The creation of immersive and engaging gameplay relies on the ability to innovate, adapt, evolve, and quickly iterate on new development ideas and mechanics. The modular stamina and Sprint system was born out of a simple idea to allow me to quickly iterate and add new mechanics that utilize both the player and AI’s stamina pools and movement speeds. I wanted to create a system that was flexible, efficient, and scalable. This system would not only make it possible to simulate sprinting and exertion, but also opens the door to new gameplay possibilities.
The system leverages Unreal Engines’ versatile features, specifically enumerators, to offer a way to create and implement new stamina mechanics. Enumerators provide a structured way to define the different mechanics and actions that can drain or regenerate stamina. Using these enumerators along with custom functions made it possible to quickly iterate and prototype new ideas. Adding new mechanics such as swimming, climbing, or crawling can be added with less effort in the future as I can simply add a new enumerator and stamina drain rate.
The key aspect of this system is its modular nature. It provides a foundation that can be easily expanded upon, and this is one of the reasons it showcases my game development skills. The beauty of the system lies in its ability to adapt to the ever-evolving needs of a game. If a new gameplay mechanic is required, it's simply a matter of adding a new enumerator and a few lines of code to make it an integral part of the stamina system. This modularity is a testament to my understanding of the importance of scalability and adaptability in game development. This system also highlights my commitment to optimization. The code is designed to be efficient, ensuring that the system won't be a performance bottleneck. It manages the allocation and depletion of stamina resources with precision, creating a seamless and enjoyable player experience.
I have chosen to include this artifact in My Portfolio because it encapsulates the core principles that I view as imperative in game development: Innovation adaptability, usability, and optimization. It's a testament to my ability to create tools that enable the realization of unique gameplay experiences and foster collaboration among possible future team members. It also shows my commitment to providing a solid foundation that can be built upon and expanded as the game needs evolve.
I have created a dynamic and modular stamina system that utilizes enumerators to dynamically update movement speeds based on the characters action and status. Other entities in the world such as the Wolves and the Wendigo also utilize this same stamina system. A stamina bar on the screen shows the player how much time they have left before they can no longer sprint.
The Modular Stamina system allows for easy additions and updates to effect the players movement speed and stamina drain and regeneration rates, without having to design a new system specific to each force acting upon the actor. Simply add a new enumerator to ENUM_FirstPersonLocomotionState and set the stamina drain and/or regeneration rates for that enumerator!
