The Rift Guardian
Features
01.
General information
02.
My experience
03.
My contribution
04.
Github
General information
Team Size: 17
Platform: unreal engine
Genre: VR Shooter
My experience
In the final period of my second year, I worked on a project that became a significant milestone in my education.
I was part of a team of 20 people, including three game artists and a group of developers. This was my first experience with Unreal Engine, so I had to learn a lot of new things, but I'm very satisfied with how I handled it. I felt like a valuable team member and built a strong collaboration with my colleagues.
Our combined efforts were focused on creating a unique game. My responsibility within the project was to design and implement a functioning turret system in the game. By leveraging each other’s strengths, we were able to deliver a great final result.
The project, called The Rift Guardian, is something I look back on with pride. It was the first time I worked on a VR game, and this experience sparked my interest in VR development. It remains a special project that opened the door to the world of VR games for me.
My Contribution
I joined an existing project where a solid foundation had already been laid. My job was to build on this foundation by adding several new features, such as a shield to protect the player from enemies and a turret to help fight enemies and defend the player.
I worked on the turret with a colleague, while I was responsible for the shield myself. I did a lot of work on the enemy targeting of the turret, while my colleague focused more on the implementation of the turret. We worked together on the turret's firing mechanisms and enemy detection.
Shield
Shield item
In this game, the player must defend themselves against various enemies. There are different types of enemies, such as a flying enemy, a ranged attacker, and a walking enemy, which adds a lot of variety for the player. When the player encounters a ranged enemy, they can use the shield to protect themselves from the attack.
In Unreal Engine, you work with Blueprints, a visual scripting language that makes developing gameplay elements easier.
Below is an example of the Blueprints I created for the shield.
Turret inspawing
Spawing
In the game, the player needs to deploy the turret to progress. This is done through a special turret system that I designed. The system works as follows: when the player holds the turret spawner, three squares light up on the screen, serving as targets for the player.
The goal is to launch a ball towards these lit squares. Once the ball hits one of the squares, the turret is successfully spawned at the location of that square. This system allows the player to place the turret in an interactive and visually appealing way, enhancing the game’s dynamics and strategy.
Turret shooting
Turret spawing
When the turret detects an enemy, it immediately locks onto the target and opens fire. Its advanced sensor system allows it to continuously scan and track enemies, enabling it to automatically respond to any new threats within its range. This means that the player must think strategically about the turret's optimal placement but can also rely on it for consistent defense and effective attacks on approaching enemies.
If an enemy notices the turret, it will move directly toward it and begin attacking. However, the turret has a limited amount of health and a time limit for its operational lifespan. This means that, even as the turret fires and fights off enemies, it will eventually reach the end of its functionality. In its final moments, the player must ensure the turret remains effective, taking down as many enemies as possible before its time runs out. The combination of strategic placement and proper turret usage can make the difference between victory and defeat in the battle.
Enemy turret detection
Enemy
If an enemy spots the turret, it will immediately move towards it and begin attacking. However, the turret has a limited amount of health and operates under a time limit. This means that, even though the turret can fire and fight off enemies, it will eventually reach the end of its lifespan. During its final moments, the player must ensure the turret remains effective, eliminating as many enemies as possible before its time runs out. The combination of strategic placement and proper use of the turret can be the key to victory or defeat in the battle.
Git hub
In this project I did not use GitHub, but P4V (Perforce). This was new to me, even though it is an older program. The teacher recommended using Perforce instead of Git, because Git doesn't work well with the way Unreal Engine works.
What i turned
This GitHub link contains a submission template that everyone should use for this project. This template contains an overview of everything I did during this period.
Branches
This project did not use branches, but worked with revisions. Everyone worked in their own folder with their own files that they had checked out. If you needed something that someone else had checked out, you had to ask that person if you could access that file. After permission you could open and modify the file. You could also create new files in your own folder.
