Game Engines

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 4. Quality education
• 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Objectives

The objective of this subject is to expand knowledge about game engines, and in order to do so, what is done is a review of much of the functionality offered by the commercial game engine Unreal. Knowing another game engine, apart from Unity, helps us generalize the common modules of most video game engines and have a more critical view of the benefits and shortcomings of a new game engine.

To make a general review of the Unreal engine and, at the same time, go into some detail about its main functionalities, we have ruled out studying how to program it, using C++, since it requires a lot of dedication. For this reason, the review of the programming part is done using Blueprints. This game logic management tool is very advanced and, although it does not allow you to program everything you want, it does allow you to perfectly develop almost all the logic that must be implemented in a video game.

The subject focuses on programming a 3D first-person game, with simple mechanics. The objective is to do the entire game development from scratch in order to become familiar with this new game engine.

Learning outcomes

• Integrate game principles into application development.
• Implement projects in Unreal.
• Solves problems using technical skills and technological resources.
• Shows an attitude of motivation and commitment to personal and professional improvement.

Competencies

General skills

• Combine scientific knowledge with technical skill and technological resources to deal with difficulties in professional practice.

Specific skills

• Assess and use game engines, applying basic concepts of mechanical physics for video game development.
• Conceptualise, design, implement and assess interfaces and interaction schemes, putting into practice standard models of assessment.
• Develop and manage software and hardware in a multimedia environment.
• Organize, design and implement multimedia projects that ensure meeting prior specifications on the basis of needs and available resources.

Basic skills

• Students can apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competencies typically demonstrated through drafting and defending arguments and solving problems in their field of study.

Content

1. Installing and configuring Unreal
2. Introduction to lighting and layout
3. Introduction to Marketplace and video game design
4. Programming with Blueprints
5. Art and environmental design
6. Blueprints to make the heads-up display (HUD)
7. Sound management
8. Advanced environment design
9. Main menu and GameLoop
10. Artificial intelligence and packaging/compiling a project

Evaluation

The course grade is calculated based on a series of assignments (in groups of a maximum of 2 people):

• Delivery 1: 20%
  • Layout of the gameplay level 2 taking maximum care of graphic detail
  • Individual delivery
• Delivery 2: 50%
  • Final game presentation: finished game, with two new mechanics
  • Individual delivery
• Delivery 3: 30%
  • Presentation of another video game engine: Game Maker Studio, Godot Engine, CryEngine, Construct 3, RPG Maker...
  • Group delivery

Important

If you do not maintain a minimum attendance of 70%, you must take a final practical exam.

If the average of the projects is failed, a final practical exam must be taken, but only a maximum of 50% of the subject can be recovered.

Methodology

Class sessions consist of a theoretical part where the teacher explains the concepts and a practical part where the students do the work. Outside of class time, students must follow the subject, both the theoretical and practical parts, to achieve the learning objectives.

Bibliography

Key references

• Nixon, D. (2020). Beginning Unreal Game Development: Foundation for Simple to Complex Games Using Unreal Engine 4. Retrieved from https://ucercatot.uvic-ucc.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UVIC/qq5d82/alma991001162979406718
• Romero, M. & Sewell B. (2022). Blueprints Visual Scripting for Unreal Engine 5: Unleash the true power of Blueprints to create impressive games and applications in UE5 (3 ed.). Packt Publishing.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.