Hello, hello, hello.
I've been working on several areas that I had committed to improving. As always, I've split everything into sections so you can jump straight to whatever interests you most.
For now, these are mostly small and scattered improvements, but I believe it's these small pieces that eventually come together to build something greater.
I still haven't completed the redesign of the second gameplay area because I want to carefully rethink how players will interact with it.
The core mechanic is already implemented: following a trail of breadcrumbs to reach a shelter and reduce accumulated pressure. However, I'd like to add something more original and deeper. My goal is for the extraction journey to include two or three macro-gameplay mechanics that reward the player mentally and strategically, rather than only through immediate sensory feedback.
Nothing particularly noteworthy this week.
I have been touching many different areas of the project simultaneously, and the technical complexity is becoming fairly significant, which means every change carries a certain implementation and maintenance cost.
That said, we're not exactly building a network of atomic-memory AIs in a garage somewhere in Turkmenistan.
Thank you very much for reading, beautiful people
🐄🧡
https://coyrestaurado.itch.io/rattenkorps-example
Hello, hello!
Here's a new development update. This one is much more focused on design, so I've split everything into sections and everyone can skip to whatever interests them most.
Like every developer, I have a mental collection of mechanics and solutions borrowed from games I've played over the years. Most of us who have spent a long time gaming, even without any development experience, instinctively understand where objects should be placed, where menu buttons should go, or how a feature should generally work.
We've also spent years watching game design videos, dreaming about the day we'd create our own games.
Even so, I've had to study level design more seriously. The main reason is that the setting is a forest, and honestly, even I sometimes get lost in it. Although there is a locator integrated into the character's diegetic wrist HUD, it isn't always visible, so players can still become disoriented.
To address this, I've implemented what could be described as "breadcrumbs" in the form of cloth strips hanging from trees. Besides serving as visual guidance, they also have an in-universe explanation: the previous inhabitants used them to mark shelters during their retreat.
I've also worked on spatial guidance. Players naturally tend to move toward areas with less visual noise, so I've taken advantage of that behavior to subtly guide them through the environment.
Finally, I've added a visual landmark. Many games that revolve around reaching a specific destination use this technique to orient the player and create a sense of progression as they move closer to their objective. A classic example would be the Citadel in Half-Life 2.
Brrrrp... Brrrrrrrp... 404 Not Found.
(Not much to report here this time.)
RattenKorps — A Tribute to Mad World
Hello, hello, hello.
I’ve separated everything into sections so everyone can jump straight to whatever interests them most.
-Added weapon customization system
-Added helmet module selection system (perks)
-Created curved distortion effect for the HUD
-Added distance meter in location selection
-Optimized enemy CPU load (mainly by disabling procedural movement and other unnecessary processes at distance)
I’ve been thinking quite a lot about the game’s structure.
While testing, I realized that once the support packages arrive and the player returns to the bunker, following the world first design logic, extraction should happen as soon as possible.
It would not make much sense to force three or more filler objectives just to artificially extend the experience. That would only weaken the main tension of the moment.
At the same time, I also realized that the player needs a short preparation phase.
That is why, before extraction, the player will receive a small customization package for the Sturmgewehr 44.
The rifle will feature 3 customization layers, each with 2 possible variations.
For example:
Choosing between a laser sight or an attached flashlight
In addition, I have designed 3 helmet expansion modules (perks), inspired by different military doctrines from the central Oberkommando.
Reconnaissance
Focused on improving environmental awareness and detection.
Intelligence
Focused on tactical information and anticipation.
Shock Forces
Designed for a more aggressive and direct approach.
The idea is simple.
I want to give the player a brief moment to stop and think:
“This is the loadout I have chosen to escape.”
I do not want this section to feel generic.
Since the weapon customization system was never meant to scale to multiple weapons or a large number of components, it was relatively straightforward to design.
I was able to avoid dealing with:
data tables
complex structures
overly abstract modular logic
Instead, I went for something much more direct and practical.
The truly infernal part was drawing those cursed connection lines on screen.
Finding a way to make them work properly with: the camera, the locomotion system rotation, the projection of the 3D weapon onto the HUD
was quite a battle.
In the end, I solved it in a rather brute force way. I temporarily removed possession from the player, transferred it to another actor, and worked from there. After that, I had to convert the weapon sockets from 3D space into HUD coordinates in order to draw the lines correctly.
In Unreal Engine 4, at least for this very specific case, there is practically no useful information or clear documentation available, so it ended up being a matter of fighting through it with trial and error until it worked.
Thank you very much for reading all the way to the end
🦐🦐🧡
https://coyrestaurado.itch.io/rattenkorps-example
Hello,, hello ,, hello and do you like pizza too? And what flavor? Pepperoni?
I’m losing my mind already, it’s happened to more than one of us, I close my eyes and see code, XD
I’ll split it into parts again, everyone can skip whatever they want
Additions and bug fixes
Surely I’ve done more things but I don’t remember
Reflections:
I’ve had a critical point, I’ve gone blank looking for more mechanics, more filler, the eternal sin,.
More or less understood that the game is almost already structured the more I try to climb the tree the more I’m going to leave my ass exposed,, in principle you can already reach the extraction point which would be the victory condition
I think I should focus on making that escape memorable, like the green smoke from The Rock movie, not making you stay in the forest acting like an idiot going from one place to another epically
Really using the logic of World-first design the most normal thing is that if they’re not going to leave you to your luck they would try to rescue you fast and as soon as possible
"World-first design is a development approach where the world, its rules, and systems are defined first, and then the gameplay mechanics are built around that environment."
So what I have left is to deepen ,, polish,, fill out that escape, make an ending worthy of mordor
I know how to make shooters but I’m not a regular shooter player ,, I’ve asked around and normally if you have movement ,, hip fire and aiming down sights ,, in many games a quick press is hip fire and if you hold the button you go into sights, because using Tab for ADS would be diabolical leaving it like that
Technical part:
I don’t have anything memorable to tell and this is my favorite part
Thank you very much ,,if you made it this far
🐏🧡
https://coyrestaurado.itch.io/rattenkorps-example
Oooooh thank you so much for stopping by here, I remember now. Maybe I should have explained it better when I mentioned the lighting policies. Game engines usually use a lightmap for the meshes you import, and actually for all meshes in the game. The resolution of that lightmap can usually be adjusted.
The problem is that engines tend to use default values out of the box. In my engine the default resolution is 64, which is not that high by itself, but that same 64 resolution is applied even to a simple imported cube.
If I instance 34,000 cubes at 64 resolution, the game itself does not suffer in runtime because it is precomputed lighting, but the problem comes when precomputing it, and that is when performance really suffers.
In Unity I would know exactly which parameters control this, and also in Unreal, but in Bakin it is difficult for me to find the exact parameter. I hope I am not mistaken and that this helps you.
Since I had no idea how the hell this community section worked, I created this post a while ago, but I didn’t keep the thread updated, so it got lost. I think it’s necessary to add it back to the thread, since it’s the soul of the project 👾👾👾
Technical Document – Project Development
This project has been developed using Unreal Engine 4 (version 4.26), a choice motivated by its stability and maturity compared to newer versions of the engine.
Version 4.26 allows for more direct control over shading and lighting policies, as well as efficient management of large volumes of instanced elements within a level. This is particularly useful for optimizing performance in scenarios with high element density.
At the animation and movement level, the project integrates procedural locomotion systems. On one hand, an enemy system has been reused, currently without official support, adapted to the needs of the project. On the other hand, ALS V4 (Advanced Locomotion System) has been incorporated for characters.
Regarding artificial intelligence, the architecture is inspired by the approach used in the video game Alien: Isolation, Left for Dead 2. Each enemy entity has its own autonomous AI, based on the management of internal stimuli that allow fast and dynamic responses to the environment.
On this basis, a central state machine called the “Hunting Director” has been developed, whose function is to coordinate and modulate the behavior of the different AI systems. This system acts as a higher-level control layer, generating stimuli and directives that affect subordinate agents, enabling emergent behaviors and group coordination.
Additionally, tools have been implemented to facilitate group direction and the management of global dynamics within the game environment.
I’m also leaving a few random GIFs here
Thank you very much for the attention, beautiful people
🦔🦔🦔
https://coyrestaurado.itch.io/rattenkorps-example
Hello, hello.
I’ve been diving pretty deeply into the project lately, so I’ll leave the devlog separated into sections so you can ignore whatever doesn’t interest you
Character health system added
I added the weapon core loops, along with the beginning of the ammunition system
Added a new group action to the Hunting Director: Attack and Retreat
Fixed an issue where the spiders would remain static when entering attack behavior. Basically, I created a distance tolerance, but I never connected the result back to the actor... so yeah, sometimes I’m that smart
I also added a limited use emergency system. If the player’s health drops below a certain point, a series of flares deploy to intimidate nearby enemies
I really like the Sturmgewehr 44 (WW2 assault rifle). Enemies react to damage depending on their behavior, so if you have enough ammo, you can keep them at bay, which was one of my main goals
The downside is that, even if it is not extremely powerful, it is still a damn assault rifle, and in a horror game that needs to be handled carefully
Still, I think it has to stay. What kind of command or military support sends you into a situation like this without a proper weapon? It would feel absurd if they left you with only your standard sidearm
I also keep integrating more interface and gameplay information directly into the game world itself in order to preserve immersion. It is more complicated to develop this way, but it is the direction I want to keep following
Nothing particularly crazy here. When I first started programming, the first things I worked on were shooters because that was where most of the good information and tutorials existed, so it is something I have revisited many times over the years
The health bar itself is a dither texture where I manipulate coordinates, movement, and procedural band generation to create that visual effect
I do not think I should keep expanding systems too much for now. I believe I should focus on progressing into the next stage by defining player objectives first, and then building only what is truly necessary around them
As always, thank you very much for your attention
🦅🦅🦅
https://coyrestaurado.itch.io/rattenkorps-example
Hello everyone again, I just can’t sit still
God as my witness, the next thing I’m doing is the weapon core loops
Hello everyone.
I’ve decided to start organizing updates a bit better for the public side of the project. I guess I’m often too technical and not very “human” when explaining things.
Right now I’m working on creating the mechanics that I believe are necessary for the project itself, while also adding some early objectives and guidance so people trying the game can have an experience closer to what the final game is supposed to feel like.
I added a HUD integrated into the player’s arm. I think it fits this kind of game much better. Everything is still heavily work in progress, polishing will come later.
I also added a zone locator inside the HUD. It’s not something particularly complex, but I personally prefer it over a traditional minimap.
A basic dialogue system with high command has also been implemented.
On top of that, I added a delay to the Hunting Director spawn so enemies are not immediately on top of the player from the very beginning.
I also added a Sturmgewehr 44, a German assault rifle from World War II. The full shooting logic has not been implemented yet.
Aside from the usual bugs that can appear, things are generally pretty stable.
The damn spiders and the double-layer AI are still a pain to deal with. When they enter attack state, they sometimes remain static. Right now I have AI work somewhat parked to the side; once I fully dive back into it I’ll fix it. The problem with working on AI is that you never know when you’re getting out of it.
I’m also trying to find a way for the player to better escape or reposition during encounters. Right now the system feels pretty unfair.
I like that the spiders behave organically: some harass the player, others stalk, and sometimes they attack in groups. The issue is that when the Hunting Director and several spiders attack at the same time, the player currently has almost no room to react.
The arm-mounted HUD was made by modifying the curves from the default lighting overlay.
The HUD itself is actually two combined interfaces. The text layer uses custom depth so post-processing effects like dynamic resolution and pixelation do not affect readability.
Hartmann’s sprite was created using an animated 3D model combined with a post-processing technique to pixelate it. This usually allows for smoother animations and a higher frame count.
A well-known example of a similar technique would be Dead Cells.
Thank you very much for reading this far. If you made it to the end, you’re a brave one
🦦🦦🦦
https://coyrestaurado.itch.io/rattenkorps-example
It’s a nice game, and with good execution it has potential. Maybe the driving difficulty curve is a bit steep at first impression, although it’s true that by the second lap it already feels much better to drive. Still, that might make some players drop it at the beginning, even though personally I find it rewarding.
Adding NPCs would be a big step forward, but without getting too deep into that just yet. Instead, you could implement a more dynamic movement system using Bézier curves or Catmull-Rom splines (I’m not entirely sure of the exact name in your engine), or even improve the system with waypoints so the movement doesn’t feel so static. If well tested, that could give a much more natural result.
A while ago I prototyped an autonomous vehicle locomotion system, and what gave the most realistic result was precisely that approach: smooth routes with control points. I’ll leave the example here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9yWlw6ydv8
Overall, the game is in a very good state. Even with just three maps, a bit of progression system, and NPCs, it would already work well.
Finally, I wonder if you’ve considered changing the design of those areas where you have the “safety reinforcements” on the curves. Instead of punishing the player, you could let them use them as a help or even a driving advantage.
I really like how polished it already is. My native language is Spanish, so I haven’t been able to fully dive into it, but it’s not your fault at all, and it’s not that it needs to be translated into Spanish. In fact, I think it might even be better this way, as I can give you a different kind of perspective.
I think the first room scene is a bit saturated , lighting, effects, ambient sound, etc. Some players might like it, others might not. Since it’s the first playable section, it might need a softer redesign.
I really, really miss the sound of the player’s footsteps, even if they were very quiet.
Other than that, it might sound silly, but it reminds me of The Addams Family game for the SNES. It’s a great project, and you can tell there’s a piece of your soul in it. Keep going like this.
Technical Document – Project Development
This project has been developed using Unreal Engine 4 (version 4.26), a choice motivated by its stability and maturity compared to newer versions of the engine.
Version 4.26 allows for more direct control over shading and lighting policies, as well as efficient management of large volumes of instanced elements within a level. This is particularly useful for optimizing performance in scenarios with high element density.
At the animation and movement level, the project integrates procedural locomotion systems. On one hand, an enemy system has been reused, currently without official support, adapted to the needs of the project. On the other hand, ALS V4 (Advanced Locomotion System) has been incorporated for characters.
Regarding artificial intelligence, the architecture is inspired by the approach used in the video games Alien: Isolation and Left for Dead 2. Each enemy entity has its own autonomous AI, based on the management of internal stimuli that allow fast and dynamic responses to the environment.
On this basis, a central state machine called the “Hunting Director” has been developed, whose function is to coordinate and modulate the behavior of the different AI systems. This system acts as a higher-level control layer, generating stimuli and directives that affect subordinate agents, enabling emergent behaviors and group coordination.
Additionally, tools have been implemented to facilitate group direction and the management of global dynamics within the game environment.
Thank you very much for reading it. Any advice, suggestions, or interest are greatly appreciated
🧡🧡🧡
Hello everyone,
After years, this is the first time I’ve felt ready to post something here.
I’m working on a horror and action project set in the Black Forest in Germany. The idea is to create a short experience focused on immersion and tension, where the main objective is to escape.
The project is still in an early stage, but it already has a solid playable foundation:
Both the player and the enemies use procedural locomotion systems, allowing for more organic movement. In addition, the AI is designed in multiple layers to create varied encounters, inspired by titles like Alien: Isolation and Left 4 Dead 2.
PROCEDURAL MOVEMENT
ARTIFICIAL INTELLLIGENCE
PLAYABLE ZONE
Right now I’m focused on further expanding the gameplay and shaping the game’s objectives.
Any feedback, advice, or even just interest is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
🧡🧡🧡
Proyect Link 👉 https://coyrestaurado.itch.io/rattenkorps-example
