Introduction
As my final assignment in NEWM-N 230 (INTRODUCTION TO GAME DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT), I was tasked with making a simple game to showcase what I have learned throughout the semester about the Unreal Engine. Due to my fondness for platformers, I decided to make a 3D platformer game to demonstrate my newly acquired skillset. To receive credit for the assignment, I was required to create a build of the project for my class to playtest. This meant that I had to prepare a build that was playable from the beginning to the end to get a good grade.
Unreal Struggles
Before this course, I had no previous experience with the engine, so I was coming in blind, which led to some challenges. Initially, I attempted to utilize the engine in the same manner as I typically use the Unity game engine, which resulted in issues. Unreal differs significantly from Unity, so the learning curve was quite steep, which led to a large fraction of development being spent on getting my bearings with the engine itself. At first It was frustrating for me because I could not get some of mechanics I wanted to work correctly but as I stuck with it I became much better at using it to its full potential.
As I struggle with the engines, I learned a lot of handy tools that It provides for developers. For example, I was able to gain a surface-level understanding of how blueprints work in Unreal. Blueprints in Unreal are a visual scripting feature that allows developers to program functionality without the use of C++, which helps make game development more successful. Since I did not know anything about C++ at the time, I used blueprints to implement features such as moving platforms and cannons. Unreal also has a very powerful particle system (Niagara) that can handle impressive particle simulations for devs willing to learn it.
Blueprint Interface
To go alongside developing the game, I also used the 3D modeling software Maya to add some 3D models into the game, such as the lily pads and the cannons. Additionally, I also handled the texturing and normal maps for the models I made, which helped give them some depth in-game. I decided to do this because I thought it would be good practice to exercise some of the 3D skills I was developing at the time.
Screen shot of the cannon and star models I made
As part of the final submission, my professor required me to upload some of the design concepts for the level, which are located below. Compared to the final, the overall design of the level remained mostly intact, albeit with a few optional paths being added to add a bit more variety to the gameplay.
Level Layout
What I Learned
This project taught me a lot about how to use the Unreal game engine for video games. As this was my first time using this engine, I spent a lot of time learning its systems so I could finish the project on time. Specifically relating to my expertise, I learned how to use blueprints to implement gameplay features that made the design of the level possible. Without learning how blueprints work, I would have had to sacrifice my vision of the level to adhere to the lack of blueprint usage.