
- "Wrecked"
Frozen
When the opponent has been frozen thanks to the frozen opponents powerup, or when the opponent has been hit and is unconscious.
- "Frozen"
- "Stunned"
- "Frozen"
Waiting
When the opponent is calmly driving, waiting for a target to approach.
- "Lurking"
- "Sulking"
- "Stalled"
Driving around
When the opponent is just driving around with no goal.
- "Cruising"
- "Looking for cash"
- "Smashing things"
Trivia
- The line "Nursing whiplash" is commented on the game's files as sounding "a bit S&M-like really".
- There are also 2 groups/categories named "Levitate" and "ReturnToStart" in Carmageddon TDR 2000's files. All their lines are empty double quotes.