https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp6cQqGwRsQ
While developing the initial prototype for Summit Drive, I decided to implement a first-person perspective. This choice opens up opportunities to enhance both the mechanics and the overall sense of immersion, amplifying the player’s experience as they face the game’s challenges. Currently, players can accelerate and reverse using the 'W' and 'S' keys. However, to steer the vehicle, they must hold down the 'E' key while using mouse movement to navigate left and right.
For this conceptual prototype, I had imagined a landscape with hills and rocks starting with the car driving up this mountain with nothing preventing the vehicle from falling off the sides. The initial version of this prototype was actually built in the third person perspective, and used Unity’s cinemachine to capture camera angles. I created the landscape using the various tools and added grass using an asset package I had. After a few attempts, I had decided to change the perspective to first person.
Well, I believe that the third person perspective consisted of many constraints to how I wanted players to feel while driving. I wanted to give players a semi-realistic experience driving a vehicle but still have that comical charm to it. By switching to a first person perspective, it opens so many doors to many mechanical functions for players to utilize such as physically steering, buttons to press, and an interactable UI that embodies the interior of a car.
Finally, I added some trees and used a pixelation shader based off of the game A Short Hike, to create a set art style for the game.
To refine the driving mechanic, I plan to address both the technical issues with the vehicle wheel's mass and introduce a more polished and semi-complete driving system. For the next prototype, I will implement a gear-shifting mechanic that is directly tied to the steering controls. Players will need to hold down multiple buttons on the keyboard while using the mouse to create certain outcomes. For example, while holding the 'F' key, players can use the mouse's scroll wheel or move the mouse along the Y-axis to shift gears. These layered interactions will add to the chaotic nature of the gameplay. Though the "cozy" atmosphere won't be part of this particular prototype, it will remain a central element of the game’s psychological design, shaping the final experience.