Things that we have learnt
30 January 2008 by Administrator
We like to think that here at Evolution we know a bit about making off-road racing games. Do we know everything? No we don't, contrary to what some people might tell you. But having done 5 WRC games on PS2 and one of the best selling (and best looking) PS3 games, we have a certain amount of experience in this rutted and muddy field. Oh yes, we've made some mistakes along the way, but we'd like to think that we don't tend to repeat the same ones again. And again.
So, here are some basic rules that we've gleaned if you ever find yourself faced with the task of making a track for an off-road racer:
- Keep it smoother than you think is necessary.
- That nice jump that you just made is probably too steep. Elongate it so that the transition is smoother.
- After each jump, make a nice downward sloping landing area whenever possible.
- For the bigger vehicles, give them a helping hand by avoiding adverse camber at all costs.
- Stepped objects, and gaps between close objects are so very, very bad.
- Have a much flatter racing area beside each "wall of death".
- Ensure take-off regions are free from bumps.
- Smooth it out again.
There, not exactly rocket surgery. They might seem like they'll make a world boring to play, but they honestly won't. Gamers get their MotorStorm kicks from the close racing with the other vehicles, and trying to get the right line. These aren't possible if your vehicle keeps getting punched into the air because of a dubiously placed rock or some other inconsistency.
We're making games after all, not trying to make a replica of the real world. That is probably the best rule of all to remember.
Cheers
Hal
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