The Values of the Track Maker (or artists in general)

Prompted by my reference to track maker values in my response to what track makers should make, I enumerate what I believe are the values of the track maker.

Creation
This is what drew all of us into Line Rider, initially. Some of us may still find joy in creation itself. most of the time I don't :| With the combination of the simple tools given to us, and the amount of freedom in creating a dynamic world, the act of creation is what made Line Rider so fun and addicting for everyone.

Control or technique, more suitable term for scenery perhaps
The next thing we value is control. It first starts with trying to make Bosh not crash. And then comes the bigger ramps and loops. And, over time, we aim for more and more intricate and powerful tricks, because it's fun to impose constraints, meet challenges, and push the limits of what seems to be possible in this toy. The mastery over control becomes an obsession.
This is distinct from the value of creation in that the value of control is based on the final result, not on the act of creation itself.

Expression
Finally, when we have sufficient control, we can finally start using Line Rider as a highly constrained animation tool and use it for expression and entertainment, bringing the fun to anyone who watches the track. It's this value of being able to make others feel joy, feel excitement, feel suspense, feel moved, that keeps us so dedicated to this craft.
Again, the value of expression is based on the final result.

Feel free to suggest improvements on describing this set of values, disagree on some of my points, or express your own take on the values of track makers.
Relevant thread: Active track makers, why do you still play Line Rider?

I think you're right Conun.
In my opinion, I think that one of the most important value that we need to have is the love of the game, as marginal as it is.
We belong to a really small community and it's amazing to see people still making tracks.

Ohhh yes, good disctinction

I also want to say that (at least for me personally) I don't think the first two, like, go away entirely when you focus on the 3rd. I focus on the third primarily but the other two are equally motivating to focus on over the course of the track.

Like the trackmaker who starts out with a big plan - this is #3 - and then has some fun trying to get a particular asdf - this is #2 - and then does some cool integration and just has a lot of fun with it even though it's not very hard - which is #1

Extremely accurate! I do definitely believe I'm still stuck in phase 2, however. I'm working on Expression.

my take on it

Creation
A new creator tends to engage with the medium in a way that is immediately enjoyable: slamming bosh into the wall, making giant-ass loops, etc. Eventually he discovers that through control of bosh and self-discipline he can trade the immediate gratification for structure, sync and story. If the creator does not make this trade he can only make things that were fun to create but rarely has value to others.

Innovation
Thanks to new tools such as new track editing tools, coupled with LR’s innate post-prod malleability, a creator can combine internal and external elements to further evolve the medium. This is reflected on all levels of line rider - there is not a definite number of flings, syncs, or drawings, and post-production opens the medium up another set of infinite possibilities. Because of the endless possibilities, a creator may choose what aspects of the medium he wishes to innovate within; exploring unexplored territory is inherently stimulating. This is not to say all paths of innovation are equally useful, interesting or worthwhile (this boils down to personal taste), but any innovation occurring between the first iteration of the first frame and the result being published, provides competence that allows a creator to further develop his craft in the direction he wishes.

Expression
Is gud as you wrote it, I’d only like to add that expression provides the creator with a goal which helps steer innovation.

Community
Line Rider is more than just a game. It is extremely malleable and there is no correct way of engaging with it inside the given restrictions (game physics and video format) thus every creator can engage with it on their own terms. This has historically been a source of conflict within because when individuals or groups impose their way of playing onto others, an important aspect of the LR experience (innovation) dies or at least narrows. In a healthy community, the creator is free to create and evolve without imposed limitations, but an aimless creator might struggle with making sense out of the infinite possibilities of LR. The community provides collaborative projects, tutorials, new impulses and feedback as well as the what-has-been-done-and-is-possible repertoire which helps the creator propel his craft, ideally towards quality track-making that is unique to him and has value to others, be it his peers or a broader audience.