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https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

Introduction

It's been 9 or 10 days since my last game development log and there is lots to cover since then. New Skywalks, addition of a major street, new way of capturing better images for you to see, a hidden neighborhood, and more which I won't go into here. Let's dive right in.

Skywalks Along Queen Street West

Queen Street West is one of the main east-west thoroughfares of the city. It is a cultural and fashion destination, drawing large crowds of people. That means I needed to devise a way of differentiating the corridor from most of the rest of the city. Large amounts of pedestrian traffic in cities usually means more public transit, so I've tripled the typical number of Skycars (vertical Streetcars/trolleys) in the area. From an urban planning perspective it makes sense.

Click for the full (4500x2368) image

Skywalks would also have more presence to support pedestrian traffic flow. I designed a sort of walk-way system across multiple levels, which would allow pedestrians to easily move to their destination without the need to take pubic transit or elevators. Street signage is also plentiful, to promote Queen Street West, and help provide a more visually-busy and recognizable street.

Hidden Neighborhood

There is at least one hidden neighborhood in MiLE HiGH TAXi. steammocking This past week I began to design and flesh out a hidden area and decide what it means for the player to find it. Much of the 3D modeling is complete. However it still requires a lot more work and infill to make it look lively, as can clearly be seen in the image below. Beyond being just an easter egg, the player can attain bonuses by finding it and meeting certain conditions, which I won't give away.

Enhanced Screenshots

It came to my attention on Reddit that Unity3D has a video/screen caputure add-on known as Unity Recorder. I have been using Unity to make games for over 8 years and somehow I have never heard of the add-on before now. My test results were very impressive. Unity Recorder lets me capture an incredible 4k game video at 60 frames per second. It also lets me do screen captures at very high resolution, including the image at top. Most images I post here and elsewhere going forward will be using this add-on. Check out the huge difference in this video I posted to YouTube a few days ago. [previewyoutube=4bQfNaa6FEk;full][/previewyoutube]

City Infill and World Building

I continue to fill in the city with additional pedestrian areas using Skywalks and bridges. Since last update, I've added about 600 new billboards and finished up 4 more major intersections. These have become the most time-consuming aspects of developing MiLE HiGH TAXi. Right now, every intersection consists of at least 64 street signs, 64 traffic lights, and dozens of billboards. Adding these takes time, but so does placing them thoughtfully. Scripting their positions or re-using positions from other intersections just won't suffice. I'm tying to world-build in a way that is consistent with reality and urban planning principals.

Click for the full (4500x2368) image

Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[ 2020-09-29 01:43:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

MiLE HiGH TAXi is The Fifth Element meets Crazy Taxi.

In this 24th century scifi game you're the driver of a flying taxi cab in a race against time to transport as many paying customers as you can before the meter runs out. Earn enough cash, experience and respect to work the upper floors and skywalks. The higher you work the cleaner the air, richer the customers, and the more cash you can make!

You'll play as Kyle, Emma, or Skyler, a down-on-your-luck citizen relegated to the polluted airs of the city's sub-100th floor level. Your new career as a taxi driver is an opportunity to get out of the slum, the smog, and the eternal shadows, earn money and promotions, and make it to clean air. As you drive through 24th century Toronto, pick up passengers from mile-high super skyscrapers and deliver them to their destinations as fast as you can. Do it fast enough and you'll earn bonus time and make happy customers. Happy customers are well paying customers. Use the GPS to help you navigate, and Driver App mode to find hidden customers. But keep your eyes on the sky - especially when using your Hyper Drive Boost! You're not the only one driving the Skyways and other cars and traffic obstacles will slow you down. Once you get a handle on your new job and learn the city, start using narrow back alleys to navigate the city faster. As you progress, expect to be promoted to the city's higher floor levels where you can earn more money. Become an expert and experience sunlight for your first time as you blast through Skyways at the 600+ floor levels.

MiLE HiGH TAXi is a single player, game controller or mouse-keyboard arcade game that you download and play on your PC (Windows, Linux) or Mac. It isn't about customizing your car or public achievements. There are no save points. Just start it up and get playing!