Game Gen - Week 80

 It's all coming together now!

This week has been absolutely incredible for getting my horror game into a truly playable state! I'm thrilled to share some massive breakthroughs that have transformed the experience from a collection of cool features into an actual, complete game level.

The Mall Takes Shape - 75% Complete!

The level itself has come such a long way since my last update! I'd say we're at about 75% completion now, which feels amazing. The overall layout is in place, and walking through it really gives you that eerie, liminal mall feeling I've been working toward.

What's left is the fun detail work, like those little touches that bring a space to life and tell a story. Strategic prop placement, environmental storytelling through decals and wear patterns, and all those small elements that make you feel like this place had a life before it became... whatever it is now. There's still some general cleanup to do as well, but the foundation is rock solid!

Inventory System Finally Bulletproof!

Remember how I mentioned the inventory system was giving me headaches with items disappearing and replication issues? Well, I'm happy to report it's now working at about 99% functionality! Players can pick up multiple items without any weird glitches, move them around their inventory slots smoothly, and drop them exactly where they expect to. The last thing to fix is just the flashlight when you swap slots in your inventory, as it doesn't appear back in your hands the way it should. 

Getting this system fixed up was crucial because item management is such a core part of the horror experience I'm creating. Nothing breaks immersion quite like your flashlight vanishing when you need it most! The remaining 1% is just some minor polish that won't affect gameplay.

Enemy Replication Victory!

This was a big technical hurdle that I'm so relieved to have cleared! All enemies now work consistently across both server and client connections. Whether you're hosting the game or joining someone else's session, the Wisp, the Mannequins, and the Shade all behave exactly the same way for everyone.

This might sound like a boring technical detail, but it was absolutely essential for multiplayer horror to work properly. Nothing ruins a good scare quite like an enemy that only half the players can see! The only enemy that is purposely not replicated in some ways is the Whisp, as I wanted to have that be a confusing and somewhat unique experience per player, as if the monster really is extra-dimensional. 

Complete Game Loop Achievement!

Here's the big one: you can now actually finish the level (again)! The fusebox puzzle that serves as the escape mechanism is fully functional from start to finish. Players have to work together to locate all the necessary fuses and successfully escape the mall level.

Getting this working properly required fixing a bunch of interconnected systems, but the feeling of actually completing a full playthrough is incredible. It transforms the experience from "cool tech demo" to "actual game demo," and that's such a satisfying milestone to hit!

Polish That Makes All the Difference

I've also spent considerable time over the last few weeks adding those subtle touches that really elevate the atmosphere. Enhanced audio cues that make the mall feel more alive, improved lighting that creates better shadows and mood, and visual refinements throughout that contribute to that uncanny, dream-like quality I'm going for.

These might seem like small changes, but they're what transform a technically functional game into an immersive experience that gets under your skin!

Looking Ahead

The fact that we now have a complete, playable level feels like such a huge milestone! Moving forward, I'm excited to focus on:

• Environmental storytelling enhancement: Adding props, decals, and details that hint at the mall's mysterious past
• Story integration: Weaving narrative elements throughout the level through visual cues
• General cleanup and optimization: Making sure everything runs smoothly for the best possible experience

How do you think the progress looks so far?

Next Goals:

• Continue detailed environment work and prop placement for visual storytelling
• Add further audio like footsteps.
• Final level polish and cleanup
• Bug Fixes for smaller bugs like the flashlight inventory swap.
• An online playtest through the Steam multiplayer system. 

Game Gen - Week 74

The Mall Comes to Life!

Over the last few weeks, I have spent creating and adding assets, materials, decals, and all the necessary environment elements to my game's level. I created two new holdings in Blender, complete with materials, downloaded a bunch from Fab, and used them as well, and downloaded and created my own decals!

New Models:

I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for when browsing for free assets, so I decided these were the ones I'd make first, as they are used a lot throughout the mall level. Here are the Sketchfab objects to check out!

First, I made this retail counter like you might see in a jewelry or perfume counter in a department store:

Cabinet by ZachMckinnon on Sketchfab

Then, I made this clothes rack: 

Metal Clothes Hanger by zachmckinnon on Sketchfab

I had fun learning more about texturing using Ucupaint as well! I think the textures came out pretty cool! This makes it so easy to create awesome textures and then plug them into the master material I created in Unreal Engine!

I'm going for a liminal horror with an uncanny, dream-like vibe, so I don't want things to look too old and destroyed like a post-apocalyptic vibe. I want that classic uncanny backrooms feeling that puts you on edge. 

How do you think I did with accomplishing that so far?

I also made this Master material to use, which greatly reduces the rendering resources for the assets in the world, thanks to Vives for teaching me that one!

The master material looks like this:

When you make a material instance of this material, you have pretty much full control of all the layers of the material! This greatly reduces resources as then only one Material needs to be calculated and all the instances are much easier to render. 

I tried to get some cinematics, but I need to look into how to output them as videos to use here. When I get more complete, I'll make another YouTube video to show!

Next Goals: 

- Replace all placeholder assets with real assets. 

- Fix all materials to use the optimized Environment Master Material. 

- Finish adding flair and story to the map, as well as interesting visual elements throughout. 

Game Gen - Week 72

 Game Jam and Blender

The last few weeks, I've been pretty burned out and got sick as well, but I still managed to get a little done when I had the energy to! The most exciting was getting to participate in the Game Jam and submit a super cool hidden picture game that I helped make with an awesome team! Shout-out to Kevin, Ari, and Elijah for the amazing teamwork! I'm really proud of what we accomplished! ]

Fight Club Game Jam

Here's the game we made, if you'd like to see it! We took third place! Overall,I had a lot of fun creating something together, supporting one another, learning to pivot and make adjustments to our plan as needed, and prioritizing a healthy and fun environment to accomplish our goals.

For this game, I helped a little in the coding, but I helped more with art since the game was much more art-heavy. I also helped in the planning and coordination together with the team. 

Blender Work

I also worked in Blender to start making some of the props and assets for the horror game I'm making. Learning Blender, especially Ucupaint, has been more challenging for me, but it's been fun, and Ucupaint makes creating materials a lot easier once you get the hang of it. Here's the retail display cabinet for the mall level that I've been working on!

Some screenshots from Blender:

Next Goals:

- Finish the retail counter with a few versions that are broken-looking and import them into Unreal Engine. 

- Make the circular clothes hanging racks in Blender, and at least start on textures. I could not find a model for this type of item, but I think it shouldn't be too hard to model. 

Game Gen - Week 68

 

The Wisp Awakens!

This week has been absolutely incredible for my horror game development! I'm thrilled to share some major breakthroughs that have brought my vision to life in ways I didn't think were possible just a few weeks ago.

Introducing "The Wisp" - A Multi-Dimensional Terror

The biggest accomplishment this week was successfully implementing a brand new enemy that I've been dreaming about for months: the Wisp. This multi-dimensional creature is designed to be one of the most unsettling elements in the game, randomly appearing to jump scare and harm players in truly unexpected ways.

Getting this enemy to work exactly as I envisioned was incredibly challenging. The concept I had in my mind seemed almost impossible to execute technically, but with tremendous help from Vives and other mentors, we finally cracked it! The result is everything I hoped for and more.

Here's this Dev Log's Video! 

The Wisp's Haunting Features

What makes The Wisp so terrifying is its mysterious nature:

Distance-Based Visual Distortion: The texture of the skull shape distorts based on how far you are from it. Unless you're close enough, you can't actually tell what the shape is - it's just this ominous, shifting form in your peripheral vision that immediately puts you on edge.

Ghostly Particle Effects: We created custom particles that give the Wisp an ethereal, supernatural presence. It doesn't feel like a solid enemy - it feels like something that shouldn't exist in your reality.

Dimensional Fading: In special locations throughout the mall, the Wisp fades in and out of view. You might catch just a glimpse of movement, something that makes you question whether you actually saw anything at all. This creates that perfect horror game moment where you're not sure if you should investigate or run.

The Jump Scare Mechanic: Here's where things get really intense. Once you get close enough to investigate what you've been seeing, the Wisp has two possible behaviors:

• It might jump away with a haunting cry, leaving you startled but unharmed
• Or it triggers a full jump scare with a horrifying ghost face I created in Krita that comes screaming toward you

When the jump scare happens, the ghost doesn't just disappear - it passes directly through your player character, completely destroying your visuals momentarily and dealing damage. It's this visceral, disorienting experience that makes you feel genuinely vulnerable.

Learning and Growing as a Developer

Beyond the exciting new content, this week was also valuable for my growth as a developer. Vives taught me some excellent techniques for using ChatGPT and other LLMs more effectively when I'm stuck on problems I can't solve through traditional resources. These AI tools have become invaluable for troubleshooting complex issues and finding creative solutions to technical challenges.

We also tackled several important bug fixes that have been nagging at me, cleaning up various aspects of the gameplay experience. It's amazing how fixing these smaller issues makes the entire game feel more polished and professional.

Visual and Gameplay Polish

I spent time this week updating graphics and implementing gameplay tweaks that really clean up the overall experience. While these might seem like minor changes, they contribute significantly to that immersive, eerie atmosphere I'm trying to create in this liminal mall setting.

Looking Ahead

Getting the Wisp working has opened up so many possibilities for other supernatural elements in the game. I'm excited to continue building on this foundation and adding more multi-dimensional horror experiences that will keep players constantly on edge.

The combination of technical achievement and creative vision coming together this week has been incredibly motivating. Despite the challenges of balancing development with my hectic work schedule, seeing these complex ideas actually come to life in the game makes all the effort worthwhile.

I can't wait to show The Wisp in action in my next video update - this is definitely one of those features that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated!

Next Goals:
- Work on fixes to multiplayer replication on interactable objects. 
- Continue adding further 3D models and objects to the game (I could use some help sourcing some things, since I don't think I can model everything.)
- Continue polish!

Game Gen - Week 64

 Level Upgrades! 

The last two weeks, I've mainly been focused on improvements to the level itself for the game demo. It has been mocked up, but I now get to model and texture all the assets I'll need for the level to look truly magnificent. So far, I've been working on the elevator doors, the walls, and the columns that go against the walls. I still have plenty to make, but Ucupaint has made the process much easier! I couldn't get these to upload to Sketchfab with the materials, but here are some screenshots of the materials I've been working on. 

These are the elevator doors that you will use to escape from Level 1 when you finish the puzzle.

This is one of the walls with a doorway that will be used for the main walls of the mall area. 

We've started animating the doors in the game as well, using timelines. 

I don't have a huge update this time as learning Ucupaint has been a bit challenging, but I hope to have more next report to show you all the awesome materials and models imported into my game!

My goals for the next two weeks are to continue modeling assets and creating their materials, importing them into the game, and ensuring they are configured well in the level. 

Game Gen - Week 62

 

Game Development Progress Update

This week's development on my horror game has been focused on polishing, replication fixes, and preparation for upcoming features. While there's still plenty to do, I'm excited to share the progress I've made so far!

Here's my Progress Update in Video Form! 

Adding "Juice" to the Game

I've been working on making the game feel more alive and immersive by adding various elements and adding some "juice." This includes implementing new sound effects for player actions and environmental interactions, improving UI and visual feedback with subtle animations, and adding VFX elements like particle effects and lighting adjustments. These small touches make a huge difference in creating that eerie liminal mall atmosphere I'm aiming for.

Multiplayer Replication Progress

Replication has definitely been one of the more challenging aspects of development, but I'm making steady progress. I've continued working on ensuring all game elements replicate properly for multiplayer sessions. This includes ensuring items can be picked up by all players, enemies behave consistently across clients, and player actions are visible to everyone in the session.

Inventory System Fixes

The inventory system continues to be a work in progress, with several issues being addressed:

• Fixed items occasionally disappearing when moving between inventory slots
• Working on replication of item pickups so all players can see when items are collected
• Improving the visual feedback when interacting with inventory items

These fixes are crucial for the core gameplay loop, as item collection and management are key elements of the horror experience I'm creating.

Steam Multiplayer Integration

Thanks to the Advanced Sessions System plugin, the Steam multiplayer integration is about 95% complete! Just a few minor bugs left to fix:

• Ensuring player names display correctly on the party screen
• Fixing an issue where quitting the game as a non-host player causes everyone to disconnect
• Fine-tuning the session joining process for a smoother experience

I'm looking forward to getting this fully operational so we can properly playtest the multiplayer aspects of the game.

Designing New Functionalities

I've continued designing several new mechanics that will add to the dream-like, non-Euclidean feel of the game:

• Further development of the portal system that will allow players to travel between seemingly impossible spaces
• A metal detector mechanic that will help players locate hidden items or secret areas
• More work on non-Euclidean spaces that defy normal physics and spatial relationships

These elements will help create that unsettling feeling where physics doesn't quite work the way you expect it to in the real world.

Bug Fixing and Adjustments

A significant portion of my time has been spent on various bug fixes and adjustments:

• Fixed player model size inconsistencies so all players appear at the proper scale
• Addressed several replication errors that were causing desync issues in multiplayer
• Improved collision detection in certain areas of the map

Next Steps

Moving forward, my focus will be on continuing to add "juiciness" to the game experience through:

• Additional sound effects and ambient audio to enhance the atmosphere
• Better materials and textures for existing assets
• Modeling or sourcing the actual assets for level completion instead of using placeholder blocks
• Further refinement of the enemy AI behavior

Despite my hectic work schedule, I'm making steady progress on turning this liminal, 90s-inspired horror game into a reality. I can't wait to show more of these features in action in future updates!

Game Gen - Week 56

Story Writing and Lore Building

This week, I focused a lot on furthering the lore of my horror game and giving the players a secondary objective that would encourage them to explore more around my maps. I decided to create a system I'm calling the Notebook. 

The Note Collection System

The notebook is a UI interface that the player can open and view notes they have collected from around the maps. These notes are left behind by four characters who were previous visitors to the mysterious realm the players find themselves. As the game continues, the players can find more notes from the four characters, eventually leading to an incident report-type document that uncovers more of the sinister nature of the realm they currently inhabit. 

The Notes (Actor that the players find around the map) and Notebook both utilize string tables which I've created for each character's story. This is an easy way to pre-plan lots of text for different uses and dynamically pull the relevant text based on keys of the String Table you want. It also allows for much easier localization of your game into other languages down the line if you choose to. 

Non-Euclidean Portals

I wanted to create more dream-like mechanics that incorporate the feelings of things not matching the physics we expect in everyday life, so I've been working on a non-euclidean portal system. The portal is basically a doorway that looks like it's just in the middle of a space or on a wall where the players can confirm nothing is behind it, but when looking at the doorway from the front, you will see into another level. This gives a really trippy feeling of physics not abiding to what we expect in the real world and provides a sense of mystical strangeness as well. I have some bugs that are affecting the portal traveling properly right now, but I've included a clip of what the portal looks like. 

Steam Multiplayer Integration

Thanks to Vives' diligent research, we were actually able to almost fully hook up the Steam multiplayer system using the Advanced Sessions System plug-in. This provides a much easier interface between Unreal and the Steam online systems and we were able to see the game in development mode connected to my Steam account! I'm looking forward to getting this fully set up so we can do a playtest on the level and mechanics I have so far, especially in regards to ensuring replication will work properly. 

Furthering my Unreal Technical Knowledge

Other than those systems in my Horror game, I've been researching more in-depth on the various plugins and capabilities of Unreal Engine. 

These include: 

- Learning the unreal plugin for Motion Matching. 

- Learning more about Procedural Generation. 

- Learning about World Partitioning to optimize large maps. 

- Learning more about the Water system for Unreal. 

- Understanding more efficient ways to control data sets, like String Tables, Data Tables, etc. 

Here's a brief video of some of the things I've worked on the last two weeks:

(Canva was down, so I'll have to upload my video when that is available again)

Temporary Video:

Next Two Week Goals

- Finish getting Steam multiplayer set up and do a small playtest (nothing official, just testing replication)

- Continue learning more of the technicals of Unreal to better utilize all the available features. 

- Work on the next level block out for the Horror game.

- Continue fixing the Portal system. 

- Work on medal detector interactable/usable item. 

Here's one of the Incident Reports I made for one of the character storylines the players can uncover.