Let's fix up my broken levels!

The speaker continues working on their game, focusing on fixing levels and enemy damage animations. They explore issues with normal maps and cell shading, ultimately deciding to remove normal maps for performance and visual improvements. The speaker then moves on to discuss various games they've played, including Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 15, and Hogwarts Legacy, offering opinions and comparisons between them.

Normal map issues

• 00:01:16 The speaker discusses their experience with normal maps and how they've decided to remove them from their game. They found that normal maps caused issues with cell shading and the line shader, resulting in excessive detail and a loss of visual clarity. Removing normal maps improves performance and allows for better implementation of cell shading.

Enemy attack animations

• 00:09:23 The speaker focuses on fixing enemy attack animations, specifically ensuring that the damage boxes scale accurately based on the mesh size and rotation. They implement a system in Blueprint to automatically adjust the damage box size and position during animations, making it consistent with the enemy's actual size and orientation.

Game Instance

• 00:42:27 The speaker explains how they use the Game Instance node in Unreal Engine to check if they are running the game in the editor or during gameplay. They use this to conditionally enable or disable debug spheres that are used for visual representation and don't need to be rendered during actual gameplay.

Boss fight fix

• 00:57:02 The speaker fixes an issue where the boss fight cutscene was not appearing at the correct location in the game. They identified the problem as the boss's actor location being set incorrectly and modified the code to use the mesh's world location instead. This ensures consistency between the preview and gameplay.

Playable test build

• 02:59:22 The speaker highlights their plans for the next week, aiming to have a playable test build ready by next Wednesday. They intend to focus on implementing an interaction system, allowing players to examine objects and read flavor text, which will enhance the world building experience.

Inspiration and motivation

• 01:58:43 The speaker discusses the importance of understanding the emotional impact of media and how it drives creative decisions. They suggest that creators should focus on the desired emotional response first, then craft the story and visuals to achieve it. This applies to both artistic and entertainment-focused media, emphasizing the importance of considering the emotional resonance and impact of the content.

Video game medium

• 02:03:04 The speaker argues that video games are the most flexible type of media, as they can incorporate elements of both film and interactive storytelling. They highlight the player's active participation in driving the story forward, creating a unique emotional resonance that cannot be replicated in other forms of media.

Music and sound design

• 02:05:04 The speaker emphasizes the importance of music and sound design in creating emotional impact, noting that they lack skill in music production and will likely seek a composer for the game. They discuss how sound, particularly music, is a powerful tool for evoking specific emotions, making it crucial to have it well-executed.

Game genre discussions

• 02:14:44 The speaker dives into a discussion about game genres, focusing on the differences between action RPGs and Soulslikes. They argue that a Soulslike game is defined by its emphasis on strategic decision-making during combat, prioritizing defense and waiting for opportune moments to attack. They also discuss the similarities between Zelda bosses and Soulslike bosses, suggesting that both genres share the same pattern of offense and defense phases.

Final Fantasy 16

• 02:07:24 The speaker shares their enthusiasm for Final Fantasy 16, praising its combat system and overall experience. They contrast it with Final Fantasy 15, which they found disappointing and lacking in character depth. They also express their desire for a boss fight that would allow them to utterly destroy the main villain, highlighting the game's emotional impact on them.

Freelancing

• 01:30:50 The speaker discusses the challenges of freelancing, particularly the inconsistency in workload and income. They describe periods of intense work followed by periods of inactivity, creating a stressful cycle of either overworking or feeling anxious about finances. They express a preference for greater consistency in their freelance work.