Hello again! It's blog post time again, this time with yet another set of map-related stuff to show off! We've got vehicles, a new island, and more! So let's get started:
In SimplePlanes 2 there are a number of vehicles that spawn around the map, ranging from cars to airplanes, boats, and even the occasional blimp or hot air balloon. They all spawn in predefined areas that we’re able to set, and each has a randomized colour palette.
In order to maintain a balance of quality and performance (among other reasons), these vehicles are their own handmade 3D models rather than crafts made in the game. Achieving something with the scope we wanted is a large undertaking, so we called in reinforcements.
Enter Emmanuelle Le Nouaille, or simply Emma. Emma is a 3D artist who’s been making many of these vehicles for us, having previously made a number of structures for a little-known game called Microsoft Flight Simulator. Everything she’s made for SP2 is built to look pretty without feeling stylistically out of place with the rest of the game, serving as nice little setpieces to make the world of SP2 feel less lonely.
Emma has some words of her own to share in regards to the creative process here, so I’m going to let her take over now:
I was asked to make several vehicles to populate the airport, including a blimp, hot air balloon, a yacht, golf cart, planes and a helicopter. This was a fun task as I got to use some of the skills and techniques I had learned working on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, where I was taught very handy hard surface modelling techniques that give a really nice result. I am very proud of the vehicles I have made for SimplePlanes 2 and hope they enhance the overall game.
The vehicle modelling process is always the same for me, first I need to create a bounding box that is the length, width and height of the vehicle I am making, then I set up some blueprints of that vehicle which I download off the internet. Next I will start with primary shapes, a box, or cylinder or plane, which I conform and add lines to and slowly build up the final shape from the least amount of lines possible. Once the silhouette is correct I can start adding details like windows and doors and some panels, which I cut into the surface. And, finally, I add the small parts, like door handles, aerials, and lights. The main difficulty was trying to keep the polycount as low as possible while also making sure all the curved surfaces were curved enough. Once the vehicle is modeled, I lay out the UVs to be able to texture it. I made the textures fairly simple to match the style of the vehicles players make in the game. Also, the materials are made to be able to change the color of the vehicles ingame for more variety. The last step is to create LODs (level of details): From the vehicle I modeled and textured, I make a version with a reduced amount of polygon that will be displayed in the game from a distance. It’s a classic optimization method that is very efficient to make the game run faster.
Located just off the east coast of Vetusta Island is a whole other island we haven’t talked about yet, called Driftwood Island.
Driftwood is a bit different from the other three islands. It’s a small, eccentric private island that’s densely packed with fun playspaces, with its main attraction being:
Named after Kunimitsu Takahashi – a legendary Japanese racing driver who popularized the art of drifting in a car – Kunimitsu Airport is a private airport set on the southern end of Driftwood Island, built to be a hotspot for all sorts of high-profile racing events both on and off the ground.
Kunimitsu is another collaboration with Emma that we’re very proud of, so once again I’ll let her speak for herself:
Due to my previous experience as an environment and props artist, working on Flight Simulator 2020, creating airports, monuments and vehicles I was hired by Jundroo to work on SimplePlanes 2. The first model I worked on was [Kunimitsu] airport. Working closely with the team, I designed original buildings that look like a small private airport with all its functionalities: runways, taxi ways, control tower (ATC), firestation, terminal, hangar, radar antenna and fuel station. It was a fun task to do as I got to express creativity with the designs while keeping them functional and fun to play. We wanted a classy feel, inspired by luxury hotels in Dubai and also private airports, while keeping with the mood of the game.
From the blockout and the brief provided by the team I modelled a terminal building with organic shapes and a glass ceiling, inspired by modern architecture. The team wanted the airport to be able to receive a lot of different vehicles from air, ground and water so we designed it with helipads on the roof, a big hangar at the front where small planes can come from the runways, floating piers at the back to park boats and an underground parking for cars. I hope it's fun to play around on.
The ATC is a fairly classic design but since the Terminal building is quite tall, the ATC needed to be tall as well. This became a problem as it felt out of place next to the terminal. To solve that problem, plus balance the design more, we ended up lowering the roof of the Terminal and adding a race control tower on the lower section of the ATC. Yes, I forgot to mention before, we have a racetrack at the airport.
I designed the main hangars next to the terminal building with arched roofs. The team liked the idea and pushed it further, "Why not be able to drive on the hangar?" Following their idea, I modified the shape to have the roof starts from the ground, that way players can drive on the hangar with cars. I adjusted the models several times so they work nicely together in harmony.
You read Emma correctly; woven into Kunimitsu Airport is a full-fledged race track, lovingly crafted by another contributor we’ve brought on to help us create SP2’s environments.
The Driftwood Circuit and most of its surroundings besides the airport is made by Henry Deng, who many of you may know better as DeezDucks, a prominent member of the SimplePlanes community and a moderator on our website. Collaborating with him has been a treat, and it’s resulted in one of my favourite areas in the game.
As with Emma’s contributions, Henry is much more suited to talk about this than me, so I’ll leave the rest of the explanation to him:
Most of you may already know me, some of you may not. I’ve recently had the opportunity to help out with environmental assets and related art for SP2. Of the items I’ve worked on so far, the most recent and by far the largest is Driftwood Circuit. Connected to and carving through Kunimitsu’s airport layout, Driftwood Circuit represents a huge leap in fidelity for race tracks over SP1. While the layout of the circuit was already made (the full layout of which I’ll leave a secret, but will look familiar to those who notice), I worked on the trackside buildings, barriers, and details. Something that I wanted to improve on from SP1’s tracks was the immersion and sense of scale. Alongside the improved fitment of the track with the terrain, the inclusion of new runoffs and barriers will make racing between friends much more forgiving (sometimes, sometimes not) and fun.
The circuit is separated into four distinct sectors, each with a unique feel. I looked at a wide variety of real life tracks and modeled certain aspects after them as an homage to legendary racetracks and to try and show respect to our motorsports enthusiasts. The last sector includes a number of alternate routes, allowing for multiple combinations and lengths of layouts. These combined with the new activities, will give everybody a ton of things to do in lots of different cars, from formula racers, to drift cars or stadium trucks. In the future, Driftwood Circuit won’t be the only track to populate the island, and hopefully they’ll live up to the hype. I’ll be back a few more times this week to talk about some of the other things I’ve been working on.
Among the contributions Henry has made to the world of SP2 besides Driftwood Circuit are various bridges around the map, ranging from a grand suspension bridge connecting two islands together to a small bridge on a touge. There are quite a few bridges scattered across the islands; if you happen to be a bridge enthusiast, I’m sure you’ll have fun. Or maybe you just want to blow them up, nobody’s gonna stop you.
As with last time, I will be acting as a bridge for Henry to talk about some of this stuff himself. Here’s what he has to say:
Acting as the gateway into New Yoke from Middleton, the suspension bridge helps form the main land corridor between the island chain’s two major cities. Following the stylistic direction we wanted, I looked to combine some more classic North American examples with some from East Asia, particularly from Guizhou province in China to create a more unique design.
A number of factors relating to player interactions were considered. The bridge incorporates an array of decorative lights and functional anti-collision beacons, helping it stand out at night. Due to the nature of the terrain on both sides of the water, I had to give the deck of the bridge a rather aggressive arch so that there was enough clearance for most types of military and commercial vessels. If your ship just won't fit, fear not! The entire main structure is able to be fractured, so you can just blast your way through. The rest of the islands have multiple smaller bridges dotted across the landscape, but this one is the standout feature in comparison.
Scattered across the SimplePlanes Archipelago are various little points of interest that add some much-needed atmosphere. These, too, are made by Henry! Here’s what he has to say:
A variety of different POIs dot the landscape of SP2, these are meant to provide players with options that encourage them to explore the more remote corners of the map. Three different types of POIs currently exist: Lighthouses, Firewatch Lookouts, and stunt ramps. Each type has two variations, and more unique POIs are planned for the future.
A number of lighthouses guard the islets and dangerous coasts across the islands. They function with working beacon lights that cast out into the darkness, the tower has both a tall buttressed version, and a shorter stout one. This variety combined with auxiliary support buildings, helps give each location a unique feel.
The firewatch towers come in a tall stilted version and a short stone based one. Often placed far into the forest, these towers provide great opportunities to kick your feet up and enjoy the landscape.
Lastly, players can find a number of stunt jumps dotting the landscape, the call of the void manifested. Coming in a rickety wood and more sturdy steel version, these will help players get maximum air before gravity inevitably takes over.
More unique POIs are planned as the game progresses, but we’ll keep them a secret for now :)
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