Development Blog: Week #24

Six Month Recap: Weeks 1-24

As we wrap up Sprint 6 and move into 7 we wanted to do a recap of our first 6 months of development. We completed quite a bit and look forward to another awesome 6 months. Moving into Sprint 7 we will continue working on the matchmaking and online systems for creating your team, selecting and joining a battle, completing a battle, and other associated backend networking tasks.

This Week

  • Created the locked button for the inventory and stash with unlock notifications
  • Continued working on the friends system
  • Created the Horse window
  • Implemented the Settings window and have begun implementing the functionality
  • Completed various backlogged tasks as we wrap up the sprint
  • Added spawn volumes to Rome, Colosseum, and Ludus
  • Begun designing the 3D environment background for the match loading screen

And now, lets look back at everything we did in our first 6 months.

General Development

  • Established the development and implementation pipeline
  • Established the QA and issue tracking pipeline
  • Implemented our online functionality and backend framework
    • Login
    • Select a server and connect to Rome
    • Multiple users logged into Rome
    • Send and receive friend invitations
    • Chat and commands functionality
  • Automated our build deployment
  • Created a Launcher and installer
    • Login via your website credentials
    • Download game
    • Launch game
  • Migrated the project to Unreal Engine 5
  • Created the Shadows of Glory website

Gladiators / NPCs

  • Implemented the gladiator systems and have begun working on the combat system
    • General character controller that is universal to all specialties
    • Equip Armor and weapons
    • Stats system
    • Select a Specialty, and Samnite specialty functionality, attacks and finishers
    • Unlock and change gladiators
    • Unlock and select attacks and finishers and add them to your attack bar
    • Begun creating various weapons and shields
    • Begun creating gladiators and merchants with MetaHuman
    • Wrote lore for current Gladiators and Merchants

Horses

  • Implemented the horse systems
    • Horse controller
    • Summon / Dismiss horse
    • Ride / Dismount horse

Storage

  • Implemented the storage system for the Inventory and Stash

Levels

  • Rome
    • Created the 1:1 scale section of Rome and imported the OSM terrain data
    • Begun greyboxing Rome buildings, roads, paths, landmarks, locations and spawn volumes
    • Begun creating foliage, world props and environment texturing
    • Implemented day / night cycle
  • Colosseum
    • Begun creating the 1:1 scale model of the Colosseum exterior and interior
    • Begun environment texturing
    • Implemented day / night cycle
  • Ludus
    • Begun greyboxing the Ludus interior
    • Implemented day / night cycle

Audio

  • Begun creating sound for weapons and attacks
  • Begun composing music for the launcher and in-game

HUD / UI

  • Server Select
      • Created 3D environment background
      • Created the UI elements
      • Implemented functionality to select and connect to a server, followed by loading into Rome.
  • Match Loading Screen
    • Begun designing the 3D environment background
  • Created the art elements and have implemented the HUD elements for:
    • Gladiator status portrait with Health and Endurance bars
    • Horse status portrait with Health and Endurance bars
    • Attack bar to add your attacks and finishers
    • Minimap
    • Chat window
    • Player Nameplates
  • Created the art elements and have begun implementing / implemented the UI windows for:
    • Gladiators
    • Horses
    • Citizen list
    • Battle Select
    • Inventory
    • Stash
    • Tooltips
    • Notifications
    • Map
    • ESC
    • Settings
    • Credits