UNIT 8: EVALUATION

Post-Production Evaluation

When I first came up with the concept of this game, I had a solid idea of what features I wanted to add: wall running, a difficult aiming system, fast passed game-play, a learning curve - so the game would not be easy and more engaging for long-term players - and a decent map where players could enjoy the environment. 

After I came up with my concept, I did some research in order to make the best game I could in the time given. I researched and watched movies like Hunger Games and Battle Royale to get the basic concept of what this type of conflict should be like. I also played games like Fortnite to get the general idea of a battle royale game. The aim was to be able to combine the intensity of Hunger Games with the entertainment of Fortnite. Not only did I use movies and other games to influence my project heavily, I also researched different types of Unreal Engine tutorials to help me understand the features I wanted.  

After putting my game together to the best of my ability, there are two aspects that I am most proud of. These are my advanced AI and my bullet projectile mechanic.  In the Advanced AI, it felt amazing when all the branches of the behaviour tree actually worked and my AI characters could finally do multiple commands and injure the player. My bullet projectile was also satisfying because for a few weeks I had the most difficult time trying to make the player character shoot projectiles from the muzzle of their weapon. After extensive research and help from my classmates and teachers, I finally came up with a code that allowed this to happen. 

The AI tree in my game.

The bullet game mechanic in my game.

Although there are many things I am proud of in my game, there are a few aspects that disappoint me even to this day: the player camera movement and my game's lack of music. Firstly, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get a true third-person camera that would follow the player. After trying everything, I came to the conclusion that I should attach the camera to the character's head. But, in the end, it still wasn't what I wanted. It didn;t feel or look right during gameplay. The second aspect I'm not proud of is the fact that I didn't add any music. I didn't include audio wasn't in my project proposal! But, at the end of the project, I wish I could go back and add some music for entertainment purposes. 

I will admit that, when creating this project, I didn't follow my schedule as much as I should, which led to me to accept not only how my camera ended up but also the absence of music. I didn't manage my time as effectively as I could have. I have learned how important this is though.

In conclusion, I did complete my project proposal and exceeded it by adding additional features. But, I do regret not planning a fuller experience like adding in music.

During this project, I have learned how much I love programming. I have learned a lot more about Unreal Engine's programming aspects and capability. I am now able to program a character losing, for example, 5% health each time they are injured and also establishing links between my third-person character and my AI so they can injure each other. 

Video shows gameplay from the player character's POV.