As a beginner to the Free Rider world, one may find it difficult to create a track that everyone enjoys. Whether your tracks are too difficult, too easy and boring, or just look ugly, this article may benefit you in your track creating career. Please note that to make a good track, it may take hours, maybe days, of dedication and patience. Do not expect to read this article and come out with the next top Trending track.
The Basics[]
If you are brand new to track creation, this section will be perfect for you. The following tips and tricks will help you create a basic, smooth, fun, add some loops and other fun stuff (but not too hard) and you get a playable track that everyone will enjoy.
Planning[]
It can be a bit intimidating starting out with a blank canvas, with your rider just sitting there waiting to ride the endless possibilities of awesomeness rushing through your head, so, where do you start?
Well, it's best to start out by asking yourself a few questions:
- What vehicle am I going to focus on? Mountain Bike or BMX?
- What theme do I want my track to be? Dirt? Meadows? Desert? Mountain?
- Do I want my track to be an auto? If not, how challenging do I want it to be?
- How long do I want my track to be? (This answer can easily be changed later on).
After you answered these questions in your head, you can finally start drawing! Yay! But you are back to the same question again; where do you start?
To be honest, it is up to your imagination to construct your track. The obstacles you have, the jumps you make, whether you go up a hill or down one, are all up to you. Let that imagination roll!
What this tutorial can help you with is how to approach your ideas. Lets get started.
Getting Started[]
Here are a few strategies on how to construct your track:
To the left, you can see the Curved Line tool. To the right, you can see the Straight Line tool + Snap. See the difference?
Smooth Lines (Without Grid)[]
To get the best feedback from players, it is best to have the smoothest ride possible in your track. At first, it may seem like the "Curved Line" tool would be best for doing this. Surprisingly, it really isn't. To make the smoothest lines, it is easier to used the straight line tool, along with the "Snap to line" tool. Note: Turn the grid off!
The main difference between the two tools is that curved line tool automatically places lines for you, making it difficult to make precise curved lines. The straight line tool lets you adjust exactly where you want your line to be placed, allowing you to make the perfect curved line for your track.
To the left, you can see a comparison between the curved tool and the straight line tool with snap. Which would you prefer riding on? Probably the right side.
Notice how the curve on the left looks jagged and rough, and the one on the right doesn't. That's because the curve on the right has smooth angles between each line, and the left one has rough angles between each line.
To accomplish making this type of line, select the straight line tool, and draw the first line of your jump. Make sure this first line is really flat, so it allows the player to ride onto it without any bumps. Without clicking anywhere else, hold down the SHIFT button. Notice the red line following your mouse around. The next time you click, that's where your next line will be placed. use this to your advantage, and try holding SHIFT and clicking to place a line next to the first line you just placed. Make sure the line doesn't create a jagged and rough bump between the two lines, or else the curve won't be as smooth as you want it to be. Refer to the diagram to your right to see what you should be aiming for.
This strategy can be used for loops, the ramps of a jump, and the landings. For the landings, just do the same strategy, but backwards!
Smooth Lines (With Grid)[]
If you wish to make a smooth ramp with the grid on, it is usually best to use the following method:
Refer to the diagram below to follow along with the step by step instructions.
- Start by making a vertical line that marks the height you want your jump to be.
- Mark the angle of your jump by drawing a line from the top of the vertical line to a place on the horizontal line.
- From the line you just drew, draw a line from one point below the previous line you drew, to the point on the other side of the previous line you drew.
- Repeat step number 3 until you reach the horizontal line. This will be your finished result.
The two examples shown outline the step by step instructions above. Step one is on the left, and step four (the finished product) is on the right. This can also be done the other way around.
Rough Lines[]
If you wish for your track to have some rough lines to slow the player down or to give them a challenge, it is best to find the right balance of roughness that provides a challenge, but with little frustration. Consider the example below:
An example of some rough terrain.
To the left you can see a segment of rough terrain. Notice how the ramp, or the left side of the bump, is jagged, and not very smooth. This is the challenge portion of this bump. The bumpy ramp provides a small amount of inconsistency in the way the rider will fly into the air. It is up to the player to straighten out him/herself in order to land smoothly on the other side.
There are endless ways to create rough terrain, so it is up to you on how difficult you want to make it. The most important part to making rough lines, however, is to make sure that it is fun to play. If you find that the terrain you made is too frustrating, and often sends your rider into a face plant, then maybe you should consider adjusting your terrain to make it more enjoyable.
Filling in the Middle[]
Now that you know how to draw some smooth and rough lines, lets piece it together and make a masterpiece! The following tutorials will help you create the basic elements of your track.
Loops[]
A standard loop in Free Rider HD.
Making loops in Free Rider can be difficult at times, but with a little practice (and a good eye for round circles), one can make the loopiest loops around.
The most standard way to make a loop is to start with a small ramp, leading into a small jump where you land on the beginning of the loop. You can use the picture to the right as a reference.
Make sure you test out this beginning ramp, as sometimes you may not notice that the player may be coming in too fast or too slow to be able to complete the loop without crashing. If your rider slides over the gap with no troubles, you can move on to constructing the actual loop.
Although it may look like it, it is NOT easy to draw a perfectly round loop. It takes a lot of practice. Be prepared to make the loop multiple times until you get the result you want. Generally, the loop needs to circle back over the top of the starting ramp, and then come back in, aiming the rider to just clear the tip of the starting ramp. Make sure you keep the top of the loop a little tighter than the bottom of it to keep the rider stuck to the inner track.
The landing ramp connects right off the tip of the starting ramp. Make sure it is smooth, and has enough room in its exit to keep the rider from hitting their head on the loop.
It is recommended that you take some time on a blank track to construct some loops to see what you are good at making, and what suits your track the best. You never know, maybe loops are your thing, or maybe they aren't.
There are many different types of loops out there. Here are an assortment of different ways you can make your loops:
Finishing up[]
Scenery[]
Making a track that is popular among the community, you generally have to add a little eye candy. Now, the ways to do this are limited by your artistic abilities, however, with a little work, you can practice and master some scenery strategies that will make your track stand out.
Tips:
- Look at detailing tracks (search "Guide to Detailing" in the track search bar)
- Use your own style.
There are some track made by FRHD users that show how to make some Scenery: