Random Idea #84: Aeroformula · 4:53am Sep 25th, 2023
So what is this?
In the past few months or so, especially after the release of GT7, there's been a uptick in the discussion about the stagnation of the racing game genre. The wide variety of art direction, game mechanics, and settings of the 90's and early 00's seem to have largely consolidated into Sim-racing, sim-racing, sim-racing, and Need for Speed, often with some annoying netcode bug, bland gameplay loop, and/or horrifically pricey microtransactions. At the end of Raycevick's video about arcade racers, he asks his audience to try to imagine something a little more fantastical, not just another 1000 more polygons on a GTR.
This is my fantasy.
Instead of cars, you "drive" jet aircraft of varying types, with massive aero surfaces and the control that it implies. Controls would be a blend of grounded steering and aircraft maneuvering, though with these craft now technically being turboshaft powered, there's a lot less thrust available for sustained flight, somewhat like MK8's paraglider. Another unique mechanic is the afterburner, limited on a heat meter. Activating afterburner will actually generate thrust independent of what the wheels are doing, which is how I justify you being able to point your nose into the apex and turn using massive amounts of thrust borne centripetal force.
Also you can carry missiles.
Premise: Ace Combat except the jets have giant racing tires and are using their wings for downforce instead of lift, and have their engines converted from turbofans to turboshafts.
Grounded mechanics: Standard driving controls + Aero controls (Downforce, Neutral, Cornering). Cornering mode allows for faster rotation but less total downforce. Throttle has turbo-lag.
Afterburner operates off the heat meter. Crucially, extreme angle drifting + afterburner + Neutral Aero increases cornering speed, but worsens corner exit.
Airborne mechanics: Holding a button switches wings into lift mode, allowing the player to take shortcuts. However, you are constantly losing speed, and lose altitude once you fall below the vehicle’s stall speed. Only Afterburner can help maintain speed. Controls shift into Aero mode, with Pitch, Roll and Yaw.
Low-aspect wings have higher stall speeds, High-aspect wings have lower stall speeds.
Fighter type aircraft are generally faster, but least capable of taking shortcuts. Surveillance aircraft have lower top speeds, but can turn better and fly longer with their lower drag.
“Campaign”: Primarily timed point to point races with enemy vehicles. Vehicles have weapons that can be reloaded on various spots on the track, based on pre-set loadouts (Guns: explanatory. Missiles: Forward facing tracking weapons, but restrictive magazine size. Mines: Reverse-facing dropped bouncing explosives, can be shot. Torpedo: Propelled rear-facing seeker missile, but slow. Flares: missile scrambler)
Players race to catch up and destroy a super bomber, enemy vehicles, or stationary targets.
Practice/Multiplayer:
“Red Flag”: Racing with simulated weapons that only disable, on closed circuit tracks. Many NPCs
“Black Flag”: Demolition Derby with back flipping cars and IR-missiles
“Green Flag”: Racing with locked weapons, all powerup locations grant increased Afterburner.
“Blue Flag”: Afterburners permanently on, regain temperature from destroying targets. Event ends upon last player standing without overheat.
Example aircraft
Eagle-15: Fighter type. High speed, acceleration, decent turn radius, high stall, low AB time. Smaller missile rack, low health
Ghost-117: Small Bomber type. Medium Speed, medium accel, avg turning, medium stall, medium AB time, large missile rack, high health
Recon-2 (U2): Recon type. Low speed, low accel, sluggish turning, super low stall, high AB time, high AB time, medium missile rack, low health
Super-72 (SR72): fast recon type. Super High speed, medium accel, sluggish turning, high stall, high AB time, small missile rack, medium health
Striker-10: attack type. Medium speed, High accel, avg turning, high stall, medium AB, medium missile rack, high health
