Thunder Alley | Project Torque

This is a racing game mode, where players can race against many opponents in circumstances similar to the Circuit racing style and can use unique features like refueling and drafting.

Up to 20 players in one race
Unique race car accessible only in this mode. Every player can choose one special paintjob for the car from wide range of race style paintings freely (more can be purchased later)
Super Speedway-like track: Sunbay Speedway which is 2,6 miles long
Cars consumes fuel, refueling can be done in the pit stop
Cars with fewer fuel has better acceleration and top speed
Drafting: players can speed up behind opponent cars, using the air gap that they leave behind at high enough speed.

Concept

Phase 1

� All players are given a special car allowed only for this mode in a dedicated screen at the beginning of their carrier.
� The painting of the car can be chosen by the player from a range of 30 vinyls in this screen.
� Regarding performance all cars are the same. Unlike others cars in the game, these special cars cannot be tuned. It would hurt the balance during race.
� Only game mode specific cars are allowed in this mode.

Phase 2

� All players after completing the relevant tutorial are given a special car allowed only for this mode in a dedicated screen.

Creating rooms

Phase 1

� After users select Play button on the main menu, they choose the lobby of the game mode.
� At the maximum 30 players can join a room. This number includes the boss of the room as well. At the minimum 2 players need to presented to start a room. This system is the same in the normal race mode.
� The length of the game is defined in distances. Rounds can be 15, 30, 45 and 90 miles long. Specified in lap numbers they are exactly 5,10, 15 and 30 laps, as one track is approximately 3 miles, or 4666 meters.
� The first length option might be considered as a kind of quickrace, in which players should not be forced to go into the pit since they could be provided with enough fuel.

Phase 2

� When the player joins a room, the player�s car is given an ordinal number, which number appears on the players car in the room and during race.

Start of the race

Phase 1

� After loading, the race begins with a flying start. Control over the cars are given to players after loading, which takes about 10-20 seconds. The player does not have control over his car until the first racer's car has passed through the starting line.
� In order to heighten the feeling of the show, the race starts with the camera flying over the cars (meantime other show elements can also be used) then the camera turns back and displays the player's car. Possible elements of the show could be: camera effects, airplanes with smoke band, pom-pom girls, confetti, cheering, commentation.
� Start-grid position is presently given randomly, like in VS race.

Phase 2

� In order to heighten the feeling of the show, the race starts with the camera flying over the cars (meantime other show elements can also be used) then the camera turns back and displays the player�s car. Possible elements of the show could be: camera effects, airplanes with smoke band, pom-pom girls, confetti, cheering, commentation.

The race

� There is no option to use nitro.
� Unlike in other game-modes, fuel can run out from cars.

Fuel

� Each car is provided with the same amount of fuel at the beginning of the race.
� Using fuel gauge is necessary in the cars.
� Fuel is insufficient for the entire run, except for quickraces (The reason behind is to urge players to enter the pit.)
� If fuel runs out completely, the notification 'OUT OF FUEL' appears on the HUD, and the players is restricted to drive at a predefined speed (e.g. 70mph). This process should be implemented as if the driver stepped off the gas. Consequently the car slows down gradually to the predefined speed limit.
� At least one lap before the car runs out of fuel, the fuel gauge must indicate it on the HUD (e.g. Blinking gauge, sound effects, notification of LOW FUEL).

The pit stop

� If a car is low on fuel it has to drive in the pit, stop at a given position where fuel is automatically given to the car until its fuel capacity is at full or the car starts moving.
� Unlike in case of penalties, the driving in the pit must be performed by the player.
� The maximum speed in the pit is 55 mph.
� Approaching the entrance of the pit a HUD element appears which helps to control the speed below the speed limit. See HUD Elements in this section below.
� Markers are indicating the place where the player has to stop for refueling.

Rescue

� In those cases when the players car skids, spins out, gets on its top etc., RESCUE function places the car back to service lane onto its four wheels.
� Rescue function can only be applied when the car's speed is under a predefined limit (eg: 30mph).
� When rescue function is applied, cars turn into a semi-transparent mode and they can not collide with other cars. This function is wear off after some seconds after the rescuing is done.

Drafting

� Definition: When a car travels through the air it leaves a gap behind it. Another car driving in this gap doesn't have as much air resistance pushing on it's nose and can then travel faster or use less fuel to travel the same speed.
� This effect can be noticed at speeds as low as 70mph but the effect increases with speed.
� The effect is represented by a bluish tunnel behind opponent cars that create drafting effect for the player's car.

End of race

� After the first car passes the finish line, a counter starts from 30 back to 0 (as in other race modes). [first pass finish line]
� The race ends in this time interval, the rest of the players have this time interval to complete their laps. Even if the counter get to zero and there are cars still racing, the race ends, and their actual position will give their final ranking order. [end of race]
� In those cases when players complete their laps (finish the race) or the raceend counter is up, they lose control over the car and the car is cruising with a moderate speed driven by an AI.
� For those who finished the race and the other opponents are still racing, they are watching the others racing through TV-camera-like views. [waiting for others to finishing]
� When the race ends, the final result is displayed on the screen. [final result screen]. "Behind" the final result window, the AI controlled cars can be seen through TV-Camera-like views cruising on the actual race track.

Penalties, rules

In the following cases the players get penalty who fault a given rule.

Faster cars approaching

� Indicated by a blue flag.
� It warns slow drivers of faster cars approaching. They have to let them to take over.
� In case of not obeying this flag, faulting players get a warnings about it.
� Two warning is allowed, after that players get drive-through penalty.
� See HUD Elements for details.

Hitting the opponents maliciously with the car

� Indicated by a red flag.
� The game can identify in most cases if the hitting was malicious or not.
� In these cases players get warning messages (indicated by text and flag displayed) about that.
� Two warning is allowed, after that players get drive-through penalty.
� See HUD Elements for details.

Wrong way driving

� Driving against the proper course is not allowed.
� In this case players get a warning message and they get an auto-rescue to the service lane (after 30 meters driving in the wrong direction).
� After the first wrongway-rescuing they have to wait 1 sec before they can move on and 1 sec more for every wrong way driving (e.g. after the 5th case they have to wait 4 sec before they can move on