Smoke Stack Destruction

Here is my apex destructible smoke stack added to my racing level.

Destructable Objects Ideas

The next project in programming class is to make physX destructible objects. I have two ideas at the moment. One would be a destructible smokestack, similar to this video.


I'm thinking that the falling smoke stacks could make for a good final spectacle in the racing map. The other idea would be corn stalks that cars could run into as they are driving through the map. The best reference I could find is in this tractor video.


I'm still not sure which idea I'd rather go with. I'm thinking it will mostly depend on which idea is most feasible and will best enhance the eco friendly pinball theme of the race track that I'm making.

Rain Barrel

Here's a video of my exploding rain barrel in UDK.

While setting up the kismet for the barrel, I learned, after a lot of trial and error, that remote events can mess up prefabs. The issue I was having was that my prefabs were going through the same kismet events simultaneously because they were triggered by remote events that weren't renamed for each prefab instance. Getting rid of the remote events solved the problem. With that issue resolved I think I've finally got the barrel working and the next step will be to replace the default UDK particles that I'm using with my own water effects.

Race Intro Sequence

Here is a race intro sequence from Trackmania 2: Canyon that I like.



What I like most about this sequence is that the camera is always oriented in a way that hides the next major landmark of the level until the moment the car arrives at it. The loop de loop is obviously the central landmark in this level. In the beginning of the sequence, the camera follows the car, looking in the opposite direction of the loop de loop. It is revealed only when the car reaches its base. The final reveal of the loop de loop is made more surprising and spectacular through a low point of view shot.  Towards the end of the sequence, the camera looks at the front of the car. From this point of view, you have no indication of the final jump off the road until the very end, which makes it surprising. I really like this idea of concealing unique parts of the track for some time to make for a more memorable reveal, and I would like to incorporate this concept into the intro sequence for the race track that I'm working on.

Barrel Idea

We're going to make explosive barrels in programming class. My idea is to make an exploding rain barrel. Here is a concept sketch.

The rain barrel leaks when its partially damaged and creates a big water splash when it explodes. Here's some reference that I found of rain barrels.

Race Track Beat Sheet

Here's a beat sheet for the environmental pinball level.

Race Track Idea

Here's some of the research that I've done for my race track idea. I like the idea of having a lot of jumps in the map and I think this sand dune video is good reference for that:


I also thought this video had a pretty cool stunt that I would like to incorporate if possible:


Here's an example of a game level that is nicely centered around jumping:


My idea for the theme is:
Environmental Pinball

"Earth has enough for every man's need, but not every man's speed."

The color palette would be very green, something like this:

 The level would have rolling green hills and clear blue skies:

The main obstacle would be pinball bumpers that look like giant CFL light bulbs. They would light up when you hit them. I would like the CFL light bulbs to bump the car farther back depending on how fast the car is going when it hits. That means that going faster in track has some risk associated with it and the racers would have to balance speed with control.

The main stunt focus would be jumping, as mentioned earlier. There would be a lot of jumping up and down on rolling hills, while trying to avoid the pinball bumpers.

  The back story is that this place is farmland and the owners are allowing an electric company to install a wind farm to make some extra money. The CFL bulbs were temporarily installed throughout the landscape to help workers to find their way around at night. At the end of the track, a new wind turbine is being constructed and they left two windmill blades on the ground with the motors attached, causing them to flail around on the ground like pinball flippers.
  The jumps will escalate in significance over the course of the level. The final jump, if executed properly, will allow you to pass over the flippers, which would ideally be the defining moment in the race.  

  Here's an initial sketch of my idea for the level at the moment:

The level would consist of a rolling hills section, followed by a part where you have the chance to jump onto an unfinished monorail track that passes over some of the bumpers, similar to the elevated tracks in pinball games. You then have the chance to go through a greenhouse, which would provide a speed boost similar to the tunnels in pinball. This leads up to a final jump where you have the chance to jump over the flippers, or you could maneuver through them at the expense of some time.
  So overall, I'd like this level to be centered around jumps of escalating importance, where it is essential to balance speed with control. The visuals will focus on creating a natural environment that conveys both environmentalism and pinball. We'll see where it goes from here.