Modding Spotlight: Rift City & Arctic Map
Hello everyone!
Every time we launch the live build of The Riftbreaker, we can’t stop ourselves from clicking on the ‘mods’ menu and checking what’s new. Your response to the modding integration has been great. Ranging from balance tweaks to complete overhauls of certain game modes, your mods have been nothing short of amazing - and they get better every day. Today we would like to showcase a couple of truly special mods created by a Steam user by the nickname Molch. They have created a couple of custom survival maps for The Riftbreaker, which are nothing short of amazing. Let’s take a look at them now!
No, Mr. Riggs! You can't eliminate your competition in a running contest!
[h3]Rift City[/h3]
The first map from Molch is called Rift City. It is a 12x12, non-randomized map, taking the game’s action to an urban environment. It might seem like an easy idea at first until you realize that there are pretty much no assets in the vanilla version of The Riftbreaker that you could use to create such a map. Sure, you can use some flags, potted plants, statues, and regular lamps as decorations, but that won’t be enough to create a full-fledged city. Molch had to get creative. Spoiler - they did not disappoint.
Instead of modeling entire buildings, texturing them, and using them as ready-made props, Molch took a modular approach. They created a set of 1 and 2 grid-sized cubes and applied our floor tile textures to all faces of the model. Thanks to that, Molch ended up with a collection of bricks that could be used to create buildings, pathways, walls, and any other architectural structure you could come up with. Granted, these won’t be the most detailed structures ever, but with enough creativity, they can still form stunning art pieces. Just check out the EXOR HQ and the abstract sculptures surrounding it!
To breathe more life into Rift City, Molch also added custom flying objects to the map. Instead of our classic birds, jellyfish, or unidentified insects, the skies of the City are populated with hot air balloons, as well as blimps. You can also catch a glimpse of a jet plane soaring through the skies. Best of all - there is also a full-sized airport, complete with airway beacons, hangers, and a control tower. Molch achieved all that by skillfully connecting their own custom-made elements with clever use of the assets that were already available in the game.
Speaking of using assets in a clever way, raise your hand if you remember our previous game - X-Morph: Defense. XMD featured a destruction system that allowed you to destroy buildings piece by piece, bulldozing cities one skyscraper at a time. Molch managed to replicate that using… tree trunks! There is a shack built from wooden logs hidden on the map. Since it’s made from individual, destructible parts, you can tear it down piece by piece, revealing the internal structure of the cabin, which even includes supports under the roof! It’s just like a building from X-Morph: Defense, but on a much smaller scale. Amazing stuff.
Rift City offers a ton of easter eggs and hidden features. We don’t want to spoil them all, so just go ahead and play it! The map is intended for regular survival gameplay. You will find all the necessary resource deposits to set up your base. However, you will need to be cautious - the city is currently inhabited by tons of creatures from all the Riftbreaker biomes, including several dozens of boss creatures, just waiting for you to misplace your key infrastructure. Conquering this map is certainly going to be a challenge.
[h3]Arctic Map[/h3]
Molch’s next creation is slightly different from the one we discussed previously. Unlike Rift City, Arctic Map takes advantage of The Riftbreaker’s map generation system to provide you with a new level layout every time you launch a Survival run. This means that no two games played on this map will ever be the same. Molch created a bunch of custom tiles, each featuring something special that separates this map from the ‘natural’ formations found in other Galatean biomes.
The Arctic Map is a masterclass in utilizing already existing props in new and unconventional ways. Molch combined assets from the vanilla version of The Riftbreaker into awesome, atmosphere-building contraptions. Not to spoil too much, you will find evidence of yet another alien civilization taking interest in Galatea and its inhabitants. The equipment they left behind is still operational - take a walk around the map yourself and try to see what secrets you may uncover.
Creative tile construction is not the only thing that stands out in this mod. Molch added custom ground textures and modified the existing boulder sets to fit the Arctic atmosphere much better. Thanks to that, all tiles are very detailed and simply feel right - this is what you would expect from a polar region of a planet such as Galatea 37. A perfect place to plan your next science trip!
The Arctic Map is fully adapted for Survival mode gameplay, meaning you will easily find all the necessary resource deposits and plenty of good spots to set up your headquarters. Be cautious, though, as once again, Molch did not go easy on the number and difficulty level of the creatures you will encounter! Bring your best gear and tactics if you plan to take on the challenge.
We highly recommend downloading both Rift City and the Arctic Map. They are both available on the Steam Workshop, which you can easily access through The Riftbreaker’s main menu. Don’t forget to rate and add the mods you like to your favorites! It gives the creators a chance to see that you appreciate their work and want more!
You can find Molch's mods right here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2906784014&searchtext=
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2902467177&searchtext=
And if you ever need any modding help, catch us on Discord - www.discord.gg/exorstudios.
Enjoy!
EXOR Studios
Every time we launch the live build of The Riftbreaker, we can’t stop ourselves from clicking on the ‘mods’ menu and checking what’s new. Your response to the modding integration has been great. Ranging from balance tweaks to complete overhauls of certain game modes, your mods have been nothing short of amazing - and they get better every day. Today we would like to showcase a couple of truly special mods created by a Steam user by the nickname Molch. They have created a couple of custom survival maps for The Riftbreaker, which are nothing short of amazing. Let’s take a look at them now!
No, Mr. Riggs! You can't eliminate your competition in a running contest![h3]Rift City[/h3]
The first map from Molch is called Rift City. It is a 12x12, non-randomized map, taking the game’s action to an urban environment. It might seem like an easy idea at first until you realize that there are pretty much no assets in the vanilla version of The Riftbreaker that you could use to create such a map. Sure, you can use some flags, potted plants, statues, and regular lamps as decorations, but that won’t be enough to create a full-fledged city. Molch had to get creative. Spoiler - they did not disappoint.
Instead of modeling entire buildings, texturing them, and using them as ready-made props, Molch took a modular approach. They created a set of 1 and 2 grid-sized cubes and applied our floor tile textures to all faces of the model. Thanks to that, Molch ended up with a collection of bricks that could be used to create buildings, pathways, walls, and any other architectural structure you could come up with. Granted, these won’t be the most detailed structures ever, but with enough creativity, they can still form stunning art pieces. Just check out the EXOR HQ and the abstract sculptures surrounding it!
To breathe more life into Rift City, Molch also added custom flying objects to the map. Instead of our classic birds, jellyfish, or unidentified insects, the skies of the City are populated with hot air balloons, as well as blimps. You can also catch a glimpse of a jet plane soaring through the skies. Best of all - there is also a full-sized airport, complete with airway beacons, hangers, and a control tower. Molch achieved all that by skillfully connecting their own custom-made elements with clever use of the assets that were already available in the game.
Speaking of using assets in a clever way, raise your hand if you remember our previous game - X-Morph: Defense. XMD featured a destruction system that allowed you to destroy buildings piece by piece, bulldozing cities one skyscraper at a time. Molch managed to replicate that using… tree trunks! There is a shack built from wooden logs hidden on the map. Since it’s made from individual, destructible parts, you can tear it down piece by piece, revealing the internal structure of the cabin, which even includes supports under the roof! It’s just like a building from X-Morph: Defense, but on a much smaller scale. Amazing stuff.
Rift City offers a ton of easter eggs and hidden features. We don’t want to spoil them all, so just go ahead and play it! The map is intended for regular survival gameplay. You will find all the necessary resource deposits to set up your base. However, you will need to be cautious - the city is currently inhabited by tons of creatures from all the Riftbreaker biomes, including several dozens of boss creatures, just waiting for you to misplace your key infrastructure. Conquering this map is certainly going to be a challenge.
[h3]Arctic Map[/h3]
Molch’s next creation is slightly different from the one we discussed previously. Unlike Rift City, Arctic Map takes advantage of The Riftbreaker’s map generation system to provide you with a new level layout every time you launch a Survival run. This means that no two games played on this map will ever be the same. Molch created a bunch of custom tiles, each featuring something special that separates this map from the ‘natural’ formations found in other Galatean biomes.
The Arctic Map is a masterclass in utilizing already existing props in new and unconventional ways. Molch combined assets from the vanilla version of The Riftbreaker into awesome, atmosphere-building contraptions. Not to spoil too much, you will find evidence of yet another alien civilization taking interest in Galatea and its inhabitants. The equipment they left behind is still operational - take a walk around the map yourself and try to see what secrets you may uncover.
Creative tile construction is not the only thing that stands out in this mod. Molch added custom ground textures and modified the existing boulder sets to fit the Arctic atmosphere much better. Thanks to that, all tiles are very detailed and simply feel right - this is what you would expect from a polar region of a planet such as Galatea 37. A perfect place to plan your next science trip!
The Arctic Map is fully adapted for Survival mode gameplay, meaning you will easily find all the necessary resource deposits and plenty of good spots to set up your headquarters. Be cautious, though, as once again, Molch did not go easy on the number and difficulty level of the creatures you will encounter! Bring your best gear and tactics if you plan to take on the challenge.
We highly recommend downloading both Rift City and the Arctic Map. They are both available on the Steam Workshop, which you can easily access through The Riftbreaker’s main menu. Don’t forget to rate and add the mods you like to your favorites! It gives the creators a chance to see that you appreciate their work and want more!
You can find Molch's mods right here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2906784014&searchtext=
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2902467177&searchtext=
And if you ever need any modding help, catch us on Discord - www.discord.gg/exorstudios.
Enjoy!
EXOR Studios
An artistic depiction of void crunching the numbers and mashing all these stats together. 2022, colorized.
We absolutely love how this piece of artwork turned out. 
Mr. Riggs wants to get involved, too!
Cracking presents means something different on Galatea 37.