SuperHero Project
Solo Project| Unreal Engine| Technical Design
I created a superhero character with diverse abilities from scratch using Unreal Blueprints. This page will showcase the development process and the gameplay features I designed.
Overview
The project's vision centers on a primary power called Superjump, with the entire world designed to revolve around this ability.
The protagonist possesses additional powers that aid in navigating the environment, whether by defeating foes or breaking blocks to access new areas.
This unique set of abilities was granted to the protagonist after being struck by a mysterious type of lightning (what kind of lightning? Discover the answer!).
- Primary and secondary superpowers
- Puzzles centered around the ability
- Seamless traversal
- Signifiers for each action
- Elements of open-world gameplay
- User-friendly and customizable blueprints
Goals
Player Character
GamePlay Elements
Signifiers/Feedback
BluePrint Quality/Structure
Content
Player Character
01 Traversal
Charged Jump
This is the primary ability for our player, so it needs to be flawless. I thoroughly playtested various versions with different variations before finalizing it.
traversal is crucial for this project, I implemented three types of jumps, each with its own purpose: the super jump allows players to reach taller buildings, while the supercharged jump enables movement across longer distances.
Additionally, if the player sprints and jumps simultaneously, can cover an even greater distance.
Variations of Jump
Teleportation
Certain distances are unreachable, which is why I introduced a secondary movement. The concept is that the blue poles act as electric poles; since the player is powered by electricity, they can zap themselves to those locations.
Players have mentioned that this is the most enjoyable aspect of the game, as it combines jumping and teleportation, making them feel like a true superhero
Teleport
Free Roam
Free fall cause why not?
Before I implemented sprinting, one issue I encountered was that players would often hold down the spacebar until they reached maximum charge, which slowed down the game.
To address this, I reduced the charge time and introduced sprinting, allowing players to keep moving without stopping after each jump.
02 Combat
Charged Jump Attack
My primary objective for this project is to ensure that element is connected to the powers, drawing significant inspiration from games such as Spider-Man (Insomniac Games) and God of War (Santa Monica), where combat is intertwined with puzzle navigation.
The charged attack depends on how much the player charges up before launching the attack.
Charged jump attack from ledge
Super Charge jump attack
I aimed to create an exciting experience by sending enemies flying, but I encountered a challenge: if they flew too far, the player wouldn't see it, which diminished the effect. Conversely, if they didn't fly far enough, it wasn't impressive.
I needed the perfect animation to ensure that when they hit the ground, it looked realistic. After countless tuning I was able to adjust the distance so that the enemies fly far enough while still remaining visible to the player.
Lightning Attack
Single Hit
Multiple hit
The secondary attack has limited usage and was originally intended to function like a skill tree with various upgrades. However, I felt it was too ambitious and decided to abandon that concept. Nonetheless, this attack features two variations: a single lightning strike and multiple strikes. If enemies are within a certain radius, the lightning bolt will hit them.
Hand to Hand Combat
This may not seem like a lot, but there are two main reasons I implemented this for the project. A superhero should possess the ability to fight, and I also wanted to demonstrate my advanced understanding of Unreal Blueprints, which this feature allows me to showcase.
Basic Punch
Attack Combo
Gameplay Elements
Locked Door
The door button is broken, so the player must provide it with some electricity. I've designed it so that the charge value can be customized in the editor.
Opening door with Charge
Blocked Hazzards
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Destroy Boxes
Checkpoint / WayPoint
A straightforward Checkpoint UI designed to guide you through the world.
The color of the Pointer can be adjusted depending on the type of mission.
General elements
Other fundamental elements include checkpoints, save points, load scenes, and simple triggers to initiate an event.
Feedback and Signifiers
Blueprint Quality/Structure
This section highlights the process of creating my player from the ground up, demonstrating my organizational skills with blueprints. I also discuss how enumeration, structures, and interfaces contributed to the development of my plate combat system.
01
Variable Organization
Since my player character has numerous components, it many variables. I utilized categories to my variables, which greatly assisted me when I needed to access or adjust them.
02
Functions and Macros
Macros and functions contributed to shortening the length of nodes, resulting in much cleaner event graph.
03
Commenting my Graph
These graphs resemble scattered ramen, and adding comments has significantly improved my ability navigate them.
04
Fighting System
This is an combat system that enables players to execute five distinct moves in sequence. I have also tailored it so that the enemies' reactions depend on where the player strikes them.
I developed a Map Variable that accepts an animation and a structure. Essentially, you specify the animation, the type of attack, and the hit type, enabling the engine to interact and generate collisions on that specific socket.
Debug collision
When collider comes into contact with an enemy, it detects.
This is the structure class I utilized to facilitate communication between the enemy and player, allowing for the transmission a "type of" and the reception of a "type of damage."
Final Thoughts
This project was a lot of fun to work on It taught me that blueprints are limitless, and Unreal has incredible potential for creating more projects. I would be happy to share more of my code and discuss my design ideas, so please feel free to reach out!
+1(425) 340-4264
