Alicia - 3D Modeler and Lead Animator
Hello everyone, this month has been quite a roller coaster for many of us, filled with a lot of effort and determination to deliver an unparalleled product. Central pulled one of its usual surprises this month, causing me to shift my focus from completing the juvenile and sub-adult models of our already finished models to concentrating on creating and finalizing all the models for our main roster. As a result, I am now entirely dedicated to crafting the remaining dinosaurs in their adult versions. After that, I plan to enhance our existing models that were already completed, such as the Tyrannosaurus or Triceratops, making them more accurate and of higher quality, as you can see below.
In a short while, we will have all 20 main roster dinosaurs for the Early Access fully completed and ready for animation, awaiting inclusion in the Technical Demo to showcase what we are capable of.
Time Lord - Full Stack Developer
In August I completed a significant portion of the current in-game map (Zone C) in accordance with the Project Leader's requirements. The Project Leader is the one who specifies every detail of how each area of the map should look, as he has a very clear vision of how things should appear and how to convey the desired atmosphere to players exploring the area. The entire coastline and a substantial part of the interior of the map have been finished, pending the addition of laboratories, buildings, and some significant natural landmarks.
I also focused on the swampy area and the main rivers of the map, getting ready to start modeling the cave system, underground rivers, and the untouched northeastern area.
Additionally, I worked on AI implementation, Night Vision, HP system implementation, a Blood Screen for when the player takes damage, a Health UI widget to monitor remaining health, a Footprint function for the dinosaurs, a loading screen required for transitioning to another game level, and finally, the addition of a new playable character: the Ankylosaurus.
The AI was initially developed through the CHARACTER blueprint but is now undergoing modifications to function through a behavior tree, resulting in a more natural appearance and behavior.
Night vision and HP implementation were achieved similarly, with the use of post-process materials from the character blueprint.
The Blood Screen effect is accomplished through a user interface material on a widget, where opacity is directly proportional to health. The lower the health, the more prominent the blood on the screen, and it even blinks. Furthermore, the Health UI is connected to the health implementation on a widget to provide real-time health monitoring.
Footprints are created using notifiers, materials, and the CharacterBP, applied to a plane to display the material.
Regarding the loading screen, I encountered some challenges due to Unreal Engine's limitations in handling video. Nevertheless, with some patience, I was able to overcome these issues.
Mario - UI/UIX Editor
This month, my focus has been on completing all the essential HUD elements for players, including stamina, hunger, thirst, and various status changes. I've also finished all the necessary components for the species selection menu and the character selection menu.
After thorough testing of these elements, I can officially announce that we are ready to implement these menus and user interfaces in the game, allowing players to choose their desired dinosaur and species when entering the game server.
JoeTheLycan - Video Editor
To be honest, it's been a fun but challenging month. I recently completed the loading screen that will appear during transitions. However, what could have been done in two weeks was extended to five, thanks to Central's idea of incorporating hidden messages in the loading screens and all audiovisual elements. This decision was made because the game's lore and storytelling will involve these methods and many more unconventional ones.
I recommend examining all these elements closely; you may discover more than a few secrets if you scrutinize what I'm doing carefully!