You can find my official certificate presented by I N F I N I T Y 27 for completing all of the tasks expected of the participants here.

About the Experience

I recently had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Interactive Real-Time 3D Skills Bootcamp with I N F I N I T Y 27 on the development strand. Throughout the bootcamp, our main objective was to plan, prototype, and develop a unique ability that would eventually be integrated into the game.

The bootcamp lasted for two weeks, during which we focused on bug hunting and creating bug reports for the game. We had the opportunity to work with their agile and scrum platform called 'Hansoft,' where we reported any issues we encountered. This collaboration allowed us to contribute to their future development by providing valuable feedback and helping them address the identified bugs.

Following the bug hunting phase, we transitioned into planning our abilities. This involved creating an ability logo to be displayed on the user interface, deciding on an ability name, and determining the statistics such as damage output and casting time. Although the initial plan served as a foundation, it was inevitable that modifications were made during the prototyping phase.

We then proceeded to create a process design in the form of a flowchart, outlining how the ability would function within the game. This flowchart served as a kind of pseudocode, providing a structured plan for developing the ability. By having a well-defined process design in place, we streamlined the development process, making it easier to bring the ability to life.

In addition to the process design flowchart, we were assigned the task of creating a class diagram. This diagram served as a blueprint for mapping out the various functions and classes essential for developing our ability. Researching the development process of their game helped us identify the necessary classes and resources required. Moreover, careful planning through the class diagram allowed us to prevent circular dependencies by visualizing the interdependencies between classes.

As we reached the final stages of the design process, we were tasked with refining the ability icon. It became evident that our initially designed icons weren't a perfect fit for the game, and it was essential to create icons that were thematically cohesive and aligned with the existing set of ability icons. To maintain consistency, we received a background design template that matched the style of the other icons. Throughout the design iterations, we received valuable feedback from the team to ensure our final designs met their standards.

With the planning phase complete, it was time to dive into development. Throughout the development process, we utilized two essential tools to facilitate our work. The first tool was 'Parsec', which granted us remote control of the computers at the I N F I N I T Y 27 studio. This allowed us to access all the necessary software, and the mentors could readily assist us by remotely accessing our computers while communicating with us through Discord. The second tool we relied on was 'Perforce', a vital source control system for the game. It played a crucial role in ensuring collaboration and organization. We diligently checked out the files in Unreal Engine and formatted our pushes appropriately, enabling other developers to easily comprehend the changes made and identify their contributors.

From the outset, I anticipated the challenge of making the ability adapt to varying terrains, so I tackled it head-on. The implementation involved casting traces at fixed distances away from the player upon casting the ability. Each trace started approximately 100 units above the previous one and extended for a length of 200 units. This allowed the ability to dynamically plot the path of the fire wall, capable of adapting up or down by 100 units from where the last segment landed. Check out the demonstration showcasing the terrain adaptation below.

In the video above, you can witness the ability in action with the debug display showcasing its adaptive nature as it works its way over obstacles along its path. The method employed is simple yet effective, but further testing was necessary to ensure its seamless integration into the actual game world. While the debug world provided valuable insights, it was crucial to assess the ability's performance on real terrain. Below, you'll find videos showcasing the thorough testing of the terrain adaptation within the playable world.

Furthermore, I have prepared an additional demonstration featuring a significantly steeper incline to showcase the adaptability of the ability in more challenging terrain.

As development progressed, we anticipated and addressed several other potential issues to ensure smooth functionality. One crucial challenge was preventing the ability from passing through walls or creating a staircase effect when encountering cliffs. To overcome this, we implemented checks within the trace process:

1. We examined the traces to detect scenarios where they didn't hit anything, indicating the absence of a floor below. In such cases, we safely assumed the ability was approaching a steep edge.
2. We examined the traces to identify hit locations directly at the start of the trace. This indicated instances where the ability encountered a wall or an excessively steep hill.

If either of these cases were triggered, we halted the placement of fire wall segments, cutting the ability short while still ensuring it worked as intended. Below, you'll find a demonstration showcasing the attempt to cast the ability into a wall.

Below, you'll find a video demonstration illustrating the behaviour of the ability when cast off a steep edge. The video showcases how the ability is appropriately cut short upon encountering the edge, while still functioning as intended.

These were the primary challenges I encountered while developing this ability. Despite its simplicity, the ability proves to be remarkably effective and seamlessly adapts to various terrains encountered in the game. Upon reviewing the ability, the development team expressed their satisfaction with its performance in combat against enemies. Below, you can observe the ability in action, presented without any debug visuals.

Addressing the development team's request, I have prepared an additional video showcasing the ability's seamless adaptation to the terrain, providing a clear view without the presence of debug visuals.

On the final day of the bootcamp, we had the opportunity to collaborate with the design branch and gather feedback on the visual aspects of our abilities. It was important to seek opinions from others to ensure that the abilities appealed to a wider audience beyond myself and my mentors at the bootcamp. The valuable feedback I received highlighted the need for some touch-ups in the visuals, as they appeared slightly off. With access to pre-existing visual effects, making the necessary improvements was relatively straightforward. By adjusting certain variables in the particle emitters, I was able to enhance the overall look and feel of the ability. Please find the demonstration showcasing the reworked visuals below.

As you can see from the video, the changes I made to the ability introduced a captivating ripple effect that emanates from the origin point, creating a sense of energy that intensifies along its path. The feedback I received highlighted the need for a more aggressive and impactful feel, and I took this new version back to the design team for their assessment. They were impressed by the enhancements and offered further ideas to elevate the ability's impact. One suggestion involved incorporating a grand collective explosion as the final climax, rewarding players for keeping enemies within the damage area and delivering a more devastating blow. Although time was limited, I embraced the challenge head-on and dedicated myself to refining the ability, resulting in a final iteration that represents significant progress. Please enjoy the final video demonstration showcasing the remarkable transformations achieved.

Thank you for coming along this journey of my experience at the Interactive Real-Time 3D Skills Bootcamp with I N F I N I T Y 27, I'd like to give a personal thanks to Dan Baird for inviting me on this journey. To conclude the experience we had to conduct a presentation, showcasing the process of our ability and the final outcome, if you'd like to check out my presentation slides you can find them here.

If you're interested in partaking in a similar experience I'm sure that they will be carrying out more bootcamps in the future, you can find the link to their website here.