A checkpoint is one of the several barriers that the player's vehicle must pass through in order to finish the race. The player can pass through them at any time and any direction they want. At one time, the player may feel like wasting, and shortly after may resume racing. But as everyone knows, finishing the checkpoint race is only one of the three possible goals to complete a level. If the player decides they want to have a race, they must pass under all checkpoints in order. After passing through the last checkpoint on each lap, the player must pass through the first again. This is repeated for how many laps are left. However, once in the last lap, the player doesn't need to pass through the first one again.
General info
To Do: Check if the time and credits TDR's checkpoints give depend on how fast you cross them. Care to do so? |
When passing under a checkpoint, the player is rewarded with a small amount of credits, and, in Carmageddon TDR 2000's case, time. As such, the reward for completing a race via checkpoints is a small one, and even if the player still wants to do it, hardly any extra time to do so is given.
Using the map, the player can see where all checkpoints are located, and the current one blinks, and in Carmageddon TDR 2000's case, it also emits waves. This makes it easy to find and pass under the checkpoints needed. Unfortunately, in Carmageddon II and TDR 2000 there are some vehicles that are too large to fit under some of the barriers. This makes some checkpoint races incompletable. A good example is the Big Dump.
AI players
The CPU players will pass through these checkpoints in order as well, when they feel like racing. However, it doesn't matter how many times they cross them, the race can only be won by the human player. This means that the CPU can run infinitely on a race, passing through as many checkpoints as it wants, because it has no effect.
This is not true for the 2D Mobile version, where opponents can win races.
Aspect
In-game, the checkpoints all look the same, but in Carmageddon TDR 2000, the checkpoints fit the theme of the current area. This isn't because Carmageddon and its sequel can't have different checkpoints. Fans have created custom maps with custom checkpoints. The checkpoints are part of the level, and not objects. This explains why they can waste vehicles like a solid wall. The map designer specifies the map coordinates in which the "checkpoint block" takes place. When the player touches this block, the checkpoint is triggered. One can even have a map with no sign of a checkpoint, but their blocks still exist.
The Game Boy Color version has simple numbered tokens laid on the track: the player drives over them.