Plan for FenrirWolf

I've been giving Space Race a face lift these last two weeks. Unfortunately, work has interfered but I'm managed to get some solid modeling work done. The engine is almost entirely done; All I need now is to just write level script code and create actual ingame content.

I UV-mapped the main ship using Lightwave's Surface Baker (similiar to Max's Render to Texture), and so far I've been pleased with the results. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to bake specular, which makes sense. So, I can either see about hacking in specular into TGE, or doing my usual and faking it with careful texturing.

Anyway, I might only have one or two levels of RR for IGC, but I will have something!

Let me present the new Raven's Run title screen:


The heroine of the game, Muirin Teoranta, is a bit sketchy right now. Ryan, my assistant artist, isn't entirely done with her concept art. (So she might change in the final version of the game.)

What is Raven's Run about? A short synposis is that in the near future, all solar system space traffic is under the control of a single AI. Belenus is its name, and it guides the thousands of starships that transits between humanity's various orbital bases. The benevolent machine has so far been a boon to the expansion of humanity across the planets, coordinating all space traffic for over twenty years.

However, that is changing. Belenus has begun to malfunction. At first it merely refuses to obey orders given by the Planetary Council, but soon this progresses into outright war against humanity. Machinery previously designed to clear out space junk and asteroids turn its lasers upon helpless ships and stations.

All looks lost until the original designer of Belenus, Jan Havil, creates a virus to strike the machine's biological core. The virus isn't entirely successful, and only shuts down the central processor -- Not destroying it. This has stopped Belenus' mad dash to destroy humanity, but only temporarily. Now, it's a race against time, for powerful restoration processes have kicked in and will restore Belenus to awareness in less than twenty four hours.

Here's where Muirin comes steps in.


An ex-Gravity Assist Racing champion, she is given the fastest ship in the solar system -- The Iron Raven. Equipped with a powerful fusion-powered laser for defense, she will pilot the Raven into the core of Belenus and seek out a way to destroy the machine's diseased core. This won't be easy, however, even with the main AI offline. Regional processors are still online and will defend Belenus with impersonal, mechanical precision.


Raven's Run is a mix between rally racing and action shoot-em-up. Some of the levels will be about pure speed, racing against the clock, while others will pit you against the automated defenses of Belenus. Along the way, Muirin will uncover the reason for Belenus' sudden descent into madness. . .

I'm real excited about IGC! I can't wait to go and show off this game. I just hope I can finish at least part of it by then. ;)

(You can find more screenshots right here.)