Formula Shift - Zero G Racer

bashmann

Hello and welcome to Formula Shift.
 
 
The Team
 
Art Director & TD: Cody Wren
Lead Environment & Tech Artist: Ben Ashcroft
Lead Texture Artist: Nick Wheeler
Lead Prop Artist: Luke Youngman
 
Freelancers:
 
Concept Artists
 
Elpida Kyriakou
Kris Harwood
Keva Kursakov
Theo Lawrence
Amy Wright
Matt Hill
Leila Knight
 
 
Music/Composer
Mark Wren
 
Graphics Design
Alex Thomson
 
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Aim
Create a playable demo, Zero G Racer with a competitive dimension shifting mechanic. followed by producing a trailer which demonstrates the gameplay.
 
 
Lore

In the far future anti-gravity (AG) technology is the new major invention. Like traditional auto racing formula tournaments, companies form teams and enter racers into a prestigious AG racing tournament to demonstrate their technological and logistical superiority over their rivals.

 

With AG technology still expensive and experimental, the use of it hasn’t yet hit mainstream public use in a meaningful way and it remains a novel and exciting concept to the average person.

 

Heavy use of the AG technology concentrated on various race courses has caused the fabric of space to thin around the tracks. Several incidents have occurred involving the latest generation of more powerful AG racers actually breaching into alternate universes/parallel realities mid race.

 

Enthused by the scientific, exploratory and military applications of such a discovery, the various AG corporations have begun secretly developing and altering their technology to intensify the spatial distortion effects in order to be the first to develop and monopolise extra-dimensional travel.

 

The causes and effects of extra dimensional travel remain outside common public knowledge, resulting in no race rules regarding the competitive and offensive use of dimension shifting so far.

 

Gameplay

A competitive Zero G racer which includes wall riding and dimension shifting between three different dimensions via a charge bar:

Derelict: A more difficult environment to traverse with less chances at shortcuts and more obstacles.

Formula: The dimension which the corporations originate in, this is the main track that the player will traverse and the one they will always come back to.

Wild: With more shortcuts and wider tracks this dimension creates an easier time for the racer.

Environment Moodboards

 

Derelict

 

 

Formula

 

 

 

Wild

 

 

  Vehicle Moodboard

 

Concept Artwork:

 

Vehicle 

 

Wild

 

 

Formula

 

Derelict

BramScrum

I guess this is a uni project right? What's your time frame? Cause making 3 distinct environments is gonna take a lot of time and chances are you going to end up with 3 bad looking or unfinished environments. I would rather focus on 1 environment. Like the Wild or Derelict one. Formula is a pretty generic track environment for zero G racers, you'll stand out more from the rest using Derelict or Wild.
If I was you I would take one environment (my personal favourite is Wild, you can use caves and stuff too), make it look very good (triple A quality), and make multiple tracks using the same assets. 

I know this kinda destroys the concept of realm shifting but maybe you can do something like Titanfall 2, where you have 2 versions of the level instead of a whole other world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFJYl3ATDU

Anyway, looks cool so far, love the concepts and moodboards!

bashmann

Hi @BramScrum we have agreed about contingencies. The way we are going to work it is the first thing that will happen is multiplayer will be cut, the second that portals will be placed or specific points where you transfer will be created and lastly (among others) that a dimension will be dropped. Thanks for the comment, I myself had similar concerns when I first heard the pitch. We have till the end of the academic year for this so in our case around May. 

bashmann

Based on how full we thought each environment will be, we have decided to merge the derelict and wild environments so that the alternate dimension is much more unique and full, this will also simplify the gameplay and make it a more enjoyable experience. 

This being said here is a long due update to what is happening as far as creation of assets goes:

Concept Art

Meshes

At the moment the majority of these are placeholder while we block out the environment and get the vehicles feeling right. As such there are currently only a few meshes to show however there will be some images of the block outs further down this post. The following are courtesy of Luke.

Textures

In comparison the texture work from Nick has come a long way on the procedural front, these pieces work alongside the new master material which Ben has working on which there is in engine examples of later. The following were rendered in Marmoset.

Blockout

First the layout of the track was decided, and then blockout began.

Vehicle Control

The controls for the vehicle are far under way thanks to Cody as can be seen in the video.

Technical Art

Ben has been working hard on the technical tools for level creation, materials, particle systems and the transition.

As always, Feedback is appreciated.