Exploding Barrel Final

Below is a video of my exploding barrel, with concept sketches and blueprint included!



CONCEPT:

BLUEPRINT:

VIDEO:







I wish I could have figured out how to get the spikes to fly out--I will hopefully figure that out on my own time so when I add it to my race track level it causes more than just explosion damage! It probably has something to do with a thruster attached to the mesh, but until I can figure that out the barrel only explodes.

Race Track Pitch

THEME:

For my Race Track level I wanted to go for something gritty and slightly futuristic. The time of day is going to be evening/dusk, and the terrain will be mainly flat paved roads/metal pathways. The game(s) I'm using as my inspiration are Jak II, III, and Jak X Combat Racing:

The below image(s) are just references to a future city I found on Google that was closest to my idea:

COLOR SCHEME:

Since I wanted to go for something gritty and futuristic, I figured muted colors would be best, with hints of bright vibrant colors throughout the level to tell the player where to go or where to divert their attention to:

• BACKGROUND/LEVEL COLORS:

• ITEMS/BOOST PAD, ETC., COLORS:

TRACK DESIGN/STORYBOARDS:

• Below is an image of my track design. It begins at the top:

• And finally, these are the storyboards for the major events or introductions to certain items/mechanics in the game:

Exploding Barrel Design Concept

Below is a concept sketch of my idea for an exploding barrel that matches the theme of my combat vehicle:

It is a fairly basic barrel and it has been rigged to not only explode, but thrust sharpened pieces of metal outward at a high velocity to cause damage, even if the other player(s) are not close enough to be damaged from the force of the explosion. The conception behind this idea was that my car is essentially just a regular car that has been slightly modified to fit a combat racing arena environment, and one of it's modifications is a row of sharpened spikes on the front of it's bumper for ramming damage. I had a couple other ideas, but this one seemed to fit it best. See below for my concept sketches:

Keep updated for the final 3D model and programming of the barrel actually exploding! Coming soon!

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed: Ocean View

The game mechanics of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed are to race until you win, collect experience based on what rank you end up in at the end of the race, and to unlock characters, each containing their own specific characteristics of speed, handling, boost, and all-star. 

You must use skills you pick up with each character you choose, learn who works best in each area/track, and from that information, pick the most capable character of winning the race. You can also simply pick your favorite character and learn how to use them to their full potential to win, or pick one of the more OP characters (*cough* Sonic *cough*) and use them to win almost every time.

What is successful about these mechanics are the fact that you are given the chance to play as almost every main Sonic character that has ever existed in the Sonic the Hedgehog Universe; but not all of them, because there would be a LOT of characters to pick from. They work well with the level design because each level seems to cater differently to each character. Some characters have an easier time than most getting into first place (this partially has to do with the player behind the controller of course) on certain tracks, whereas others do not. However, this role can easily be changed on more challenging tracks.

There are many obstacles including but not limited to: other players (throwing collected items; bumping you out of the way, getting in front of you, etc.), hazards on the track like giant rolling boulders, huge monsters, the track changing for each lap, and many more.

To excel at this game, it is highly recommended that you learn how and when to use your items so you stay out of trouble and out of reach of other players, but it is also super important to learn how to use the drift button! Drifting helps you navigate otherwise difficult curves, so instead of slowing down or running into the wall and having to loose speed, you can keep it while still dominating the track. It is also recommended that you use the speed boosts given to you, but know when you can or can't use them to your advantage, and adapt to those decisions.

The player is guided simply by the direction of the track. It's all relatively straightforward, but when you come to a split or a more wide-open area of the track where it isn't as obvious where to go, there are arrow signs that point you in the right direction...and if you don't see those, a message will instantly pop up telling you that you're going the wrong way, so there's that, too.

The player is contained by guard rails on the track, and more natural barriers like islands, stretches of trees, rock walls, etc., when they are not on the normal track.

Below is my layout for the Ocean View level:

Spiky Block Level

I've never programmed before taking this Programming class at Ringling, other than attempting and succeeding at making a light turn on in the Blueprint Editor over winter break. I wasn't sure I'd be any good at it, and I do have to admit that some of the terms and nodes in the Blueprint editor are still really confusing, but the more I repeat the nodes for use in other projects, the more I understand why and how it's used. This wasn't too terribly difficult, but I did forget to set it's initial location in the beginning, so when I went to complete the rotator for the eyebrows, Unreal crashed on me. Oops!


Below is a recording of my spiky block level--just to show the spiky blocks I'd created and programmed in my Programming class:






Here's the Blueprint for the spiky block if you're interested!

 

Game Design Platformer Level

Below is the final version of my platformer for my game design class at Ringling College.

Check it out!

Keep on Rolling - 2D Platform Layout

Below is a layout (on paper and a vector) of my 2D sidescrolling platform level titled "Keep on Rolling."

The theme for this level was mainly a tomb/dungeon-style theme based around the "Runner" style video games. Originally it was going to be mainly a runner with platforming included, but in the end it became a partial runner, however mostly platform, styled level.

The location is a tomb/dungeon underground, filled with traps that are there to prevent you from obtaining the long lost treasure. I'm hoping to include the use of depth to give the sense that you really are in a 3D space, but the plane is just turned to the side.

The design of this level was meant to increase in difficulty as you progressed through it, mostly so the player(s) can play it and still find some difficulty in beating it, but also because I figured increasing the difficulty should represent how close to the reward the player is.

In the beginning the player is shown how to use the directional keys (A and D) before finally learning the jump button (W). After that, the puzzles range in difficulty are there for the player to not only learn the mechanics but also "master" them. For example: the player first learns how to jump just after learning the directional keys, but even if they miss the jump, they aren't punished, as they can easily jump back up on to the blocks and continue on their way.

However, once you reach the next part, you see that not only do you need to use the jump button to progress, you also need to do it quickly, as a ball will drop down behind you once you pass it, and will easily catch up to you/kill you if you stop moving.

I did my best to design this level in a way that the player can play it and take their time while also including periods of suspense and tension where the player may least expect it, providing an experience that isn't boring or (hopefully) too irritating. There are a few spots that get difficult, but they're relatively short.