CHARACTER MOVEMENT | PROJECT: COLLAPSED STAR
This is the base movement of my game's character in its development and prototyping phase. It was possible to achieve this result using high-level tools, such as the character library from the Big Medium Small website, the MetaHuman creation tool from Unreal Engine 5.6, and the GAST (Game Animation Sample) asset from Epic Games, currently described as Fab.
With this, it was possible to integrate a cinematic rig into a character that had its textures worked towards realism using Quixel Mixer and Photoshop, with cutting-edge systems for almost procedural customization and adjustments to a realistic mesh of 32 skeletal meshes that work in harmony to ensure a state-of-the-art character.
Of course, all of this wasn't just plug and play; there were many adjustments to the meshes, partly for model customization, and also the creation of mechanics and adjustments within the Unreal Engine, which will allow for the future mechanics that are being finalized.
The camera was also a fundamental part of the character. I used the Gameplay Camera plugin, which is a native Unreal Engine plugin and allows for the creation of a cinematic camera with an enormous complexity of systems, but very simple to configure, also ensuring fluid, innovative movement depending on its use, and saving hundreds of hours of creating complex systems and configurations using variables.
And all of this together gave me a real kickstart at the beginning of this game's creation, with a AAA-quality character in almost all visual aspects: camera, movement, textures, customization, materials, overall look, optimization, and physics applied to the model, etc.
Using this system, it is possible to modify a character even in real-time or in cinematics. By creating separate meshes, I can create things like torn clothes, a lost personal item, an advanced customization system, or even a visual detail within the game
Using the (Gameplay Camera) plugin, it’s possible to create various types of complex camera setups easily. In this case, I configured it so the player can run without the character obstructing the view.
As you can see, there’s a limit to how far the camera follows the player. Even when moving from side to side, it doesn’t let the scene shift too much or the character go off screen.
Detailed information for nerds.
Since I’m using the rig provided in Metahuman, it’s possible to create very interesting things, giving plenty of room for refinement in the game’s future — such as realistic cinematics or simply facial expressions during gameplay.
GAME FEEL TEST
I attached a spotlight to the character’s head movement so they look wherever we point the camera, and I also added a texture along with some graphic settings.
WALKING LOOP