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Hotspot texturing is really easy to set up and super fun! I highly recommend trying it out.
As far as the base file size, I guess there's probably not much that can be done about that. Also, I Just looked at one of my bigger project files for reference, which is a little over 2gb. The folders for Blueprints, animations, meshes, levels, etc. are all under 100mb each. The sounds folder is around 250mb, and the textures folder is 500mb+, even using my methods. So, it seems like sounds and textures are where the bulk of the data comes from (at least for the types of games I make), and even my textures folder is twice as much as the sounds folder. If I were using mostly 4k textures, and per-object textures, the folder would be multiple gb. So all that to say, I think the textures are where you really need to pay the most attention if you want to keep the overall project file size low. I've worked on projects with other companies who used asset packs, and they were well over 100gb, mainly because of the textures. But yeah, as far as the base size, that's just the cost of using Unreal haha. I'm also not sure about how the data changes once you package the game, as the build will add new files, but in my case, the built file is either roughly the same size, or smaller with larger projects. Anyway, there's some more anecdotal information for your consideration! Cheers from America!

Hi there! I have always taken a very different approach to texturing models in my games. Most modern games (especially asset packs) have unique textures for almost every single model, often at 4k+ resolution. This is where I think the bulk of space is taken up in modern games. I admit that it looks the best that way, but it also takes so much more work to create, especially if you're hand-painting textures. I generally will have several base textures that I use for mostly everything except characters. For example, a concrete texture at 1-2k resolution can be reused for a variety of surfaces. I also use world aligned textures for almost everything that is static, and will use a noise mask to mix between another texture for variety and break up the tiled pattern. If I want something to have edge wear, I will use a technique called hotspot texturing, where I have a black and white texture with different rectangles and circles that I can use on a second UV map and blend between different textures. I don't know if any of this will make sense to you (unless you're an artist!), but that's the "secret" :) In short, efficient texture use can do a lot to lower the size of a game! Also using 1-2k textures and only 4k when absolutely necessary (like for characters). Hopefully that helps!

Thank you so much for playing!!

Do you want to adjust the terrain, or add foliage, or both? You can go to Landscape Mode to edit the terrain, and Foliage Mode to add or remove foliage. Any Unreal landscape or foliage tutorial will work, it's using the same basic functionality. I recommend looking up some tutorials on YouTube for that, they will be way more helpful than me!

Most definitely! It will probably be a Patreon exclusive initially for the "First Chapter", but it won't require membership. After a while I will probably add it here as well, but for Steam, that will probably be whenever the full game is done. I already have a Steam page for it, but I don't want to make it public until a release is within a reasonable amount of time!

And yeah, I feel you, indie games have been a bit cookie-cutter and I haven't seen much that really catches my attention. I assure you this game will very much be a unique experience :)

Yes, but something bigger is coming soon! See the above comment! Sorry I took so long to respond, I completely missed your comment!

Hey there! Thanks, I appreciate that :)

Very much still alive! Just a massive project. The last few years I've been caught up doing client work to pay the bills. Trying to get some passive funding coming in so I can free up more time to work on it. I've made a ton of progress though. This teaser is just a small slice of it, the full game will probably be closer to 10 hours. Hoping to get an updated demo or "first chapter" of the game out soon! Check in once in a while, or sub to my MattReevesDev YT channel where I will announce it. 

It brings me endless joy that people still ask about it, thank you for reaching out!

Excellent, thanks for letting me know!

Thank you so much!

Great feedback, I will definitely look into it and do some more quality checking. It was all working really well, but it's possible I missed something near the end. Is this the default project, or has it been incorporated with yours? I have a friend who is using it also, and it caused some issues with his project, but that was mostly due to how it was incorporated. 

I will be doing an update soon, and I will add Day and Night light settings. That was something I planned to add and never got around to. Night Light is actually a light on the player to compensate for really dark environments. I might need to rename it to make things more clear when I add the directional light options.

Anyway, thanks so much for the rating and feedback! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and I'm excited to see what you make with it :)

Oh, thank you so much!! I greatly appreciate that :) If you like it and don't mind rating it, that would be amazing. Also, I would love to hear any feedback, like issues you encounter, or features that feel missing to you. Also also, if you use it for a project, feel free to link me to it and I'll check it out! Thanks again!!

I NO U probably hear this a lot, but this game made me NO U harder than I have ever NO U'd. U NO, now that I think of it, I NO U NO. So very nice job to U. Also NO U.

Hey, thanks so much for sharing that! It's always a treat to see my games represented in a medium other than videos. It was a lovely read, thank you for taking the time to write it!

No, just the one. The separate path was purely visual and has a nasty break in the collision that can get you stuck. Sorry if it got you! I typically don't go back and touch jam games after I release them. If you saw the main ending, you've seen everything you needed to see!

...................................................no u

OK I WON'T.

NOX U

MORE HYPE.

HYPE.

Thank you so much for playing and posting, I really appreciate it! Sorry for the late reply!

Really enjoyed this game. As always, your atmosphere is super on point. You make games that are easy to get lost in, which I assume is intended. I really appreciated the message of this game, and I would love to see more devs get personal with their art like this. Excellent job, looking forward to whatever's next!

Thank you! I designed this game with the intent that people would have varying experiences with it. Some people are absolutely terrorized by the monster and just give up, and some people squeak by effortlessly. In fact, one person never even saw this monster, which was absolutely mind boggling, but it's all possible! Either way, glad you made it through and enjoyed it!

Thank you, I appreciate that! Yes, there was much left to be desired. I actually went over the deadline several hours, and they were gracious enough to extend it. I spent way too much time focusing on little details, and the mechanics suffered because of it. I had fun plans for this game, but I've got so many projects stacked up, I doubt I'll have time to come back to it. Thank you for playing! I'll have many other games to look forward to instead!

I very much enjoyed this experience.

Thanks so much for posting, I left you a comment! Also, I love that you used that image for the thumbnail, and the blue tint looks really nice!

Thank you so much for playing! Happy to hear you enjoyed it :)

Thanks for playing, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you so much for posting!

I really enjoyed this game--far more than I expected to. The concept seemed interesting enough, but it was something I needed to experience to fully understand. The atmosphere, the music, and the voice acting all work together to create a very calming environment. This game is an especially great way to wind down after a long day at work, or to de-stress before bed. It's something that leaves you smiling, even if you don't quite know why. It just feels good to play, and for me, it tapped into a new kind of experience. I'm excited to follow this game and see what other places it takes me to. Highly recommended!

Wow, I totally missed replying to this, so sorry! Thank you so much for playing and posting!!

Hi there! You know, I made this for a game jam, so I didn't have much time to optimize or test specifications. There's not a lot going on graphically in this one, so it won't be as intensive as some of my other games, but I honestly can't say how it will run on your specs. It's free though, so you can always give it a shot! Let me know if you or your friend decide to try it out, and if you have any luck!

Thank you for playing! Glad you're enjoying my games :)

Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it :)

So sorry I'm just seeing this now! Thank you so much for posting here! I left you a comment on the video!

I did!

Aw, thank you so much for this awesome post! I'll send all my thoughts over to your YouTube video :)

NO U

This is hands-down your most impressive work yet. I was blown away by how fun it was just to walk around and shoot things. You absolutely nailed the retro tank controls, especially by giving it a modern twist. Being able to turn the mouse was a game changer, and made me want to play more games with that control setup. The environments were cool, and there were definitely some heart-pounding moments. I hope to see more projects like this from you, because it seems to fit your style really well. Awesome job Aaron, and good luck in the jam results!

Hai

I absolutely loved this game. I'm definitely going to say that in terms of the overall experience, this is my favorite of all of your games. The environments and sound design worked perfectly together. This is truly a big step forward for you, and it seemed like a noticeable shift in quality to something much more polished. I can tell you took some extra care with this game, and if this is the new standard for you, I am beyond stoked to play whatever is next! Can't wait for more. Very well done, my friend.

Thank you so much for making this!! I am absolutely honored. I really enjoyed getting to play this and see your interpretation of it. I love the way you made it your own, and added different pieces to it, like the reverse dialogue. Also, the creature was way more interesting than mine, haha. Very well done Aaron, and thank you so much for the kind words!