Jet Moto videogame re-design
One of my all time favorite games fell by the way side after several mediocre sequels failed to spark the same excitement the first game created for so many fans. I think I can bring a more modern twist to the game and I have a few ideas to freshen up the title while still keeping the core of what made the game fun in the first place. I'm not sure what the final outcome will be but I'm excited about it and I'm going to see it through till the end.
First more finalized rendering. I want to add depth to the gameplay in the way that players will move up in classes as they progress through the racing seasons. The first class will be more like what the original JET MOTO was; basically motorcycles with wings. The initial class with have a high degree of control and maneuverability, the later classes will be faster and harder to control. The initial class will race near city centers on very technical courses and the later classes will race over great distances and possibly even into the lower atmosphere. I still have a lot to figure out but we'll see where it goes.
This design is meant to be a counterpoint to the last one. I wanted it to feel a little more stream lined; like it would be faster on the straights but other racers could catch it in the corners. Where the first CLASS 1 racer used air brakes to steer you can see that this design has propulsion units up front, glowing orange, that maneuver the craft. From the players perspective it will be important that their avatar is interesting to look at so I thought it would be cool if the rear thruster rotated to pitch the craft up and down. The power source goes through the cables on the underside and they would bounce around and rotate as the racer flew around creating a neat animation that makes you want to stare at the craft as it flys. Again, the CLASS 1 racers are meant to feel like the more traditional Jet Moto craft which are basically motorcycles with wings, there will be variation between them but they should be comparable while CLASS 2 will be a step up from that.
There are some very significant differences that separate the Class 2 experience for the player as they move up in the season. The vehicle size has grown, it would appear similar onscreen to keep the visual experience consistent but the Class 2 racers are about 50% bigger than the Class 1 racers. The larger size will connote a more powerful machine that will behave similarly but is capable of much greater speed and even special maneuvers. The Class 2 will race over deserts, coastal areas, and possibly the lower atmosphere. The wings on this vehicle pivot allowing it perform tight turns at speed. The rear flaps also would help move the craft. Another big difference is the pilot in now fully enclosed as you can see in the rendering below.
It's important that the vehicle is still interacted with in the same orientation for the pilot, that is to say it should still be akin to riding a motorcycle. There is a much more symbiotic relationship now. The pilot may even connect some sort of cybernetic implant that veteran racers are given to increase their reaction times. There are no windows on this craft, sensors surrounding the vehicle feed information to the pilot directly into their visor or it is projected on a digital screen inside the craft. This could be a really interesting chance to play with the first person view while racing. All you would see is a digital representation of the outside world overlayed over your controls much like a Heads Up Display.
This is the second class two racer I've designed. I wanted it to provide a counterpoint to the first design in that its a more streamlined organic design that still shares similar features in terms of how it functions.
So I thought I'd throw a person in there to provide a better sense of scale and pilot position within the vehicle. I'd like to get a lot more comfortable with drawing in people to give the designs a more plausible feel.
