ModNation Racers Kart Track and Mod Creation Discussion

[Madibart]

Nice job on the tutorial. I really appreciate that you took the time to do this as I know it will help many people (myself included). I'm working on a new track now and I'm using the blocks for a groundplane for my city of the first time. It was handy to read your little section on this.

Keep up the good work.

[atheistsw]

Thanks Bart. A quick tip for you; if you are planning to make the karts drive on those blocks than might I suggest using the wooden platform from the Far East theme? It can be driven on smoothly with no issues, whereas the blocks can cause karts to get randomly stuck and when you see everyone else driving on them ahead it looks like they are having some sort of seizure!

Of course if you don't have that theme DLC or you just want to use them as scenery (like in my example track above) then disregard this advice!

[IvoYaridovich]

Not bad. Probably useful for a few people.

I've had something similar sitting in a word document forever, cept mines more concerned with building a balanced race track with some tips to building successful gimmicks. Perhaps one of these days I'll actually get to finishing that stupid thing XD

[derede1]

Loved every word, thanks for the help.

[atheistsw]

Thanks for all the feedback so far, I'm really glad people are finding this useful. Remember, if you have any questions about the track making process do feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them for you.

Happy tracking!

[SpitKing]

Thanks so much for this. Great job!

[manlius10a]

Atheist, thanks so much for this lovely tutorial.  It touches upon everything I would tell a new tracker.  Almost as if I had written it myself!!  A few of these things I need to remind myself, when I track!

My preference with item pods is a little different than the 10 second rule (although, I have heard that rule before).  I like to give the racer the chance of getting only three item pods per lap if they stick to the main road, and six total if they go all the alternative routes, and always choose item pods over bost pads (when split choice).

Also, I would advice trackers to be careful where they put boost pads.  One of my biggest pet-peeves is when a boost pad is right before a knoll in the track and sends someone racing elite speed airborne over the track and out of bounds.  I am also not a fan of boost pads before turns.  I also think that it is wasteful to have boost pads close enough together that you are still boosting from the first one when you hit the second one.

The final tip that I would have that you didn't touch upon, is that before I lay the track I like to form the major terrain features and geography of the track, then I use follow terrain to lay down the track (using your / Ivo's delete banking technique immediately after the track is laid).

[finaler]

Fantastic guide you have put together here.  Learned some stuff from it.  I was really getting discouraged lately about making new tracks but now I am excited about trying it again.  I have still come up with more idea's for themes I wanna make so this guide will definitely help. 

I do have one question though, do you usually or always draw the track first and then mess with tarrian later or does it depend?  I find messing with the tarrian first can screw things up for me.  Anyway I hope that with this I can put together a great track that you can enjoy.

Thanks

[IvoYaridovich]

Dunno about Athiest, but for me personally, it depends on the track. If I want a more natural feel, I do terrain first. If I want a more constructed feel, I do it after. Gusty Mountain for instance, had the terrain done before the track was ran, while Pastry Paradise was done after the track was laid (Ivo Snowboard Cross will fall under this too when it's finally finished). It all depends on how you want the track to feel. Either way though, the track will NEED to be smoothed out with the elevation changes to not make the ride annoying.

[finaler]

Thanks.  I probably should have worded that better.  I mean for tracks that have quite a bit of off road shortcuts or probably like snow mountains.  I have tried that stuff before but I seem pretty bad at smoothing it out and making something go up/down hill as needed if I use some tarrian editor that makes things really bumpy at the start which is why I asked.  I shall check out the tracks you said as well as the track used for this tutorial when I get back on to see how they are.