From 3D Modelling to Game Prototyping in Unreal Engine

• The development of my RTS game project was inspired by my experiences during university, where I played various strategy games.
• During development, I encountered challenges regarding the initial steps, which led to the design of characters and buildings using 3D software.
• I gained knowledge by taking several online courses about game design on platforms like Udemy, which offers a variety of courses.
• Initially, I began modelling for the RTS game using 3DS Max and Maya, creating designs based on 2D concept art imported into the 3D environment. I crafted the character shapes from top to bottom.
• Next, I applied textures to the model, incorporating various colours, including black and white elements.
• Once the character, a robot designed to resemble a combat soldier, was rigged, I added animations including walking and idle actions to enhance realism and engagement.
• I also constructed a barracks, a farm, and an archery range. Most of the assets were tested for export into Unreal Engine version 4.2.
• While importing the character asset, I faced challenges such as size discrepancies, misaligned meshes, and a lack of knowledge on character animation.
• After identifying these issues, I resolved them through extensive testing and persistence, overcoming multiple obstacles throughout the process.
• For scripting, I participated in several courses on creating a mobile RTS with Unreal Engine. I used Unreal Engine extensively for prototyping. For some characters, I implemented pathfinding navigation, allowing players to click a character and direct it to a specific location on the map.
• I can select all units for a character to navigate to different locations using the navigation system. Additionally, I can deselect units for improved action management flexibility.
• I incorporated lighting effects into the RTS game prototype, which I developed in Unreal Engine. These changes enhanced the overall scene, although it still appeared quite dark. I managed to build and publish this prototype as my final year project on itch.io.
• Overall, I faced some backlash regarding the project’s direction, leading me to transition from developing an endless runner to focusing on a mobile RTS, which allowed me to utilise scripts from various sources.
• As mentioned earlier, I outlined the challenges faced during the development of the RTS (Real-Time Strategy Game), particularly when importing 3D models into the Unreal game engine, where difficulties occurred multiple times.
• For modelling, I ultimately chose to use 3DS Max, which I found easier than Maya at the time, to create the robot character based on my recent practice before entering the modelling phase.
• Unfortunately, I was unable to complete this project as my final year project due to certain circumstances. Consequently, the final year project became “Battle Run,” which was developed in just one month during the last semester.
• Upon graduation, I uploaded the project to itch.io before losing all the previous work, allowing others to access the mobile RTS game in browser mode without needing to download it.
• I achieved this by building the game for the HTML5 platform, making it accessible in web browsers.
• Click on the link to explore its functionality in detail—don’t miss the chance to see it in action!

I drafted this article from my own perspective and used AI to polish the language.
Concept art (created with generative AI, touched up manually).