Space Race, Thomas Style

Remember Thomas? He’s teamed up with instructor Mike M. as part of Game-U’s Accelerate program. When Thomas isn’t developing amazing virtual realities, like the one for his VR shooter game, he likes to build racetracks. Check out his latest design – a space race!

Thomas is old friends with the gaming engine Unity’s modeling tool, Probuilder, which allows him to model not only vehicles but also racetracks. Lately, Thomas has been working on a three-level racing game complete with a start menu, a split-screen design, and a game timer. When he added railings for his new outer space racetrack, the official Level 3 of the racing game, even Probuilder’s “collapse vertices” tool didn’t throw him. Thomas seriously impressed Mike M. with his attention to detail and careful visual polishing. The space race is his best track yet!

After completing the Level 3 models, Thomas finalized his game with sounds. Each of his levels feature unique, environment-appropriate ambience. Racing in the snow level, for instance, means players hear a howling wind; race in the space level, and abstract, synthesized sounds, fit for the vastness of the cosmos, play in the background. But that’s not all. Car engines make noise – a lot of noise – too, and the faster an engine runs, the higher its pitch. Thomas tinkered with his sound effects until he achieved an authentic “race car” sound, where the purring engine’s pitch rises in direct relation to car speed.

Another cool game, Thomas! Mike M. says you’ve already got plans to export a build for your fellow students and their instructors. Your split screen design means students and instructors can even play together! So definitely add the rest of us to your list of interested gamers. The space race is on!