Tim Davies - Level Design
ABOUT
Grid 2 is a racing game which looks to find a sweet spot between arcade racing and simulation. The player will drive a range of cars from hot hatches and muscle cars to super cars.
There are three main types of track:
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Licensed Circuits are reproduction of real world race tracks. Each has several variations which are raced both clockwise and anti-clockwise.
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Point to Point races are heavily inspired by real life roads and then slightly adapted to suit the game. They are driven in both directions and can be divided up into sections which are used for smaller races.
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City Routes use iconic cities to create circuits. They include many famous locations and while the whole city is not quite identical, they capture the personality of the roads. One innovation developed for the cities is the Live Routes feature; corners are seamlessly switched creating an ever-changing course, this really makes the player use their driving instincts.
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The narrative tells a story of philanthropist, Patrick Callahan, who is trying to setup a franchise called World Series Racing. His goal is to bring together a variety of disciplines such as time attack and elimination and unite them under a single banner. For this he needs a figure-head driver which is the player. In completing races in the various disciplines the player gains fans which increases the popularity of WSR and unlocks events with increased prestige.
MY WORK
My primary focus in Grid 2 was replay cameras but I also carried out additional work on barrier placement on several tracks.
Due to the narrative reflecting the digital age the artistic direction for the replay cameras followed suit. We strived for a style which resembled goPro style cameras being attached to each of the vehicles in the race. A variety of setups were also designed to mimic cameras on other cars to give the feeling of being in the race.
YAS MARINA - CHAMPIONSHIP CIRCUIT
REPLAY BREAKDOWN
There are various camera setups and pairings which help add the sensation of speed and show an exciting race.
When a camera sequence is broken down to its most basic form it can be seen as a series of front and back facing cameras. The reason for this is that it shows the car on the track and maximises the chance of seeing other competitors. The cameras are either constrained to a spline or the car (on-board).
The on-board cameras are coded in to the game, they simulate a rig which has been attached to the car. Each camera has its own tracking properties. If it is not possible to play a spline camera then the system will automatically switch to an on-board camera.
Often found in pairs, Static Cameras are setup with one facing back along the track and and one rear forward. By lowering the camera as the car approaches and raising as the car drives away they add to the sense of speed due to the size of the car in shot increasing and decreasing. Generally they will be placed on the outside of the track to reduce the likelihood of the car hitting them and triggering an on-board.
To reflect the art style and capture the atmosphere Cut away cameras are placed in several locations around the track.
Each cut away trigger has a number of different cameras, one of which is chosen at random.
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Below is a breakdown of the first 15 shots of the 44 used at Yas Marina. It shows which cameras were used where and the reasons behind my decisions.
Due to layout to the start of the circuit, left > left > right > right > left > left, it is as possible to see a pattern emerge which forms a comfortable rhythm.
(1) An on-board camera is the safest and shows the cars ahead. It also includes the stands either side.
(2) A rear facing shot shows the cars behind and any gear changes while continuing to show the stands.
(3) A quick cut to the front facing camera shows other cars breaking into the corner and allows the next shot to be rear facing.
(4) This rear facing shot shows the car drifting and keeps the stands as a reference. It also opens up the side of the car for the next shot.
(5) A side shot keeps the stands as reference and shows the front wheel as the next reference. Shake is added to give the feeling off being in another car.
(6) A close up of the wheel may show the brake glowing. It also foreshadows the hotel.
(7) A front drift shot keeps the wheel in shot and allows the next camera to be from behind.
(8) A long overtaking camera gives a good view of the hotel and bridge and sets up for the static pair.
(9) The first camera in the static pair shows the bridge that the player has just driven under.
(10) The second camera in the static pair gives a good view of the hotel and shows the next bridge.
(11) An on-board camera continues to show the bridge. Having two consecutive forward facing shots is generally not advised but the car is small enough at the end and the bridge is a strong enough reference.
(12) Still using the bridge as reference, this front drift camera opens up the side of the car. It also maintains the hotel in view.
(13) A side camera keeps the hotel in shot and shows the front wheel as the next reference. Shake is added to give the feeling off being in another car.
(14) A close up of the wheel may show the brake glowing under breaking.
(15) A rear facing camera shows the hotel at a distance and captures any drift out of the corner.