The assignment
One of the final projects, project IMTS, is a half year project for a client. We have direct contact with the client, and discuss the product throughout the project.
The client gave the following set of requirements for the game; it should be VR(Virtual Reality) made for the OQ2 (Oculus Quest 2), entertaining, and made in UE4(Unreal Engine 4).
Our product
As both engineers, me and another project member, do not have any experience with UE4, we went with the blueprint workflow. This way we have less stress on using a new code language, and have time to properly understand the engine itself.
Learning Goals
Even though we work for a client, it is important in this project that we can focus on our learning goals. As i have no experience with UE4, this project gave a me a good opportunity to learn the engine, and implement my previous knowledge to a new engine.
Thus my core learning goals were the following:
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Learn UE4
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Implement Shaders/VFX
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Code a semi-complex system
Responsbilities
After deciding on a concept together with our client, we could start dividing the tasks according to each of our learning goals. My main responsbilities were:
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Team lead
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Enemy AI
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Implementation of animations
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VFX
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Other gameplay elements that are non-VR
Team Lead
The main task of the team lead is to be the one responsible for setting up meetings and have contact with the client. Other tasks were divided among other team members which became their responsibility, like scrum master, and lead artist.
The team had some small hiccups in the early stages, but after i met up with another teacher with more experience in team leading, i used the tactics he proposed and this influenced the team to our benefit.
AI
Since the other engineer is very interested in VR and implementing that into the project, my main task would be AI. As i do not have such a strong interest in VR and i already worked with VR before, be it in a different engine.
The AI did not need to be advanced, as the mice only needed to take the shortest path to either the cheese, patrol point, or player.
The AI system is build up from the behaviour tree and blueprint system.
Animation & VFX
The reason i was reponsible for the implementation of animations, is since i made the AI behaviour and i would be doing VFX. The animation will be implemented and played from my AI system, and the VFX needs to be properly timed with the animation.
Eventhough VFX is important to a game, the core gamplay is more important, thus my VFX learning goals were more at the end of the project. Which resulted in putting less hours in it as i wanted, however the most important VFX are implemented, and add a lot to the feel of the game.
Trailer
Media
