Creator Spotlight: JL_Nightmare

My journey into map creation started from frustration, honestly. I loved Skater XL but felt limited by the available environments. I had these vivid ideas of impossible spaces I wanted to skate, places that existed only in dreams or glitches. When I discovered Unity and realized I could actually build these spaces, it became an obsession. My first map was terrible, absolutely unplayable, but it proved the concept was possible.

It was called Fragment Zero. Just a collection of floating platforms with no coherent design philosophy. Half the collision detection did not work, and you would fall through floors randomly. But even in its broken state, there was something magical about skating in this void-like environment. That experience taught me that sometimes the glitches and accidents can be more interesting than what you planned. I learned to work with the chaos instead of fighting it.

I am interested in the intersection of functionality and discomfort. Not discomfort in a negative sense, but that feeling of being slightly off-balance, where your expectations are constantly being subverted. In real skateboarding, spots are constrained by physics and practicality. But in a digital space, we can question those constraints. Why does a rail need to be straight? Why does gravity need to be consistent? Why should surfaces be solid?

Every map I create starts with a question about what skateboarding could be if we removed one fundamental assumption. Then I build an environment that explores that question. The aesthetic comes from making those questions visible. I want players to see the seams, to feel the artificiality, because that tension between real and unreal creates interesting skating moments.

That is the eternal struggle. I have had to scrap entire sections of maps because they looked incredible but felt terrible to skate. The key insight for me was realizing that playability itself can be an artistic choice. Some of my maps are deliberately challenging, requiring players to adapt their skating style to the environment rather than the environment conforming to traditional skating expectations.

But there is a line. If something is frustrating rather than challenging, if the difficulty comes from poor design rather than intentional complexity, then I have failed. I test everything extensively, sometimes spending more time testing than building. I also rely heavily on community feedback during development. The modding discord has been invaluable for getting early reactions and identifying problem areas.

It always starts with a visual or conceptual hook. Maybe I see an interesting architectural detail in real life, or I experience a glitch in another game that triggers an idea. I sketch very rough concepts in a notebook, nothing detailed, just spatial relationships and key features. Then I move into Unity and start blocking out basic geometry.

This blocking phase is crucial. I am not thinking about textures or lighting yet, just pure spatial design. How do different areas connect? What is the flow? Where are the key skating lines? Once the skeleton is solid, I start adding details, textures, and atmospheric elements. Lighting is probably the most time-consuming aspect. The right lighting can transform a boring space into something memorable.

After the visual design is complete, I enter what I call the polish phase. This is where I fine-tune collision meshes, adjust physics properties, and do extensive playtest sessions. I will skate the same line dozens of times, making tiny adjustments until it feels right. Most people never notice these micro-adjustments, but they make the difference between a map that feels good and one that feels exceptional.

Unity is obviously the foundation, but I also use Blender extensively for creating custom assets and ProBuilder for rapid geometry creation within Unity itself. For textures, I work with Substance Painter and Photoshop. I have also started incorporating procedural generation techniques for certain elements, which allows for more organic complexity.

One technique I use heavily is modular design. I create reusable components that can be assembled in different configurations. This speeds up the build process and helps maintain visual consistency across a map. It also allows for interesting repetition and pattern variations that reinforce the surreal atmosphere I am going for.

Architecture is a huge influence, particularly brutalist and deconstructivist movements. The work of architects like Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind, who challenge conventional spatial relationships, resonates strongly with what I am trying to do in digital space. I am also deeply influenced by abstract expressionism, particularly artists who work with geometry and color relationships.

In terms of games, the environmental design in titles like NaissanceE, Antichamber, and Manifold Garden has been hugely inspirational. These games understand that space itself can be a puzzle, that navigating an environment can be as engaging as any traditional gameplay mechanic. I try to bring that same sense of spatial exploration to skating.

Music plays a big role too. I often design while listening to ambient or experimental electronic music. Artists like Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Tim Hecker create soundscapes that feel parallel to the visual spaces I am trying to build. That sense of being inside a system that operates by its own internal logic.

The community has been everything. Seeing people skate my maps and interpret them in ways I never imagined is incredibly rewarding. Some players approach my maps methodically, like they are solving puzzles. Others treat them as sandboxes for experimentation. Both approaches are valid and both teach me something about my own work.

I have also learned so much from other creators. The modding scene is surprisingly collaborative. People share techniques, troubleshoot problems together, and push each other to improve. Some of my best technical innovations came from late-night discord conversations with other map makers, working through complex problems collectively.

A few times. Collaboration is tricky because everyone has their own creative vision, but when it works, the results can be spectacular. I worked with DreamScape_Dev on a map called Convergence Point that blended our two styles in interesting ways. The challenge was finding areas where our aesthetics complemented rather than competed with each other.

I am actually more interested in what I call collaborative ecosystems, where multiple creators build maps that reference or connect to each other thematically. Imagine a series of maps that share visual DNA or mechanical concepts, creating a larger narrative across separate creations. That is something I would love to see more of in the community.

I am developing something I am calling The Liminal Series, a collection of interconnected maps that explore transitional spaces and in-between places. Each map will represent a different type of liminal environment, from parking garages to hotel hallways to maintenance corridors. The idea is to find skateable potential in spaces typically designed to be passed through rather than inhabited.

I am also experimenting with dynamic elements, maps that change based on player actions or time. The technical challenges are significant, but early tests are promising. Imagine a map where skating specific lines causes the environment to shift or reveal new areas. That kind of responsive design could open up entirely new possibilities for map creation.

Start simple and iterate constantly. Your first map will not be your best map, and that is perfectly fine. Every project teaches you something that informs the next one. Do not be afraid to release work that is not perfect. Some of my most popular maps started as experimental sketches I almost did not publish.

Study both skateboarding and design principles outside of skating. Understanding how real skaters approach spots, how they read spaces and identify lines, is crucial even when you are building impossible environments. At the same time, looking at architecture, sculpture, and other spatial arts gives you a vocabulary for creating interesting spaces.

Most importantly, find your own voice. The community does not need more realistic street plazas. We have plenty of those, and they serve an important purpose. But what makes the modding scene exciting is diversity of vision. If you have a weird idea, pursue it. The maps that push boundaries and divide opinion are often more valuable than safe, universally liked designs.

I think we are still in the early experimental phase. As tools improve and more people start creating, we are going to see maps that make current work look primitive. I am particularly excited about the potential for cross-pollination with other creative tools and communities. Imagine map creation interfaces that allow for real-time collaborative building, or integration with procedural generation systems that can create infinite variations.

The line between map creation and other forms of digital art is going to blur. We might see maps that are also interactive installations, or skating environments designed specifically for video production. The skateboarding element becomes one component of a larger creative expression. That is where things get really interesting.

But regardless of technical evolution, I hope the community maintains its experimental spirit. The willingness to fail, to try strange ideas, to build maps that might only appeal to a small audience, that is what keeps this scene vital. As long as creators feel empowered to take risks, custom map creation will continue producing surprising and innovative work.