When we decided to renew Guate Grand Prix (originally; Camioncitos Audaces) never thought that the development could get so extended and required many changes. The good news: player gave us great feedback that helped us to define in a better way the lead of the project. (and that’s why we forgot about write a devlog update)

At this point, we could say that this project is something complete new to what we show in our first beta, but the goals are the same, a racing videogame inspired in Guatemala with cultural perspective.

After this small introduction, let’s see the change list that this version will bring us.

Scenarios, storytelling and the introduction to the fantasy world of Guate Grand Prix

With the addition of our main characters the videogame gets an important turn, being blended into the Fantasy category, this changes at all the way to represent the scenarios, we had to discard the realistic appearance and do the transition to a fantastic and oneiric style who makes the narrative get easier to swallow.

Here you can check the scenarios changes:

New HUD and interfaces, increased style compatibility

A notable change is the menu interface and HUD, both had been changed and adapted to a new style that adapts to the topic and visual style of the videogame.

Some examples:

Coins and power ups with a Guatemalan taste.

A creative way to introduce traditional Guatemalan elements, it’s using them as a part of the economy and game mechanics, for example: three traditional toys give form to the game economy,  tin drum (tambor de lata), spinning top (trompo, this one had several version across different countries, the GGP version is the Guatemala one) and the gut ball (pelota de tripa,  yeah that’s the name, now are made from rubber but originally was made with pig gut, so… no more comments)   three colorful toys that you find on the tracks and are going to help you to get resources to  buy improvements and enhancements for your vehicle.  

Another example is powerups, can you imagine the NOS system looking like a Canchinflin ( a small firework that it’s like a mini rocket throwed by hand)

Check an example:

Characters and history development.

Even though we mentioned before, we still consider it necessary to present our characters.

It’s important to say that all of them are animals, because…  who don’t connect with animals, specially if they are in complicity with a old couple who are trying to keep their small business aboard.

Let’s start the Mica the bold kittie in this history, this is one of the characters that take the lead helping her family, with an old small wooden truck, she’ll take the delivery spot and will be our main driver.

We also have Titus, the chocoyo’s family (It’s a specific parrot species) his role it’s on the watch and planification, he’ll help mica to plan the delivery route and warn about dangers.

Sam it’s the family guardian, and that includes his furry (and feathers) friends, his role it’s in getting the products and the deliveries secure.

There is another character!  Jack the mechanic cat, he’s the kind of mad repair cat/inventor, that is always doing enhancements and experiments, of course he’ll be in charge to offer new vehicles and improvements.

Generative Artificial Intelligence, the good, the bad or the savior of the moment?

We know that the IA has come to change the way we consume contents and viedogames till the point of all are getting tired and wish it to don’t see it again in the content we consume.

However, could be a transition tool that can help us to present our Guate Grand Prix concepts in a better way.

In this version tha in coming soon (Beta V0.3) you could find it in:

• Narrative strips

• Ilustrated Character sheets (Not the character design)

• Soundtracks

• Ambient sound and sound effects.

About the modeling development, programming code, textures, scenario design and everything else is 100% human made.

Of course we consider that a lot of things that we use right now will be detachable and just a transition, for example: the narrative strips will be replaceable for in game cinematics eventually, meanwhile some aspect of the soundtracks are still in consideration, given that the IA give us a accessible and affordable option as a small indie team, that don’t mean that we’re closed to work with human composers o local musicians, we just have to wait and see how the project keep evolving, meanwhile keeping clean and direct communications it’s our best bet.  

The same will happened with the sound effects, being our plan b to recur to a free sounds librarys as: freesound.org or similar,

We hope with this we touch all the importart development topic of this semester of the year, we wish that everyone could try the next version of our game and of course, let us know your feedback, following us and adding us to your steam wishlist.

See ya till next update

Guate Grand Prix development team.