Next Project: Particles

There are a few particles I want/need to do in order to make my racing game more ~immersive~ and believable.

First of all, I'd like to do a stereotypical "lightning bug" sort of particle, to give my level more depth. Something like this:

Real world example

Second of all, I'd like to make a universal "dust" particle. One that I can use for my goat 'splosion, and another I can use for rocks falling and stalagmites in my level. (Here's the original game example I referenced for my goats)

Dusty rock example (not too good about the landing, though)

Going for an effect like the first rock hitting the cliffside in the beginning.

DESTRUCTION!

So my stunt did not work /entirely/ the way I wanted to, but... Well. Just watch the video.
(Just for the record, the slowing down of the glass isn't because of the FPS, I did it for dramatic effect.)

Apex Destruction!

Building on a stunt in my level where the biome glass shatters.

Exploding Goat!

Poor guy just can't get a break.

(He has a helmet on, took it off temporarily for testing reasons)

I programmed the basics for him blowing up: When he hits the ground, a dust texture occurs, and after a while, he explodes. He has yet to get his radial damage working though. Still debating on whether or not I want this thing to cause damage.

Nothing personal....

Here's a short video of my progress.

Game Design: A Racing Level Intro I really Like

Bowser Castle #1 (Remake of the GBA version)

(Link to Specific Part of Video)

The most recent Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 7 (for the 3DS), has a plethora of good intros. So, I just chose one of my favorite levels as an example.

The different camera angles are broken up into three important views for the player: 

• an overall, wideshot of the entire level
• a close-up of an obstacle or mechanic the player will be facing frequently
• and finally, a view of the start line

Most of the Mario Kart 7 fly-throughs that I watched maintain this basic formula. A good thing to keep in mind for when I compose my matinees.

Explosive Idea

Explosive garden goat ...gnomes?

In my concept art I drew some goats on the side of the hill. Since I designed my level as an alien residency/care center, I thought it'd be funny to have something designed around the animals that live there.

First Pass - Level Design and Stunt Research

New year new start! This year's project is a small scope racing level. Pre-production time.

Lately, I've been influenced by bright, colorful enviroments... Particularly scenes seen in the mountains.
When I went home for winter break (I live in Virginia), I noticed the colors of the tundra-y environment were amazing, and rarely captured. (At least in my opinion.)
Dark, dark sky with bright oranges, faded greens and yellows with a bit of white. These are things that I want to represent in my level.

Dark, Dark blues in background and light, bright colors in Foreground

With our spaceship theme, I struggled a bit trying to figure out how to incorporate something like this with a... spacestation. After looking through a few books, I noticed that a lot of mountainous regions have the same color schemes, and AMAZING shots above the clouds.

So... I decided to do a biome-esque level with a racetrack/landing pad sort of design incorporated in it.

My concept art so far... Aaaand... My Isometric first pass:

More to come!