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This audit of my technical skills represents a marker in time for where I feel I am as this stage of my development, and at the very beginning of the second module: Game Development. Over the next three months I plan to build on, and add to these skills then replicate this post at the end to measure my progress.

1. I can take mouse, keyboard, touch screen or gamepad inputs and use them to control objects in a game engine of my choice.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource links:

UNREAL ENGINE. n.d. ‘Input’. [online]. Available at: https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/InteractiveExperiences/Input/index.html [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNREAL ENGINE. n.d. ‘Setting Up Inputs’. [online]. Available at: https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/InteractiveExperiences/Input/SetUpInput/index.html [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2020. ‘Using the Input System in Unity’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/project/using-the-input-system-in-unity [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2021. ‘Unity - Scripting API: Input’. [online]. Available at: https://docs.unity3d.com/2020.2/Documentation/ScriptReference/Input.html [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
BRACKEYS. 2019. FIRST PERSON MOVEMENT in Unity - FPS Controller [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QajrabyTJc [accessed 22 Jan 2021].

2. I can set up physics components (such as colliders and rigid bodies) in my game engine and trigger an event to happen when two game objects collide.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2020. ‘Unit 2 - Basic Gameplay’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/project/unit-2-basic-gameplay [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNREAL ENGINE. n.d. ‘Collision Overview’. [online]. Available at: https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/InteractiveExperiences/Physics/Collision/Overview/index.html [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNREAL ENGINE. n.d. ‘Collision How To’s’. [online]. Available at: https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/InteractiveExperiences/Physics/Collision/HowTo/index.html [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2019. ‘Collision and Lighting’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/collision-and-lighting [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

3. I can use code to spawn new objects while the game is running (eg create bullets).

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2020. ‘Week 3 | Session 2 - Launch a Projectile Prefab - April 7, 2020’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/week-3-session-2-launch-a-projectile-prefab-april-7-2020 [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

4. I can set up an animation in my chosen game engine and control it with code and / or with a state machine.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2020. ‘Animator Controllers’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/animator-controllers-2019-3 [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
BRACKEYS. 2018. ANIMATE 2D CHARACTERS in Unity [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXIuizGzY2A [accessed 1 Dec 2020].

5. I can use level design tools to block-out a level in my chosen game engine.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2019. ‘Blocking the Dwarf Mines’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/blocking-the-dwarf-mines [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
GAMEDEV.TV. n.d. ‘Using BSP for Basic Building Blocks’. [online]. Available at: https://www.gamedev.tv/courses/675837/lectures/12747029 [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

6. I can use my game engine’s pathfinding system (if it has one) to create enemies and NPCs that chase or follow the player.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES and Penny DE BYL. 2020. ‘Chasing the Player’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/chasing-the-player [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNREAL ENGINE. n.d. ‘Introduction to AI with Blueprints’. [online]. Available at: https://learn.unrealengine.com/course/3318392?r=False&ts=637474932637001644 [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNITY TECHNOLOGIES and Penny DE BYL. n.d. ‘Navigation Meshes’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/project/navigation-meshes [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
RABIN, Steve and James MATTHEWS. 2002. AI Game Programming Wisdom. 1st edn. vol. I. Massachusets: Charles River Media.
COMPUTERPHILE. 2017. A* (A Star) Search Algorithm - Computerphile [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySN5Wnu88nE [accessed 13 Jan 2021].
JOHN LEVINE. 2017. A* Search [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TsL96NAZCo [accessed 13 Jan 2021].

7. I can code basic game logic (eg comparing two numbers) to create win and lose conditions.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2021. ‘Ending the Game’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/ending-the-game [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

8. I can configure particle systems to create different visual effects (eg fire, snow).

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

I’ve used particle systems and VFX shaders is some of the games I’ve worked on so have a very limited overview and know enough to recognise how vast this subject area is.

Resource link:

NOMICAL GAMES. 2019. Creating Basic Particle Effects in Unity [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hRWhnL1IVk [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
UNREAL ENGINE. n.d. ‘Particle System User Guide’. [online]. Available at: https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/RenderingAndGraphics/ParticleSystems/UserGuide/index.html [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
BRACKEYS. 2019. FIRE AND SMOKE with Unity VFX Graph! [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6D1b7zZHHA&t=611s [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

9. I can use appropriate software to create appealing character sprites or models.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

DARRIN LILE. 2014. Blender Character Modeling 1 of 10 [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QT1GNMevfc&t=4s [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
CG FAST TRACK. 2020. Blender 2.9 Beginner Tutorial - Part 1 [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpvh-9H8S1g [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
BLENDER GURU. 2019. Blender Beginner Tutorial - Part 1 [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPrnSACiTJ4 [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

10. I can use appropriate software to create atmospheric environment sprites or models.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

STYLIZED STATION. 2020. Creating 3D Environment Art - The Full Workflow Tutorial for Beginners [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaNUmKgbNss [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
DUCKY 3D. 2019. Blender - Easy Environment Design (Blender 2.8) [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt-_Htl-R90 [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
STYLIZED STATION. 2020. Creating Large-Scale Environments in Blender 2.8 [TURN ANY CONCEPT INTO 3D!] [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZJVwpU-1zE [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

11. I can create character animations, such as walking and jumping, and bring them into my game engine.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

NICKY B. 2020. How to Animate Characters in Unity 3D | Importing Free Characters and Animations from Mixamo [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FhvQDqmgmU [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
DARRIN LILE. 2015. Blender Character Animation 1 of 3 [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IixGAHIFKwM&list=PLyelx0TsmSpfoqyS2sBZvsuIL5av5DkJu [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
BRACKEYS. 2018. ANIMATE 2D CHARACTERS in Unity [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXIuizGzY2A&t=2s [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

12. I can use appropriate software to design clear user-interfaces.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES. 2019. ‘Project Overview - Design Eye-Catching UI in Unity’. Unity Learn [online]. Available at: https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/course-overview-design-eye-catching-ui-in-unity [accessed 29 Jan 2021].
GRAPH DESK. 2019. Adobe XD Tutorial for Beginners [Film]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIno2VAB5ss [accessed 29 Jan 2021].

13. I can find / record / edit, sound effects and music.

CONFIDENT / NOT YET

Resource link:


Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

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