LOCAL/
ENTER
©2024
Introduction:
Bernese Alps Analye: Forza Motorsport 6
Code & Tools Learning
References & Inspirations for Norwegian Map
Engine Render
Layout & Explanations
WORKFLOW
Informations:
This is my initial serious attempt at a racing game project.
The objective is to design a racing map that mirrors Forza on Unity while also gaining knowledge on the diversity of plugins related to racing games on Unity, including EasyRoad 3D, and honing my coding skills.
Outside of Unity, this project required extensive research on the construction of a racing map and on the performance of diverse cars on a range of road types.
In Forza Motorsport 6, the Bernese Alps circuit resembles a track set in the Swiss Alps, albeit with some modifications. The winding layout, rocky road surfaces, and the mountainscapes make driving on it feel like the twisty roads of the Alps. Here’s a detailed analysis of the circuit:
1/ Environment & Visuals
The Bernese Alps circuit is situated in a magnificent environment. With its tall mountains and picturesque valleys with snow-capped mountains and lakes below, people can enjoy a glimpse of mother nature at its finest.
All of it is also encapsulated in an infinite spectrum of natural beauty, creating a scene that is both visually pleasing and difficult for the rider. The entire experience is challenging yet enjoyable at the same time because of the creaking yet attractive décor, narrow roads, and wide elevated drive turns.
2/ Circuit Difficulty
The circuit is of medium difficulty because it contains different parts that can be complex even for veteran drivers. Here are some technical aspects:
Tight Corners: There are a lot of sharp turns, especially in the mountainous areas, which call for careful driving. Learning the appropriate braking techniques is essential because it's critical to get around these corners at the proper speed.
Elevation changes and fast corners: There are also fast zones with sharp turns. Steep hills and these kinds of sections make it hard to control the car, usually if it is not properly set up.
Slopes and Elevation: Even the ground's slope degree matters. To maintain a respectable speed without falling too low, speed must be controlled when descending and power must be effectively managed when ascending.
3/ Strategy
In order to achieve a good time on this circuit, acceleration, braking, and cornering must be balanced. Here are a few tips:
Car Setup: Since the different terrain may affect the car's grip, it is essential to adjust the suspension and differential settings. To better handle the bumps on the track, it is advised to increase the suspension's damping.
Speed management: Knowing when to accelerate and when to decelerate is crucial because this track is mostly composed of tactical and fast sections. For instance, avoid applying the brakes too early in fast sections or too late in tight corners.
4/ Key Sections of the Circuit
Steep climbs and descents are a central element of this circuit. They add an extra challenge to driving, especially in corners.
Fast descents, combined with hairpin turns, can cause you to lose control if you don't brake correctly.
The long straights offer an opportunity for maximum speed, but they are often followed by complex corners.
5 Accessibility and Adaptability
The circuit is accessible to different types of cars, from GTs to touring cars, and even supercars.
However, to fully exploit the circuit, it's best to choose a car that offers good stability in corners, as well as good responsiveness on the climbs and descents.
After a few searches for a controller, I couldn't find one like Forza on Unity, so I cobbled together a racing-style controller so I could practice my Unity code a bit.
I also had to learn some tools like EasyRoad3D, which is a plug-in for making routes that's a bit like splines. After struggling a bit at first, I managed to get the hang of it and made a few iterations of my work.
This part is the start of the race, symbolized by a star.
It's a fairly straightforward start to the race, with no bends or real difficulties.
There's a slight change of elevation at the beginning of the race, with a slight climb into the forest to break up the flatness of the race.
Nevertheless, the end of the race is a little more complicated, notably with a tight and rather treacherous bend on the way into town to finish the track.
The section through the woods is the fastest part, it's quite straight, the only difficulty is the last bend, which is quite violent, we're on an 80°, which I think is the most complicated part of the race.
To tackle it you have to manage your speed well, almost drifting if you don't want to lose too much speed.
This is the part of the bridge that serves as a transition between the forest and mountain biomes.
It's the shortest part of the map. It serves only to mark the halfway point, and to signal to the player that he's halfway there.
It runs parallel to the town on the other side of the lake.
The mountainous section is the one with the most relief: a big crescendo climb with a small plateau, then a big descent into the town with another rather sharp bend before the finish.
In terms of difficulty, it's pretty straightforward, apart from the end of the descent with the bend, which has to be approached with great precision.
1st and last Part: City / Start-Finish
2nd Part: Woods
3rd Part: Natural Bridge
4th Part: Mountains
In my work on the engine, I had to learn how to use the terrain tool to be able to try out LA on my project.
It's a tool that lets me use brushes to place several assets on the terrain/landscape, a bit like on unreal.
I had to switch the project to URP to be able to use different assets and a water shader for the lake in the middle of the map.
So here's where the project stands, for the moment we have the track done with Level Art intentions with the different zones.
The city zone serves as the beginning and end of the race, the forest zone is rather linear with a turn at the end to go to the natural bridge and then finish in the mountains with the ascent and descent to the end.
It's a short map at the moment, but several iterations will be coming soon.
First iteration and map test on Unity
This is the first track I had placed on the last map.
It's to show the evolution of the final 2-minute map.
Use of first assets and various landscape tools
Last track iteration
This is my first racing map, and to be honest, it was an arduous task, I wasn't expecting it.
Designing a racing map requires a lot of research into the different types of roads, cars, terrain and also the angles of the turns.
I probably should have done my first map on Unreal, the engine is better suited to racing and I could have done more work on the LA and landscape. At least I was able to learn a lot about racing and how to make a map thanks to the different documents I read and the videos I used during the research phase.
Debrief and things to improve
BACK TO TOP
Track Informations & feelings about the project
It's the first real racing map I've made on an engine, without any basis in terms of code, 3C or tools for designing a racing game on Unity.
For a first race, I'm quite happy with the result, which is a race in a mountainous biome, in a valley to be precise, with significant changes in relief, which was the core of my concept, inspired by the Bernese Alps in Forza Motorsport 4.
I put a few POIs on the map to help the player find himself, the church in the village and the natural bridge over the lake (symbolised by the red stars on the map).
In terms of difficulty, I didn't want the race to be too complex, because it's a first race, and even a map that's not very complex is very complicated to make. It's also quite short, at 1m20 with my very simple prototype car.
