Airborne Alley - Modded map for Descenders.
Project Summary
Descenders is a downhill mountain biking game where players race through challenging tracks, perform daring stunts, and compete for the best times and scores. With a focus on skillful riding.
In this map I wanted to introduce competitive mini-games that would spice up descenders, I also paid great attention to detail because I wanted the map to look as good as possible.
Before diving into this analysis, I encourage you to watch the video below, which shows my project from a player’s perspective.
Creation Process
I wanted to explore a new approach to map creation for Descenders. Typically, maps are made by manipulating Unity terrain or using 3D models camouflaged with Unity terrain. However, both methods can be tedious and doesn’t look that good.
To overcome these limitations, I took a different route for this map. I built the entire terrain skeleton in Blender, allowing for easy adjustments and the freedom to replace or remove elements as needed.
Creating non-monotonous and engaging trails became my main challenge. I wasn’t afraid to delete segments that didn’t meet my riding expectations, even if I had invested significant time in their creation.
Another difficulty was ensuring a seamless flow and smoothness throughout the jumps, allowing riders to effortlessly navigate through the map. Additionally, I aimed to establish “harmony” among the different elements, allowing trails to intersect and enabling creative players to utilize alternative trajectories and jump from one trail to another.
After designing all the trails, I filled the space between the trails by preparing the mesh for conversion from the obj. file to the unity terrain. I did it with the “Object2Terrain.cs” script from lmhpoly.com
Next up was the whole texture painting and assets placing process, I aimed to create visually good looking environment. I’ve carefully selected main textures that harmonized perfectly with the skybox and lighting. Additionally, I utilized some Descenders assets to add decorative elements in specific areas.
Project Features
Map features three exciting challenges for players to participate in.
The first challenge is long jump, where the score increases with the distance jumped. Similarly second challenge, high jump awards points based on the height achieved.
Designing trails for these challenges was relatively straightforward, as my main focus was ensuring that players couldn’t easily max out the score on the first attempt.
The third challenge, the Slopestyle course, holds a special place for me as it draws inspiration from real-world mtb slopestyle competitions. In these competitions, riders navigate difficult courses while executing their best tricks to earn points.
Creating my own slopestyle course involved incorporating various obstacles that allowed players to showcase their skills and explore creative ways to conquer them.
One of the significant challenges I encountered was implementing proper points counting scripts for multiplayer functionality. Since I lacked programming skills, I enlisted the expertise of a friend who is an game developer proficient in C#.
Together, with the assistance of the Descenders community, we developed a system that enabled scripts to work on multiplayer gameplay.
Value Of The Project
The map has achieved big success, garnering a flattering response from players and earning appreciation from developers. Currently, the map has over 14k downloads with excelent rating of 94%, and its popularity continues to grow.
Link to project page: Airborne Alley
The map is accessible on Windows and both Mac and OSX platforms, providing an inclusive experience for a wider range of players.
To showcase the community’s reception, I have included a selection of videos and reviews below.
@itscordial These New Dirt Jumps in Descenders are Epic!! 💪😱 #fyp #gaming #aussie #mtb #bmx #descenders #dirt ♬ Cypher - The Cr7 ( Slowed ) - iBertoli
If you have any questions I will be glad to answer them.
I’m always open to talk about new projects, creative opportunities and how I can help you.