and the Cootie Catcher
Most of the coding is complete. The game is basically one big modular character creator. And, technically speaking, it’s not a large character creator.
Overview
Breakdown
The Coding can be broken down by each section of the Story.
Widgets
Five Story Sections
Basic Coding Needs
Opening Cutscenes
Widgets to display cutscenes
The Castle History
Triggers for prop animations, lighting and effects
The Wizard's Tower
Pickups and HUD display
Prince Charming
Widgets for Player Input, Modular Character Creator, Companion Pawn
Closing Cutscenes
Trigger to Spawn Prince and his animation, Widgets to display cutscenes
I've created a library of blueprints for my widgets. I have a reusable custom button. Several of these are placed on a 'main menu' type widget for each Cootie Catcher. An interface is used to listen for a "Button Click Event" from each main menu widget. The interface sends the player's selection to the Final Prince array.
Enumerators
There are basically 5 Player choices so 5 enumerators. When the enumerators are set, that value is sent to a Final Prince Array. The 5 enumerators are listed below with probable values for each enumerator type. The sidekick is a Player choice but simply spawns a corresponding model in the Prince's cell.
Enumerators
Nationality
Profession
Side Kick
Character Trait
Personality
Nationality:
Head Mesh
African
Asian
Caucasian
Latino
Hulk Green
Professions:
Outfit
Leader
Sailor
Soldier
Baker
Worker
Side Kick:
Static Mesh
Lion
Pig
Bunny
Baby Chick
Crocodile
Characteristics
Anim Class
Brains
Muscles
Romantic
Charismatic
Dancer
Personalities
Facial Expression
Smoldering
Curious
Sweet
Stoic
Silly Face
Widgets appear at each locked door in the "Wizard's Tower" part of the game. The images on the widgets are subtly correlated with visual aspects of the Prince. This represents the main goal of the game: to unknowingly create a perfect Prince for you, the Player.
Enumerator
Nationality
Profession
Sidekick
Character Trait
Personality
Visual Aspect
Head Model
Outfit
Set Prop
Animation File
Facial Anim
Modular Characters
Example African Professions
Example Asian Professions
Example European Professions
Example Latino Professions
Prince Animations
Prince animations are working across each of the Prince skeletons and from different source skeletons; i.e. Mixamo Animations and purchased animations from Fab such as: Male Emotes, Lean Animations, and Social Animations.
Below are example animations representing each Character Trait. Note: A bow is used for "Romantic" but will be the Prince kneeling with a bouquet of flowers. This will need some work as I haven't found an adequate pre-existing animation file.
Animation File:
Flexing
Reading
Dance
Bowing
Character
Trait:
Muscles
Brains
Charisma, wit, charm
Romantic
Ladies, meet your Princes.
Originally, the Prince animations were going to be fed into the Final Prince array but it seems that it is easier to create a Master BP_Prince_Pawn and from that, create children with different Anim Classes. This greatly simplifies the code and for now, with the size of the game and the number of Prince animation choices, it is not a problem.
Meet the Player's Companion: Mouse
Sequence of Events in the Wizard's Tower
At the Wizard's Tower, we meet the mouse. A test case of the companion pawn is working. Currently, the mouse is following the Player. However, at times, the mouse will lead the character.
And at each door, there is a repeat animation: the player loses possession of the controller, we cut to the mouse camera, the mouse moves forward and we see a light under the door. This is working in the prototype.
At which point, we play a cutscene of a letter animated to slide under the door.
Player comes to a locked door
Freeze Character
Cut to Mouse Cam
Anim Mouse Forward
Light Animates Under Door
Play
Letter-to-Cootie
Cutscene
"Letter to Cootie Catcher Cutscene"
A letter (from the Wizard) slides under each locked door at the Player's arrival. In a cutscene, the letter transforms into our supernatural cootie catcher. Traditionally, a cootie catcher is an origami fortune teller. In the game, the cutscene will be more of a magical transformation and the widget will serve as the cootie catcher decision making device.
Play Cootie Catcher Widget
Play Cootie Catcher Widget
Enable Mouse on Screen
Player Selects a Button
Choice is sent to Final Prince Array
Locked Door Opens
Return Controller to Player
Pickup Inside Door = Widget Choice
The Pickup is placed in the HUD
Final Door/Prince Animations
Player arrives at Final Door
Play Last Warning Cutscene
Animate Door Open
Spawn Animated Prince
Play "Choice" Cutscene
Player Chooses
Play "Accept Prince Final Cutscene" or "Play Again Cut Scene"
