• Problem statement:
    • Come up with a new kind of racing game.
  • Solution:
    • Underwater submarine races (with torpedoes!)
  • Risks
    • Not sure what underwater racetracks should look like.
    • This might not feel innovative enough.
    • Technology might not be able to handle all the water effects.
  • Prototypes
    • Artists working on concept sketches of underwater racetracks
    • Designers prototyping (using paper prototypes and by hacking an existing racecar game) novel effects (subs that can also rise out of water and fly, tracking missiles, depth charges, racing through a minefield)
    • Programmers testing out simple water effects
  • Results
    • Underwater racetracks look okay if there is a “glowing path” in the water. Underwater tunnels will be cool! So will flying submarines following tracks that go in and out of the water!
    • Early prototypes seem fun, provided the submarines are very fast and maneuverable. It will be necessary to make them “racing subs.” The mix of flying and swimming feels very novel. Subs should go faster when flying, so we will need to find a way to limit the amount of time they can spend in the air. The little playtesting we have done makes it clear this game must support networked multiplay.
    • Some water effects are easier than others. Splashes look good, so do underwater bubbles. Making the whole screen waver takes too much CPU and is kind of distracting anyway.