To start off my learning of Unreal Engine, I wanted to start small and work on making a basic scene/level to learn the basics of navigating the Unreal Editor. I decided that I wanted to make a fantasy/medieval village level inspired by RPG series like The Elder Scrolls.
I learned:
How to navigate the Unreal Editor
How to import assets and map materials
Landscaping tool
Foliage tool
It really rocks at how much of a difference adding rocks makes
To ensure that my Unreal learning has stuck, I decided to partake in my first ever game jam with the Video Game Development Club at my college. The themes for this game jam were "Astral" and "Relaxation," I came up with the idea of making a simple game where you float around in space driving a rocket, it seemed pretty astral and relaxing.
I learned:
How to add a skysphere
Adding an HDRI to a skysphere to have an infinite space skybox
Adding and looping my own music audio to a game level
Input Mapping Context and Input Actions
Creating a BP Character
Use of BP Viewport to add new mesh componenets and particles
PFO Zomboid is a mod project for Project Zomboid recreating elements from Fallout 1 and 2 in the Project Zomboid game. I was on the team from August 2022 to June 2024 primarily as a mapper but also worked on making tiles, 3D modeling, and media management. I unfortunately deleted a lot of the original files of what I worked on, but I will share images here that I saved or could find from old messages!
Combat Shotgun 3D model made in Blender
Prototype Junktown wall made in WorldEd and TileZed
Interior dome made in WorldEd and TileZed
RPG worlds and especially the world of Fallout have always been one of my favorite parts of RPG games. There's something special about exploring these giant worlds, discovering cool locations, and running into surprising encounters.
I thought it'd be cool to go behind the scenes and see how the Fallout level designers actually put these worlds together, so I recently started learning how to use the Fallout 4 Creation Kit to mod Fallout 4.
I'm starting small before going into larger projects. I created a separate exterior instance from the main game world, and I'm using this empty canvas to build a small neighborhood, learning how buildings are put together with different kits and elements for streets and the ground.