Tasks Undertaken
Reworked the AI system & Imported ship
Overhauled the AI system, introducing a dedicated state for the attack. Significant restructuring work has been done. Additionally, imported and tested a new design for the spaceship.
Cleaned up the enemy AI
Conducted cleanup and optimization of the enemy AI system, ensuring improved efficiency and readability.
Made killswitch for AI
Implemented a killswitch for the AI system, allowing for the interruption of AI activities by calling 'StopAI,' causing the AI to stand idle in place.
Reworked the menu (again)
Addressed issues where GitHub discarded previous work on the menu. Partially restored the discarded changes to the menu.
Added new menu UI & Functions
Introduced new screens for starting and joining the game/storyline, including a switch from left mouse button to Q for making sounds. Additionally, performed lighting bake in the example level.
Added a pause menu widget
Implemented a pause menu widget for both VR and PC players, enhancing the overall user interface and interaction.
Optimized desired size for pause menu
Conducted optimization to achieve an optimal desired size for the pause menu, improving the user experience during gameplay interruptions.
Applied settings for Teun's shaders
Configured and applied settings for Teun's shaders, contributing to the visual enhancements in the project.
Cleaned up blueprints
Conducted cleanup and organization of blueprints, enhancing the overall project structure and maintainability.
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Double Diamond
Discover
In the discovery phase, I delved into understanding the existing AI system, identifying its limitations, and exploring opportunities for improvement. This involved scrutinizing the AI's behavior, evaluating its performance, and assessing the overall project needs. Figure 1 illustrates the reworked AI system, showcasing the expanded and organized inspector.
Define
Having gained insights from discovery, I moved into the definition phase. Clear objectives were set to refine the AI system, address menu issues, and enhance the overall user experience. Figure 2 highlights the revised menu UI and functions, emphasizing the importance of defining goals for improved functionality and visual appeal.
Develop
The development phase saw the implementation of defined solutions. Reworking the AI system to have a dedicated attack state, introducing a killswitch, and addressing menu challenges were executed. New menu UI and functions were added, including a pause menu widget. Figure 3 visualizes the pause menu widget in the game view, showcasing the developmental progress achieved during this phase.
Deliver
In the delivery phase, the outcomes of the development efforts were presented. The reworked AI system, revamped menu UI, and added functionalities were showcased. Figure 4 exemplifies the applied settings for Teun's shaders, highlighting the visual enhancements achieved. The clean-up of blueprints contributed to a more organized and maintainable project structure, ensuring a polished final delivery.
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Research
Last week, I mostly spend my time on creating the pause menu and further developing and optimizing the AI. Most of my research consisted out of trial and error. Apart from that, Tycho was once again my buddy in times of need.
People
- Tycho Tuitert: General feedback, discussions and help when I didn't understood something. I got this feedback throughout the whole week.
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Reflections and Learning
This week was very peaceful. I got to do some research on the pause menu and try out several methods for re-using the same widget, so that we don't have to make a new design. I learned a lot by doing some research into that.
For the rest, working on the enemy AI was as fun as ever! I now organized the inspector to give the designers some more freedom in adjusting the AI to their own needs. I learned some more things about behavior trees. For example, how decorators work. It took me some time to understand and how they work when stacked, but they are very useful!
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Figures
Figure 1 - Organized inspector values of the enemy AI
Figure 2 - First design of the pause menu
Figure 3 - Pause menu attached to player
