What a Mess!!!

 Look at this mess. Its like a looping pattern of nodes.

In an effort to bring a dynamic and visually engaging experience to the game, I experimented with using blueprints to control the visibility of different data layers based on simulated lightning strikes. What you see in these screenshots is the complex network of nodes required to make geometry flash on and off in response to environmental cues.

Initially, the setup was orderly, but as the need for precise control increased, so did the complexity of the blueprint. The final result was this intricate web of logic, where every node had a crucial role in managing the scene's responsiveness.

Unfortunately, this method turned out to be too laggy for practical use. The constant loading and unloading of data layers created significant performance issues, making it impractical for real-time gameplay. We need to find a faster and more efficient way to toggle visibility without sacrificing the immersive quality of the game.

This experience has been a real eye-opener into the complexities of game development, especially in managing dynamic environments within Unreal Engine. It's back to the drawing board to devise a method that can deliver the visual impact we want without the performance cost.

Fortunately, we've been able to use the basics of this blueprint for other parts of the level to load and unload different areas when we need them.

Meshy Abominations

At the Game Developers Conference this year, we checked out some cool new tech that turns text and pictures into 3D models. We tried it out to see if it could help our 3D artists with our Crimson Knight capstone project. The idea was cool, but the results were a bit mixed.

The tech can create 3D models, but they ended up being way too detailed. Each model we made had way too many tiny parts (polygons), about 300,000 to 400,000, which is a lot more than we needed. We can fix these models to make them simpler without losing too much detail, though.

One problem with these models is that they have lots of tiny errors, like holes and random points that stick out. Fixing these could take a lot of time, which kind of beats the point of using this tech to save time in the first place.

However, the tech did a great job with textures and UV maps, which are the parts that make the models look good with colors and details. It even made a new Pokémon character look awesome by adding cool details to its feet, making them perfect for a dog-like creature.

Another good thing about this tech is that it gets the size of the models just right. We didn’t have to adjust the size at all, whether it was for characters, props, or big parts of the scene.

Even though there are some issues with the tech right now, it’s really good at making textures and getting the size right. It’s promising, and it could be super helpful for making video games in the future.

Flag Rise and Loot

 

I wanted to create a mechanic where a player can stand in one spot for a few seconds and a flag will rise up a flagpole, once the flag reaches the top, a bunch of loot will dop at the base of the flagpole. I used a variation of the door rise blueprint we learned in the first semester to have the flag rise.

For the ground loot, I wanted the loot to generate the loot type and rarity randomly using an array, similar to how loot is spawned in the game. Rarity is defined by color: Blue, Green, Purple, Gold, in this blueprint, they are not weighted so there is an equal chance of each showing up. There are four ammo types, Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun and Health.

Blocking Out My Fortnite Level

 I started this morning by creating a top-down map layout of my new Fortnite point-of-interest, using the original Coney Crossroads as a reference for scale and street positions. Once I was happy with my design, I imported the map image as a decal in Unreal Engine 5, and projected it onto my terrain. This gave me a handy reference right in the viewport to start shaping the terrain accurately. Next, I sculpted the land using UE5’s built-in landscape tools, matching elevation, adding a river, and placing two bridges leading into my location.

Once the landscape felt right, I quickly realized the default UE5 character was a bit too small compared to a standard Fortnite character, so I scaled it up by around 7% to match Fortnite’s height. This adjustment helped make sure my buildings felt natural and the sightlines matched Fortnite’s style better.

Now I’m laying out my buildings using the Fortnite grid, which is exactly 512 Unreal Units per square. Using this grid makes it easy to keep my structures, like the watchtower and temple, at the right scale and feeling good during gameplay. I’ve got my watchtower walls built out. Currently it is four stories tall, and I’m adding floors and stairs to test if the scale feels right. If it ends up feeling oversized, I might shrink it down later.

Take Over Camera

In this segment, I created a blueprint designed to commandeer the player’s camera and transition it into a cinematic view. The challenge arose from the limitations of the AWALS pack, which doesn’t provide a reference camera until the game starts. To work around this, I extracted the player’s camera directly from the player controller and stored it in a variable for later recall. This allowed me to switch seamlessly between the default third-person perspective and the cinematic camera positioned far out over the Cornwall cliffs, woods, and the vast ocean.

This cinematic camera not only offers a breathtaking view of the landscape and the abandoned mining site but also foreshadows the next sections of the level where Nathan Drake begins his climb up the side of the mine building. By dynamically switching perspectives, the blueprint enhances the narrative flow and immerses the player deeper into the environment. Overall, this solution balances technical constraints with creative storytelling, providing both a functional gameplay mechanic and a visually engaging experience that aligns with the Uncharted spirit.

Making Rocks Sleep

I have fractured rocks in my Level Design level. they slide down a hill with the player and land at the bottom. 90% of the time they settle in a perfectly position, but there are times when the chunks of rock block off the path, preventing the player from advancing. Usually, the player can awkwardly climb over them, but more than once that hasn't been an option. 

I learned how to make the fractured objects "sleep" upon resting. So, when the rocks come to rest, there is a brief pause, then they shrink down and eventually disappear.  You can adjust the timing so the rocks disappear after a longer pause and adjust how long they take to shrink once they start to disappear.

 

Falling Floor Blueprint

In my current level, I set up a blueprint-driven trapdoor sequence designed to create an unexpected moment of tension. When the player steps onto a seemingly stable platform, it suddenly collapses beneath them, sending them plummeting into an underground mine shaft. This scripted fall isn’t just a dramatic moment, it also introduces a key narrative question: How will the player escape the mine? 

Right now, the platform collapse relies purely on simulated physics, rather than a fully scripted sequence. So far, it has worked every time in testing, but I can’t shake the feeling that this approach will come back to haunt me later. Relying on physics alone means there’s always a chance for unexpected behavior. Maybe the player falls slightly off-course, or the platform doesn’t break in exactly the way I intended. A more controlled approach, like a cinematic sequence, would allow me to ensure consistent results every time, guiding the player exactly where they need to go. While the current system is effective, I may need to revisit it down the line to guarantee a smooth and predictable experience.