Submitted on: 03/17/2011 by
In this Developer Diary, Lead Designer Gareth Wright talks about the car styling features in NASCAR The Game: 2011.
It has become quite common place in racing titles to feature car styling tools for players within the game to create their own paint schemes. Such features have created a large community of talented gamers who enjoy styling their cars and showcasing their abilities online.
We’ve witnessed some amazing paint scheme creations in our past games and other racing titles out there. Prolific designers can often earn a lot of notoriety online and in the forums by showing off their masterpieces. With this in mind I’d like to share some insight into the freedom and powerful styling features provided in NTG2011.
Any real NASCAR car is a vibrant and unique fusion of bright colour, graphics and sponsor logos. NASCAR fans playing the game will naturally want to create their own eye-catching car designs and we’ve provided all the tools to do so. In NTG2011 we’ve embraced the activity of styling to allow all players to express their flair and creativity, with the only limit being their own imaginations.
The backbone of the game’s styling area is truly unique. Some console racers use sides as a base for players to style their cars, and by that I mean players must apply decals independently to the roof, sides, front or rear of the car. In NTG11 there are no sides, players can apply and manipulate decals any where on the car, using proprietary 3D surface technology. Players have full control over the camera, and can project shapes and graphics onto whatever surface of the car they are looking at. Ever wanted to stick a decal on a corner of the car in one go? Or stamp shapes all over body in seconds?
The Styling Area’s 3D surface technology enables even the most novice stylists to create unique schemes with speed and simplicity.
For all paint scheme creators, the Styling Area offers over 650 decal graphics, including tribals and flames, geometrical stickers and race-themed shapes. Players can also apply national flags, sponsor logos, or letters, anywhere on the car.
After applying a decal, players are free to re-color and manipulate them. The process of positioning, rotating, scaling and skewing is easier than ever with the 3D functionality and free control over the camera. And if you make a mistake, just use the Undo option to step back.
Players can paint their car and color any applied decal using a paint tool that allows literally any color to be chosen. Recent colors are also saved and selectable. When painting the car players may toggle between individual areas, such as the body, spoiler or splitter. Even the wheels and lug nuts can be colored separately.
When decals are concerned, the color tool offers a unique gradient option, enabling any shape to be colored with a smooth blend of two colors. A range of gradient styles are also provided.
We’ve included Decal Shops in our recent games and are constantly evolving the technology and features they offer. In addition, forum feedback has been very beneficial, we’ve listened to requests and worked closely with some of the best online artists to develop the intuitive tools and ease of use in the NTG11 Styling Area.
We approached Paint Scheme designer and forum member Bruno Renier after seeing his impressive creations on a previous Eutechnyx title. Bruno’s feedback has been invaluable to ensure the casual and advanced features were designed with usability and styling freedom at the fore-front.
Players can create their own unique team logos or sponsor graphics in the Sticker Creator, which provides a template area for adding and editing multiple layers of decals. Players can quickly design stunning compositions with no limit to what they can create.
These custom graphics can then be saved to edit later, or to apply onto other paint schemes in the player’s collection.
The intuitive Styling Area joins the game’s Tuning options, to offer another layer of depth for players to enjoy when they are not burning rubber on the track. We are really looking forward to seeing the crazy and complex paint schemes that players create and show off online.
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