Week 10 - Final touches, Evaluation, and Submission

This week I was able to finish the last bits of the game, finalize the website and finish writing up the evaluation. I packed final build, tested the download link and ensured that the main menu, level loading, character movement, animation and foliage were all working in the exported version of the game.

On the game as a whole, the part that I am most technically proud of is the animation blueprint system. Rather than just having a standard animation that loops infinitely to simulate an idle stance, the character has a full state machine-the animation blueprint switches from an idle to a walking and then to running state depending on how fast the character is travelling. This is a standard part of game development, and not a workaround like just having an animated character model that is never changed. It is good that I could produce that system on this project.

The one thing that I am most critical of, and the thing I am most unhappy with in the game, is the complete lack of a HUD. When the player spawns into the game they have no health indication, no objective text and no mini-map, and no idea as to what they are meant to be doing in the game and whether or not they are actually managing to do it. The game could have been immensely improved by even a single text display that read the objective of the game. I seriously misjudged how much impact the absence of UI would have on how playable the game is and I can confidently say that a simple UI element will be the non-negotiable first things to be considered from the moment that I start working on any future project, not something left to the final week of the project development.

Overall this project has taught me that the most valuable skill to have when developing a game is production management. An ability to be realistic about the scope of a game, predict potential risks before they become actual problems, and to know when to prioritize certain aspects of a project under pressure are what will determine if a game actually ships as a playable title. This game has shipped as a playable title and it can be downloaded.