During my game development assignment, I created a 3D Endless Runner Game in Unreal Engine. I will talk about this step by step and how I went about each step throughout the game development. 1. Creating the macro design document and game pitch (pre-production.) During the first 2 to 4 weeks of game development, I had to go ahead and pitch my game idea to the class. Essentially the idea needed to be simple and achievable. The reason for this is that I was working on multiple assignments during the period and creating something simple would not only be beneficial for the assignment but also for time constraints and my capabilities and skills in creating a game. I created the game pitch on Microsoft PowerPoint (presentation) and a Macro design document in Microsoft Word. I gathered all my pre-production materials for the pitch My game idea is an Endless Runner 3D game from a third-person perspective with Unreal Engine 4 being the game engine for the game to run on. The platform for this game is PC and Mobile. For PC I had to use this as a browser-based game and for mobile, it was the minimum requirement for our brief. I had player types and demographics in mind. Casuals and score chasers. Once I pitched my idea, the teacher approved and it was greenlit. I imagined it as if I was pitching my game out to a publisher who approves of the pitch and gives me the funds I need. This was a one man's job. By any means, I am no artist nor am I a programmer but I am good at ideas, creating game design documents and level design. Having said that, I felt more confident in programming than I have ever been in the past when creating games and there is one reason for that: the Unreal Engines Blueprint system. The research and development lessons in the blueprint in Unreal Engine have proven to be very useful and I needed to utilize the R&D I had done and used that as a reference when creating my game this was advised by my teacher and the assignment itself.
2. Creating the game in Unreal Engine (Production) This was the lengthiest process of all the production stages in game development. I used a template to create my project in Unreal Engine with the Third Person template. The reason I chose this template specifically is that I would get all the player controls I needed for the third person character, I was following a tutorial for my endless runner game and this was a time-effective method for me. Rather than creating individual key inputs and outputs in-game through blueprints as it is all set up for you depending on the template you use. Originally I had tried working on my own level without following a proper endless runner tutorial and tried to make my own endless runner level with the R&D I had done in the past. Along the way, I faced challenges when developing the game especially once I finished the tutorial videos for the endless runner game I followed. From there I followed a series of tutorials for the endless runner game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS-yQfo0lc0&list=PLZlv_N0_O1gbY4FN8pZuEPVC9PzQThNn1 The URL/Video above is the main tutorial I used for my Endless Runner game for the overall level, level design and (minimal) gameplay mechanics.
Other tutorials for extra gameplay mechanics such as score, enemy chases and power-ups. Distance travelled:
Originally I was going to implement this in my game but I realized two things: 1. When working on this it was apparent that I couldn't implement this the way I needed it to. I wanted the "distance travelled" widget to be on the same widget as where my "coin" widget is. I even went as to put the "distance travelled" score alongside the "coin" widget and try to get it functioning. I got as far as adding the "distance travelled" as a UI in the game but the scores weren't adding up and where a still image in itself. 2. I felt that as an "endless runner" this might ruin the mathematics of the game and would overcomplicate things. Making the score ridiculous I was going to do coins collected x distance travelled. If I was playing the game for a good 5-10 minutes then it would reach 8-9 figures numbers easily. Alternatively, I implemented a "bonus item" UI and mechanic instead. I used the same logic for the bonus item as to what I have done with the coins which made things easier in comparison to "Distance Travelled". Changing the default sky in Unreal Engine:
I wanted to include the aesthetic scene in Unreal Engine and I could do so by changing the default sky in UE4. For a while, it was something I wanted to do after getting the game in a playable state.
Simple score system:
Main menu:
Pause menu:
Creating a bounds area:
3. Marketing my proposed game. Something, I want to clarify before I get into my proposed game is that my Market Research Report word document was intended for another idea before I worked on Cyber Synth Runner. The reason I haven't changed my Market Research Report is that I have been working simultaneously on all 6 assignments and game development is one of the more time consuming assignments I had. With your proposed game you are to market your game with any kind of marketing methods and are to find and cater to your main audience and demographics who will play your proposed game. The player types I chose for mine are score chasers and casuals. As my game is for mobile and PC, it will reach a bigger and broader audience when compared to consoles. I did a PowerPoint presentation to present my marketing strategies and monetization methods for my game. Once the presentation was created and I was satisfied with the content included, I recorded my presentation for my assignment. Speaking of recordings for assignments I also recorded gameplay for Cyber Synth Runner in Unreal Engine. I did this using OBS Studio with my Blue Yeti Mic at home. A process that I did in the past with a previous game assignment last (academic) year. On 16/05/2022 came presentation day, I prepared myself for the presentation and presented my marketing strategies and monetization presentation. The presentation had lasted for 15-20 minutes. I felt confident during my presentation and explained things the way I intended to. Albeit, I am not a presenter and often, I don't present things well but in this one I was please and satisfied with how things turned out after the presentation. I talked about the gameplay. Here is the gameplay video for Cyber Synth Runner: The level that you see in my game is in a working state progress.
In the video I talk about the game mechanics, assets that are functioned and the minority of assets that aren't functioned, level design, gameplay mechanics, assets I'll be adding into the future.
4. Overall conclusion Overall I feel that this has been one of my favorite assignments I've ever worked on throughout the six years at Nescot College. At times it was stressful due to my inexperience with creating games but I had a lot of fun creating my game and learned things from that experience. Namely the blueprints system and using R&D methods to create my game. If it weren't for those two I'm not sure where I'd be without them. I'd like to say that they're my saving grace. I am incredibly proud of this assignment and my game project as I managed everything in the production pipeline by myself with minimal assistance and guidance from teachers. When I needed assistance, my teacher, Leigh, helped me out with blueprints, programming and implementing marketplace assets into the game itself.
Last year, I created a game in "Unity" in relation to "The Tower That Never Was" project and I only got as far as my character to go up a few floors with the collision system. The character couldn't pick up any items or what not.
And by comparing the two, I am overall satisfied with Cyber Synth Runner as a working state playable prototype.
I want to work and develop this game even further once I finish college.