Higushi
04-09-2008, 05:33 PM
Hey guys and gals :)
As advised by dis, I decided to place my recent winning TrackMania track up here and try and explain the process as to how I made it.
Download track:
Drip and Flush (http://www.gamedev.za.net/filecloset/data/files/592/Drip_and_flush.Challenge.Gbx) - by WandaPanda [my TM nick, previously Paulos88 as on the NAG dvd]
- Obviously, requires TrackMania.
First off, I really enjoy TM, and over the weeks building up to the comp I was playing TM:Nations very often. I think what helped a lot was that I knew what made a good track simply by playing the game, gathering ideas from other accomplished designers, and putting that inspiration into my own creation. If you are going to be designing for a game, its probably best to know the game well beforehand and experiment with the game play mechanics.
The building process
Alright, so here comes the harder part. How did I make the track? Well... I just went at it with everything I had (we all know about that valuable fuel called inspiration), I placed the start block and began by laying down the basic track design, kinda like doing sketchy outlines on a drawing before you clean up and shade in, I ran tracks all around, added loops, corners and little jumps.
I found it important to let go and not just be confined to one certain area of track. Small details can wait, what was important in the early stages was the flow of the track. Could someone other than myself race on this track without becoming (too) frustrated? It was important to play-test a lot and make sure this was true, while still providing a challenging experience.
By first creating the "skeleton" of the track, I found it easy to go back and add more interesting and fun ways to link certain areas together and fine tune certain areas for a better experience, and as before, play-testing (with the end user in mind) played a massive role.
Once finished with the finer playing mechanics of the track, the beautification began. I tried to add hints, such as which way you should be turning next or in which direction you should be facing to make a jump, through the placing of surroundings, and as much as some people find beautifying a track unimportant, I'd say it plays a big role in the overall experience, but remember - don't over do it! Sometimes less is better than more.
Finally, and most importantly, I had lots of fun! It was something I did in good spirits and I thoroughly enjoyed designing and play testing my very own creation, and I think it was due to the fact that I was having so much fun that I kept tweaking and play-testing to perfection.
I hope you enjoy the track as much as I did! :D
Big thanks to NAG for hosting the comp and the awesome prize! :)
As advised by dis, I decided to place my recent winning TrackMania track up here and try and explain the process as to how I made it.
Download track:
Drip and Flush (http://www.gamedev.za.net/filecloset/data/files/592/Drip_and_flush.Challenge.Gbx) - by WandaPanda [my TM nick, previously Paulos88 as on the NAG dvd]
- Obviously, requires TrackMania.
First off, I really enjoy TM, and over the weeks building up to the comp I was playing TM:Nations very often. I think what helped a lot was that I knew what made a good track simply by playing the game, gathering ideas from other accomplished designers, and putting that inspiration into my own creation. If you are going to be designing for a game, its probably best to know the game well beforehand and experiment with the game play mechanics.
The building process
Alright, so here comes the harder part. How did I make the track? Well... I just went at it with everything I had (we all know about that valuable fuel called inspiration), I placed the start block and began by laying down the basic track design, kinda like doing sketchy outlines on a drawing before you clean up and shade in, I ran tracks all around, added loops, corners and little jumps.
I found it important to let go and not just be confined to one certain area of track. Small details can wait, what was important in the early stages was the flow of the track. Could someone other than myself race on this track without becoming (too) frustrated? It was important to play-test a lot and make sure this was true, while still providing a challenging experience.
By first creating the "skeleton" of the track, I found it easy to go back and add more interesting and fun ways to link certain areas together and fine tune certain areas for a better experience, and as before, play-testing (with the end user in mind) played a massive role.
Once finished with the finer playing mechanics of the track, the beautification began. I tried to add hints, such as which way you should be turning next or in which direction you should be facing to make a jump, through the placing of surroundings, and as much as some people find beautifying a track unimportant, I'd say it plays a big role in the overall experience, but remember - don't over do it! Sometimes less is better than more.
Finally, and most importantly, I had lots of fun! It was something I did in good spirits and I thoroughly enjoyed designing and play testing my very own creation, and I think it was due to the fact that I was having so much fun that I kept tweaking and play-testing to perfection.
I hope you enjoy the track as much as I did! :D
Big thanks to NAG for hosting the comp and the awesome prize! :)