Oh dear, two more months have gone by. What did we manage to accomplish during this time? Someone might wonder “have they been #slacking off”? “August is in there, of course they have”! Hush! Time to silence detractors with a Dev Diary entry. I really gotta go back to our task board and dig, to track everything that has been done. Because it’s a lot. And because of my short, short, memory.
If you have been following our #screenshotsaturday, you have already seen that more work has gone into the Alaskan environment, along with a first iteration of track design. What you don’t know yet is how we actually draw tracks inside the Unreal Engine, and that’s where Giacomo M’s magic comes in. We put some effort into creating a tool that is fit for the job, and now we can use Unreal’s spline curves to draw tracks, rather than assembling them from building blocks. The tool gives us the flexibility we need to create and tweak our circuits.
We worked hard on the physics as well. In these two months, Giacomo M and Giacomo F re-wrote it completely, twice. When we say that the hovering is paramount for conveying the driving experience we want, here’s proof, and it has really come a long way. Now we are working on the steering system and the acceleration curve. Something complicate, physics equations and stuff.
Damage system. There is still much to do in terms of aesthetics and impact on driving performances, but a ship can currently be damaged and destroyed if driven recklessly against the walls. This aims to be a core element of gameplay balancing: faster ships will be less sturdy and more prone to destroy-and-respawn.
New tracks have been designed for the desert environment and Michele is reshaping the terrain as I write. We produced some more in-depth concept art to pinpoint the mood for each environment, with a little help from our friends. I’d like to introduce you the wonderful talent of Erika Accossato.
We could show much more, so much more. Oh, you have no idea.
Now, for the important part. Where did we spend our holidays? Well, some of us have been to Sicily, Giacomo F went to a music festival in Portugal, I’ve been to Croatia for some days….
Wait, this is not what you came here for.
Upcoming gigs
“But when, when will I be able to see all this awesome stuff?”
After the great experience at GamesCom, we have more events down the road. So fear not, for we like to hang around. Take the chance and come try Red:Out, so you can see our progress firsthand.
20-21 September: GameOver Milan. We’ll be showcasing in the underground scene.
25-28 September: EGX Expo London. We’ll be part of the Epic UE4 booth! Wh00p!
24-26 October: Milan Games Week Indie. We’ll probably set up a fastest lap tournament with pizza. Or something.
