Purpose & Goal

My main goal of this project is to dive into Unreal's networking framework, while also futher improving my experience in Unreal.

In terms of game design, my goal is to create a fun, and Nerf-inspired experience in an FPS game.

Design

As the goal is to create a Nerf-inspired experience, the idea was to create a modular gun system, where players could modify their gun during gameplay, similar to how the Nerf Modulus toy line works

Since the game would be a fast-paced arena shooter, I didn't want to go too deep into weapon modifications, and decided that there should only be 3 categories of modification.

• Weapon Frame
• Projectile Type
• Element Battery

The weapon frame controls how the weapon behaves. IE. shot pattern, fire rate, spread, etc.
The projectile type modifies the projectile fired, including visuals, speed, and secondary effects.
The element battery further modifies the projectile fired, adding an element to the projectile which applies special affects to the target

In terms of player movement, much of their abilities are borrowed from modern shooters, such as clamber, thruster, double jump, etc. My largest reference is Halo 5's character controller.

While I don't have a unique gamemode designed yet, I want to design one that takes full advantage of the modular gun system.

Progress - 2024 February 28

Currently, I have a functional networked prototype, including most of the weapons, character abilities, and a basic gamemode loop. The player can join a match, complete a team deathmatch session, and restart the match.

The framework for the modular guns has been implemented, and I am currently developing their more specialized mechanics (IE. the gravity element and it's gravity mechanic)

On the design front, I am still thinking about the overall game design. While I believe the weapon framework will mostly stay the same, there are still some elements that I am playtesting, to see if they fit into my vision of the game. That said, I am always trying to playtest with others, and get their feedback as well

After I get the elements, projectiles, and weapon frames mostly developed, I want to start designing a new game mode, but will still implement basic ones like capture the flag, and area control