WRECKLESS RALLY Art Process | Part 3: Environment Sprites
Art Process Part 3: Environment Sprites
Previously: Art Process Part 2: Actor Sprites
The Track
Since I quite like the vibrancy of that 2015 Micro Machines app image, I briefly consider throwing down a bright blue track for the cars to drive across, but that will probably interfere with the colour matching.
I go for the neutral blue-ish grey as our tarmac that I had originally scrapped from the colour scheme (see Part 1: Getting Started), and leave the bright colours for the cars and the off-track surfaces. I am not super pleased with the green tone for the grass, but after tweaking for a while I just leave it. If it still upsets me later on, I can always change it more radically. (Spoiler alert: I leave it as is.)
We decide that the tarmac surface should be pretty clean and not grainy, so the detail will come from things like cracks, skid marks, and rubble. Most of these sprites are single tiles, with only a few spanning two or more tiles. Looking back now, I wish I had made more multi-tile cracks and rubble-piles.
Off-Track and "Decals"
Our track is straight, and while red-and-white curb stones are reserved for corners on real race tracks, they are too classic an element to not include. I add white stripes to mark the edge of the track as well for further detail, and eventually make those yellow instead, with some darker tarmac underneath. I use Tiled to build our levels, which allows for layering tiles, so I can overlay the lines kind of like decals on top of the darkened tarmac without needing to make a ton of extra tiles. Race tracks also have starting grids and finish lines for different types of races, which adds further detail. To make the off-grid surface more interesting than just a straight line, I add tiles where the tarmac extends into the grass as a type of run-off area.
Off-Roading the Road
This still leaves the track too boring in my eyes, and since we called our game Wreckless Rally this calls for some off-road areas. Adding dirt changes the texture of the track considerably, and will make for a lot more options designing the level. I also include rubble tiles to put on top of the dirt as greeble, as well as dirt-filled pothole sprites to place on the tarmac.
Next up: Art Process Part 4: Staying Sane During A Jam
