Alpha 1.007! Finally!

After a quick summer's work we've compiled the latest build of Tank Assault which you can play here. The changes are simply too numerous so go ahead and check it out!

Click here to play Alpha 1.007!

Camera Tests

What's a game without some camera finessing? Here are some tests for the sun flare, bloom, and color tweaks. Now that we've got close to a zillion variables to experiment with, the next goal will be to establish a more applicable lighting setting.

Viper

One of our most technologically advanced tanks has a few transforming abilities. In addition to being speedy and have high DPS and an optional auto-lock feature, the Viper may undergo a brief transformation then bring new effects to the field for the player's allies. Here, Sagar has already begun an idea on what one of those transformations may look like. In this specific transformation the tank establishes a temporary defensive position with increased armor.

A preliminary transformation idea for the Viper.

Concept Art Incoming

I'm not going to lie to anyone here, this is pretty exciting. Tank Assault is seeing lots of team growth from all over the place. There are additional names not mentioned on the right of the main page too. We're seeing visual effects, sound designers and all sorts of additional artists joining the team.

In light of the recent activity, here is an artistic update:

Joy Ou homes in on more specific details of the Grizzly.

Rob Howell takes a break from environment art to concept some tanks.


Joy begins concepting ideas for the Cockroach, the fastest vehicle in the game.

The Grizzy Growls

We've added a little bit of tenacity to the Grizzly via recoil animation. Sagar has begun modeling the recent change. Here's an early video of it:

There is an extreme focus on the visual cues of the, ensuring each tank not only looks unique, but also reads well from distance and during the chaos of fighting.

No summer break

As you may notice the list on the right side of the blog representing the helping hands on this project has grown recently, and it will continue to grow. A number of artists have pledged some time and energy to grow Tank Assault into something, if I can professionally label it: frickin cool. In the preceding months starting... well, now, you can expect more frequent updates on what the game will be, how it will look and any other additional progress or problems and solutions we find.

With this post I'd like to highlight our artistic situation. With our previous lead artist leaving our team, the game was left without a particular art direction. Sagar Patel, a very talented artist, has joined our team recently picking up the torch bringing new ideas to the art direction and functioning as our art director. He has breathed new life into the game and is currently working with a handful of artists to produce cool tanks blowing up cool environments.

Through his process we have re-evaluated what we're doing. Bringing things back to basics both mentally and visually we believe will only be good in the future both for our work process and the game itself. A great example of this throw back is us re-approaching the M1A3, now named the "Grizzly":

Joy Ou quickly sketches out preliminary ideas for the Grizzly paying careful attention to the tank's silhouette .

In red, you can see the more notable designs and Sagar's feedback on them. It's crucial throughout our process to give constant feedback and when bumping around ideas and assets. You can never know when a good idea may spark or who will catch an error.

Kudos to Joy for a quick production of these drawings to keep the ball rolling with slick designs to boot.

Alpha 1.006 and the future

A newer version of Tank Assault is available to play. In this version, more buildings and walls are able to be blown up. We've spread some AI tanks around to have some stuff to shoot at too.

Click here to play Alpha 1.006!

New life has been breathed into Tank Assault with the addition of new team members. The art direction will take a strong presence then it has recently starting towards the end of May and be in full swing towards the end of June. Following June for a few months, there have been a few commitments in terms of additional artists and level (map) designers. Keep your fingers crossed as I am!