Particles

For my racing level I will need at least two particles. The first will be an alien energy thrust that I can put on my mothership. The second will be an electrical arch that will be stemming from the objects I place in the mothership. 

Here are some you tube videos I found on plasma. I want the energy thrust to look plasma-like, and these videos come the closest to what I am looking for that actually exists!

Plasma1

Plasma2

Plasma3 

As for other reference, I will be using a particle system that comes with UDK3 as a guide to create my particle. Theirs does not have the look I want but the behavior is simular.  

As for the electric arc, These are the videos I found to use for reference. 

Electric Arc

Tesla1

Tesla2

I also found 2 particle systems in UDK3 that I believe can help me achieve the look I am going for. their behavior is not quite what I want, but I plan to achieve that by using sprite animation.

Crates

This is my design ideas for my human and Alien Crates. The Alien crate will be able to explode, and leave a glowing alien symbol as a collectible. The symbol will be the same as the writing on the alien crate, and the holograms from the Alien Barrels.