hi gang. soooo it's been like half a year since i've been active here? and that's because earlier this year i enrolled myself in a super intensive game design course! so yeah i've been in the programming-for-babies trenches all this time ;; it's great to be back though, even if just for a while!

Racc On is my most recent project, where we were tasked to make a 3D platformer within 6 WEEKS to learn about game physics. (and a LOT of math. i am not a math person.) it's my second attempt at making a video game ever, and the first time I learned how to 3D model (I made Jojo from scratch)!

note to modelling newbies: please don't start with a quadruped. PLEASE.

thematically, i do wish i could've made it more solarpunky, but with the bulk of classes focused on programming, i didn't have much time for aesthetics ;; still, i did try to inject a little bit of that into the final puzzle. when i have more time, i'll flesh out the lore more to make the game really come to life. for now, let me know what you think the story is about!

the game is still in it's baby prototype stage, and i'm sure there still are lots of bugs that escaped my radar (please let me know if you find any!). but considering everything, i'm actually quite proud of what i've made! feels really good to let it out into the world 🥰

to senior solarpunk devs, i hope its alright for me to take up a little space in the community! and for aspiring game designers (i know there are many of yall with super cool solarpunk game ideas), i hope Racc On can offer some inspiration. as long as you have the passion, you can definitely turn your ideas into reality!

if you do try out the game, i'd really love to hear what you think! please drop a comment, tags, ask, dm, anything! i'd really appreciate it <3

squeezing in one last concept sketch for the week hehe

a note on the 'legs' on this guy: technically an isopod has seven pairs of segmented legs, which would've looked really cool and mecha-like in this design too! but i've been spinning the idea of a microbe-inspired vehicle in my head for a while now, and wanted to see what it'd be like if these two concepts were combined. it... kinda works?

the inspiration struck when i was playing a wonderful ttrpg called Wanderhome with a friend, wherein our characters came across a herd of giant isopod 'cows', just chilling, grazing, and rolling around in a wide open field. we could ride on them too! which got me thinking...

in my fictional solarpunk world, i envision 'herds' of these caravans gathered together on a grassy meadow, forming their own sub-communities outside the boundaries of the city. sort of like a car meet, or even a mini mobile town, since these vehicles also serve as an alternative home for those with wanderlust, or who prefer a more nomadic lifestyle. i imagine there aren't that many of these special vehicles, as each one is custom made with their own unique furnishings, aesthetics and quirks. maybe the people there swap homes every once in a while, so everyone gets a chance to experience the different themes each caravan has to offer.

i also think these guys would be great to take on wilderness expeditions! since they're built for navigating through difficult terrain, they'd be the perfect companion for a couple of scientists or rangers who want to venture into dense forests for their research (and probably stay there for months on end). maybe the 'ball mode' would then be a way to defend them from wild animals and natural hazards, or even a form of camouflage? idk, lots more to flesh out here 🤔

while this design was based on tiny terrestrial pill bugs, most isopods are actually much larger and ocean-dwelling, so i can definitely see this being reworked into some kind of submarine too! and since isopods also dig underground sometimes, perhaps another version has antennae that function as a drill, so they can act as construction machines, or even emergency rescue units. ALSO isopods are known detritivores, so maybe there's an isopod caravan clean-up crew, that collects and decomposes organic matter such as dead leaves as they drive through the city? yeahhh???

im just coming up with these as i type rn hfkjsh

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loooong exposition ahead, bear with me ok

when i was a primary school kid (like 7), there was a row of bushes lining the garden outside our classroom. and on them were clusters and clusters of tiny red flowers, bunched together like pre-made bouquets. they're called ixora, locally known as jejarum (needle).

somehow, mini me discovered that if you look real close at the center of each flower, you'll find a little tab in the shape of a sprout (that's the stigma). and if you gently tug on that tab, you'll pull out a flimsy, needle-like stick (that's the style). and at the end of that stick...... was a dollop of liquid gold (it's nectar).

at that age? it felt like hitting the jackpot! my friends and i we were SET. gluttony Gripped us as we descended upon those poor little flowers, sucking up every drop of nectar we could find, leaving a trail of bright red petals in our wake. yet it was never enough. of course it wasn't.

yeah i'm exaggerating but it really did feel like i committed a massacre ok 😭 i don't know that child anymore i've grown!! left their insatiable little shell behind!!!

anyway turns out that secret childhood hack wasn't much of a secret after all. my mum confessed to doing the exact same thing decades ago when she was younger, and a quick internet search shows that apparently its a pretty common bad habit/funny memory shared among people here. rite of passage. doesn't lessen my guilt though!

so here i am, exposing my baby crimes to the world, and holding myself accountable by making ixora-inspired concept art lol. sorry to these cultural icons my bad queens

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speaking of school, here's another nostalgic memory: the ice cream uncle.

this wasn't just a singular guy, but rather a League of Guys, with one common goal: make a quick buck from oblivious kids who, once again, were enthralled by the power of gluttony's grasp, and would pay anything for a taste of the nectarous after-school treat.

no guilt here though, was worth every cent.

they always had a diverse selection of goods: ice cream in cones, ice cream in cups, classic ice pops on a stick... but once in a while, we get what is essentially the local version of freezer pops. we call them 'ais krim malaysia', and under the burning sun they were a MESS to deal with. if you weren't devouring your icicle within 5 minutes of purchase, you'd be going home with a sticky bag of juice and a stained school uniform. and yet, i've never seen a kid walk away from an ice cream uncle without a smile on their face.

nowadays, ice cream uncles are an endangered species. big name brands and their store empires are chasing local vendors out of their niche. not to mention the hardships they face under increasingly abnormal weather patterns. plus, even if they did make a comeback, there's the issue of all that plastic waste. which brings me to...

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this concept art i made! (yeah we're finally getting to it!)

once again, i'm partnering 2 very loosely related pieces of my cultural backstory, with a sustainable twist. in my ideal solarpunk city, we're bringing street-side popsicles back into style, and packaging them in biodegradable membranes. in fact, our local favourite seaweed gelatin — agar-agar (the name originated here!) — is already being used for this sort of technology.

the pops also come with a reusable cone in the shape of an ixora flower. this way, we can still keep the tradition of getting a sugar rush from within its petals, without. y'know. stealing the primary food source away from native bugs who depend on it 💀

the umbrella could serve a function too... maybe the buds that make up the ends of its wire frame could glow in the dark? that'd look cool. oh and i did draw a classic motorbike here for the nostalgia factor, but let's pretend its an old model that got modded to run on renewable energy instead!

in terms of fashion... i highlighted parts of the outfits that are ixora inspired, including the shirt and bandana made from batik, a dyeing technique invented in our region. some other solarpunk aspects include a photovoltaic wide-brimmed hat, a layered frankenstein dress, and that... apron-skort thing that i made up on the spot. and that weird shirt. people in this city just like chopping up and swapping fabrics i guess!

is this rickshaw design functional from a technical standpoint? no, but it's okay. close your eyes. take my hand. let's imagine a better world i drew a trishaw that is anatomically accurate and focus on the fancy, scientifically-questionable features instead ✨

since in my region winter doesn't exist (yet...), my main priority was designing a vehicle that can make use of our 2 beloved seasons: hot and wet <3 i was trying to do something cool with the concept of evapotranspiration, but i don't reeeally know if this idea holds water (haha). so if any smarter folks wanna take a crack at it, i will love you forever

ok wait lemme show my inspirations

i definitely tuk some ideas from the Thai style Tuk Tuks, probably one of the most well-known modern versions of the rickshaw (the last time i rode on one my hat literally flew off in the first ten seconds. 10/10).

but my MAIN inspiration. the reason i came up with this idea in the first place...

Absolute. Bootleg. Absurdity. are you seeing this???

okay so this is in Melaka, and they are obviously tourist traps, but i love them ok. i Love them. look at how far we can push the boundaries of our silly, of our creativity. we could have this sort of whimsy EVERY DAY!!!

plus, the uncle who drove my family around last time was so enthusiastic about taking us around! he infodumped non-stop about the history and cultural significance of every landmark we passed, while laughing the whole time, and i just think that's beautiful.

and what's more solarpunk than stuffing a local beca to the brim with all the little things that we love?

oh this one was fuuuun. ngl drawing with my right hand was TOUGH i was fr sweating and my hand was shaking by the time i finished. then i tried it with my eyes closed, took a peek when i was done, and laughed for like 2 minutes hddjdiejs like what HAPPENED there

then i showed my mum and we laughed even MOREEEE 😭

more leftoverse babies! they're definitely opposites personality-wise, but they both also happen to have the most symbolic roles throughout the story i think? lets just say their journeys include pretty strong pseudo-religious allegories hh

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first up is Mia, or registered alias 'Illumia', who will also go by the codename 'Chamialeon' (hence the symbol) during the... not so bright parts of her future career. Which is ironic, because glowing brightly is kind of her main thing! though due to light manipulation, she can also turn invisible, which is why the moniker stuck. she eventually also figures out how to temporarily siphon her target's powers (literally 'stealing their spotlight'), giving her another layer of camouflage.

Mia is high energy even in her broodiest moments (many such cases). among the main cast, she easily draws the most attention and speaks the loudest, even without ever using her voice! she has a wiiild arc as far as archetypes go, changing from spoiled princess to ruthless rebel to spiritual leader by the end of things. she would be a leia stan yeah

alsoooo that is not the actual cover image for 'It's My Turn Now' but there's no way im putting the d*sney logo anywhere near my art lol. i don't know who that man is. Sorry to miss palmer

also2 yeah mushrooms aren't flora my bad. sunflower then

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next is Pepin, who usually goes by Piper (and Clyde calls him Pip sometimes). he's the forever baby of the group and my poor precious good boy who can do no wrong!!1! 🥺💚 ok that's not true, he always tries his best and has an empathetic soul, but life's hard when you're the unwilling Chosen One who has to constantly dodge prophecies and legacies while carrying the weight of the world on your tiny shoulders. he goes through sososo much :( i love him sososo much :(

Piper's a real laid-back, pacifist type that keeps getting bombarded by Stress and Duties. as such, he's no stranger to skipping classes/responsibilities to go chill somewhere hidden away from the world, which is usually in a forest due to his affinity with nature. many think his thing is controlling plants and healing, and it certainly looks that way, but more accurately its cellular regeneration control. a talent this impressive puts many targets on his back, but luckily he's in good hands until he decides his own destiny <3

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no template version:

The squad is complete! (well mostly, i miiight draw Nishay properly again at some point.) But today's focus is on Tiffany Brightwood, who is most definitely not a catgirl but uses the image to her advantage anyway!

She is, however, the it-girl of my dnd campaign, going from background character to central plot device to beloved recurring npc relatively quick!

This version of her isn't meant to show up until waaay later in the (now on indefinite hiatus) story, and i was actually planning to bring her in as my own pc at some point! it's the same round face and smug expression that the party's familiar with, but now she's got a sort of... roguish charm? 🤨😏

anyway! this horndog (horncat?) is known for having her fingers in quite a few romantic pies. what started off as a frisky love square situation has now evolved into a deeply committed quad polycule, bonded together by love and trust. and trauma. and Tiffy's riiiight at the center of it all!

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On the left is Axis, a serial hater girlbossfailure who leaves scathing reviews on everything she sees for 'enrichment'. On the right is Clyde, who has learnt to weaponize his 'cursed fuckboi energy' in order to taunt miserable people with whimsy. they both hate each other's guts /affectionate <3

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Clyde likes...

crafting handmade jewelry! mostly friendship bracelets for some reason, how this passion came about is lost in his memory though

collecting knickknacks for aforementioned jewelry (he's a junk hoarder)

batik, aloha shirts, or any regional equivalent

singing and dancing and dashing and prancing

traveling! seeing the world!

running! as a sport

running! movie marathons

running! from commitments and responsibilities

destroying everyone with a chain of UNO draw fours card games!

ttrpgs too probably. he'd max out whatever the system equivalent for the Charisma stat is at character creation without doubt

entertaining people generally, he knows he's funny

helping people too! he's got a big heart with so so so much to give

so so so much

Clyde dislikes...

Axis

wet blanket people in general

desk jobs or being locked into any committed position

not having space to stretch his legs

schedules and deadlines

feeling trapped or stuck or silenced he just needs to MOVE, man

yeah yeah. adhd

hard labor. he's a big strong guy and can handle it, but he'd much rather be relaxing

sour candy

tangled threads

memory loss

not being able to help. helplessness. no sense of direction or purpose or destination in life

socks

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Axis likes...

hoodies

being curled up in bed

the smell of fresh laundry

windy days

colourful fruity mocktails

bell-bottom jeans and y2k fashion

physics! worked as a lab assistant (the experience was awful but the science was fun!)

fixing things! worked as an apprentice mechanic (fun!)

bragging about her skills and expertise

her on-and-off adorable girlfriend Simmer <3

fluffy pastries and decadent desserts

moments to herself. quiet. silence. peace and tranquility

...

company

Axis dislikes...

Clyde

people who talk too loudly, too much, too quickly (Clyde)

people who get all up in her personal space (Clyde)

people who get over-invested in personal issues that does not concern them at all (Clyde)

people

crowded markets

rain

✨depression ✨

cooking. augh. Disaster

unfulfilling lesbian situationships (and yet...)

being in tall places where there's a risk of falling

owing debts

He's the mysterious vampire spawn NPC of the town who also happens to own an obscure bookstore that opens only at night. He's got centuries of knowledge and experiences, yet that still wasn't enough to help deal with how rowdy the party was when they trashed his place hdksjhs

Unbeknownst to most of my players, he's actually the last surviving royalty of a kingdom lost to the world. As in, it literally sank like Atlantis. He got turned against his will right before the disaster hit, and has been spending his immortality trying to collect artifacts from the remains of his home ever since. (The bookstore naturally became a side gig as his collection grew.)

As you can imagine, there's a whole lot of tragedy in his life, but I'll spare you from all of that! In recent years, he's really started to embrace the whole classic fancy vampire image, and has decided to settle down for now in a quaint town with people he's grown to care about! He still hasn't completely given up on the luxurious lifestyle, but at least he's swapped out his stiff regal garbs for something more local (and period accurate).

Blood or wine in his glass? Ehhhhhh 50/50.

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Here's his old design as a bonus hehe

my mostest favouritest self-insert oc ever, Cay Rustwood! i usually drop them into whatever game i'm playing as my MC, notably Roadwarden (their Home) and Arcade Spirits (where they were born!). but recently I started playing a cool text rpg called CyberPunkDreams, so this was a perfect opportunity to give them a sci-fi redesign in the game's style!

i'm only 10 days into the game so they don't have many clothing options yet ;; but it's exciting to see how they'll grow and change with time (if they survive)! their go-to outfit style is still western though hh