GPU-based visualization :: Stars and Stripes Alternative Racer
 

 

Stars and Striples: Alternative Racer
Selected for the 2005 Independent Games Festival Student Showcase

Click here to download Stars and Stripes: Alternative Racer (24 MB)
Requires card with Vertex Shader 1.1

Screenshots

 
       
Description
 

Stars and Stripes is a cool new twist on the racing genre - instead of racing on a static track, you race on a road the is created in front of you on the fly. The road also falls off behind you, so all players stay pretty close to one another during the entire race. This means attacks and weapons are actually useful in-game devices.

Since there is no 'start' or 'finish', you win by staying in 1st place the longest. When you stay in first place for a given amount of time you collect a 'star' ... someone wins when they've collected 5 stars. Oh yeah, if you're in last place you collect 'stripes' - stripes allow you to perform attacks on the other players and knock their balls of the track.

       
New Technologies / Techniques Demonstrated

Shaders

   
 

Refraction-based vertex shader used to achieve the 'glass road' effect

The stars and stripes power-up meshes are rendered with an anisotropic 'brushed metal' vertex shader.

 

User-Interface

   
 

All the user interface elements are on or near the racing balls. This allows users to keep their attention focused on the race instead of having to glance away to monitor some gauge or panel.

 

Gameplay
   
  Road forms as the players race, keeping everyone close and making weapons and attacks much more relevant