Divine Driver 2023/2024
Fact sheet
Unreal Engine 5
Arcade Racing
160 hours
Solo
Summary: Divine Driver is an arcade racing game that uses the 3C from Mario Kart 8, with a construction phase similar to Ultimate Chicken Horse. Unlike Mario Kart, the game is played on a single circuit that you can modify by building on the layout between each round.
Objective: The objective of this personal project was to reproduce the Mario Kart 8 car as faithfully as possible in Unreal Engine, while adding a few new features that could add more strategy.
Tasks: Technical Designer, System Designer, Level Design, UX Designer, Game Design.
My work on this project
Technical Design : Analysis of Mario Kart car behavior, reproduce 3C, Drift, Add the Construction Phase, Create usable Items, Mini Map UI, Players ranking, Local Multiplayer in split screen.
System Design : Random item system based on distance from the first and random item system available between turns.
UX Design : Hud, Mini Map, Menu.
Tech Design work
Summary :
Kart 3C
Kart Suspensions
The car's suspension is a simple representation of the hydropneumatic system found on today's cars. The Pawn will detect the presence of soil beneath the chassis and apply sufficient force to keep the car parked in the parking area.
It also simulates the damping system during landing and on uneven ground (rocks, bumps, holes, etc.).
The suspensions need to detect the ground to enable the car to move forward; without 2 wheels on the ground, the car is unable to accelerate.
This system makes it possible to simulate a car with normal behavior, but without the drawbacks of collisions with the ground.
Wheels Height
After simulating the suspensions, we add wheel simulation. The concept is similar to that seen above: via the line trace, each wheel checks the presence or absence of ground beneath it, and whether it can reach it.
We also simulate the size of the suspension, which prevents the wheel from either over-extending or over-crushing.
We can then check the type of ground present under the wheels and change the vehicle's grip (ice, mud, grass, etc.).
Camera
The camera in Divine Driver is very simple: it's a third-person camera fixed behind the vehicle, and the player has no impact on it.
During acceleration, the camera will blur and increase FOV.
It also provides various feedbacks during the race, mainly related to items.
Drift
Drift has three charge levels, which vary according to the duration of the drift and the orientation of the vehicle. Once the vehicle reaches maximum load, the antenna flashes, indicating that the drift can be released.
More the load of the drift is high, the greater the acceleration.
To be able to drift, the player needs to have a minimum speed, which will prevent him from drifting in difficult environments or if he slows down too much.
It will enable you to take tighter turns and gain the advantage thanks to its acceleration.
Construction Phase
The construction phase takes place when all players have finished their current turn, or if the timer has reached zero. It's an interphase with the main gameplay.
During this phase, each player can choose from a box of Level Elements randomly generated according to the difficulty of the race, which evolves during the game.
This phase lasts an average of twenty seconds, as players place their chosen items.
During this phase, players switch to a bird's-eye view of the circuit, allowing them to place their objects in the position and rotation they want. As the view is close enough to the circuit, they can't systematically see where the other players are placing their level elements.
The aim of this phase is to create a moment of reflection for players, allowing them to completely and uniquely modify the circuit according to their desires. This makes it possible to play several times on the same circuit without having to play the same game twice.
HUD
The Hud includes the Mini Map, the Ranking and the Items.
For the mini map, player positions are transcribed directly onto the UI to ensure the most accurate positioning possible.
The ranking shows players' positions along the spline, so you know exactly where they stand.
Items are automatically added to the top bar as soon as the player picks up an item.
Local Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer is split-screen multiplayer, allowing 1 to 4 players to play, with controllers support in the main menu.
Each player can customize their vehicle by changing color, shape, wheels and adding stickers.
System Design Work
Summary :
Random Items
The randomness of the objects works in stages, taking into account the player's distance from the moment he picks up the box and the position of the first player.
Each level can produce a variety of increasingly powerful objects, depending on the distance.
Random Level Elements
Level Elements are randomized according to the number of times a player completes a lap. The more they finish, the more violent the Level Elements will be and the more difficult the race will be, while the harder they finish, the simpler the objects will be.
A simulation of the item generator has been created to give the most accurate representation of the percentage of appearance of each Level Element in the selection box.
Elements appear in groups of 8 during each construction phase, giving the player a wide choice.