Circuit 18

Here's my digital painting for the race track.

My track will include a massive drawbridge that will serve as a ramp for many of the racers!

FINAL LEVEL LAYOUT!

I fixed a few kinks for my race track and threw it into illustrator. I think the perspective view will help explain what I'm going for a bit better...

Check it out!

Thumbnails, GREYSCALE REVISIONS

Here's the three sketches I chose...

This sketch reminds me of something I'd find on the cover of our game.
I really like the composition, but I feel it's a bit to heavy on the right.
Maybe I'll fit "Circuit 18" on the left to balance it out...

I may change the angle for this shot and move the bridge further to the left.
That should give some more space for the cars being launched off... (I'll add more!)

This one has my favorite composition and I like how the side walls frame these two racers.
It also shows a wrecked vehicle in the background  that was destroyed by a moving wall, simply another obstacle idea for my track.
I'll get feedback tomorrow on which image works best!..

MORE SKETCHES for RACING GAME

I've made a couple more thumbnails for my final digital painting of  Circuit 18.
I like the compositions for a couple of these drawings and I think they depict the race efficiently.
I'll have to pick out 3 of my favorites to continue with value studies!..

More progress will be seen soon!

RACE TRACK theme and concept!

My race track is located deep within the underbelly of a futuristic metropolis called New Eden. 

The city and its populace live in submission under a higher power known as the LEGNA Corporation. The corporation rules over New Eden with an iron fist, hidden behind a false shroud of "civil harmony". 

At the center of the city stands the LEGNA Tower, a massive skyscraper that overlooks all of New Eden. As this circle progresses outward, the pristine buildings and parks turn to favelas and scrapyards. 

There is no middle class in New Eden. Only the poor, and the Trueborn (extremely wealthy, aristocratic citizens).

Here are some images I found on the web that somewhat describe my theme:

My track is named Circuit 18, and it is one of the many race tracks strewn across the outskirts of the city. Trueborn citizens arrive by the hundreds to place bets on their favorite racers. 

It is a gladiatorial race track riddled with spike traps, flamethrowers, exploding barrels and more!

"Pick your poison..." 

I chose this as my concept statements because the racers will be able to choose from a variety of different routes, all equally dangerous. The race track will also be plagued with a cloud of green fog, not as another obstacle but strictly for aesthetics. The environment will look poisonous!..

Check out the color scheme:
http://colorschemedesigner.com/#3d61Tw0w0w0w0

Here you'll see a downward view of my track concept. 

The track will include boosts, jumps, wall rides, barrels, incinerators, spike traps, moving walls, and a draw bridge as the center piece.

Here are the main obstacles and how they will work.

Draw Bridge:

The first racer across activates the bridge. The bridge moves upward, forming a ramp for other racers (possibly allowing for other tracks to be taken)

Spiked Ram:

Driver drives over spiked ram top (embedded in ground). Spiked ram pops up after 1 second. Greatly damages any racer that comes into contact with it. Can be avoided.

Incinerators:

Randomly spews fire in a straight line across the track. Can be avoided. 

My racer grew up in this part of the city and has escaped fate many times...

He's a quick witted cat named, Samedi and he can hustle his way out of any situation. 

He is well known by many of the Trueborn as well as several LEGNA officials through a powerful prostitution ring he developed early in his career. 

Yes, Samedi is a pimp. But let's look past that! he is also an entrepreneur,  a business man, a collector, even a race car driver! But most importantly, he's my hero.

This is an updated concept drawing I did for Samedi. 

I think I'll update him further, maybe give him a little bit more class. 

Get him to match up with his pink Cadillac hearse...

Winter Break SKETCHES redone!

I put some old artwork as texture behind these winter break sketches and switched around the colors! Check 'em out!

This final drawing is a rough concept for my character.
His name is Samedi and he'll be driving my vehicle in our upcoming racing game!..

RAMP + OBSTACLE concept sketches!

These should make the race a bit more interesting!..

I want to make the ramps really flex with the flow of my track, avoiding rigid areas and abrupt stops.
I want to give the players variation in the routes they take throughout the race as well...

As for obstacles, I had a couple ideas...

1 - Jump Turrets - Randomly triggered ramps that can catapult racers.
2 - Incinerators - Randomly triggered blasts of fire from walls. Damage racers.
3 - Spike Ram - Activated by a driver. Spike trap appears on the track behind triggering driver. Destroys any vehicle that hits it.
4 - Draw Bridge - First driver over the bridge causes the bridge to raise, providing a difficult jump for other racers, yet allows reaching a different route.

I want my race track to resemble a futuristic super-highway that weaves through a massive city on a foggy night. This old digital painting I did captures the style I'm going for quite well!..

Theres going to be a lot of basic geometry going on in this map.
I figured skyscrapers will fit in just fine...

REAL LIFE STUNTS for RACING GAME!

Our main project this semester is going to be a massive effort by the entire class.
Each student will make a race track, a four-wheeled vehicle, a character (including rigging) for that vehicle, and a useable weapon for that character. 
This will be done through each of our 3 major classes.
All of these assets will be combined to create a multiplayer racing game in the end.

I'm super stoked!..

The tracks we'll be making will be full of ramps, obstacles, and boosts to make the player experience a bit more exciting. 

I have a couple concepts bouncing around in my head, but first things first,
here are some real-life stunts I thought would be good to draw from...

I admired a couple of these ramps and jumps in this monster truck rally.
I also like the rough, man-made look of the ramps...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8N8h0z0xpU

Danny Way, an extreme vert skateboarder, is renown for his awesome air time.
This is a man we can definitely learn from when constructing jumps for our levels.
The video also has some great ramps and wall rides I would like to incorporate into my track...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJVLEMbO8cs

In terms of a mega ramp for the race however, I think Travis Pastrana takes the cake...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW0I6i62kT4

This Brazilian bike race I found is mind blowing! I studied the entire course and the thing I enjoyed most about it were the brief "slow" areas before the massive jumps and speed boosts. It gave the bikers a chance to study their surroundings before plummeting into the wrong direction...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m8FbxlFX1U

I covered a lot of ramps in this post, I know.
But for a worthy obstacle in my track, I gotta give a shout out to DEATH RACE!
Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgL4IvoR7tw

Thanks for checking out these different stunts!
Tomorrow I'll be posting up my very own concepts for the race...

Board Game Trailer!

To finish up on our first semester, here's my last game design project.
Each student made a commercial for their board game.
Check mine out!..

I used Adobe Illustrator, Flash, and Premier for this assignment...

BACK ON THE GRIND!..

Well, it's been a fun winter break but it's finally time to get back into it. I'll start of by showing a couple sketches I did over the holiday. Enjoy!

There will be more to come! 

I might try to update these further in Photoshop as well...