Blueprints vs C++

Hey guys,

I’m kind of new to scripting in Unreal.

I’ve been trying to follow some of the blueprint documentation and I’ve got stuck multiple times because the documentation is really out of date.

Would it be a better idea to just take the C++ route? Or am I likely to run into the same problems with this too?

Would love to hear your opinions

IMO Blueprints are easier. Documentation isn’t really out of date - it is probably more that the engine is huge and complex and takes time to understand everything,

But blueprints are just a way to visually string API calls together - so both BP and c++ require you to learn the API, and the API is huge.

Learn both if you can - there is no need to stick to one or the other. Focus on learning the API and the engine features.

The main downside with c++ isnt so much that it is harder - but that iteration is slower. Once you get comfortable with syntax and idioms, the compile times still get in the way of iteration.

That being said, each release compiling keeps getting faster and the new Live Coding for c++ is really good workflow improvement - basically a game changer unless you need to change something in header.

Most important when learning is simply to have a context or goal you are working on - e.g. just make your game.

To learn the engine I would better start with blueprints.
Once you understand the framework and the huge amount of functionality available, you can start porting your heavy processing-blueprints to C++.

Thanks for your insight guys

**You can achieve great things in Blueprints. **All of the UE4 Tool Suite interface with Blueprints. Complex concepts like Animation State Machines and AI Behavior Trees are handled with elegant visuals in Blueprints. Gameplay Designers use Blueprints. All of the C++ Plugins i’ve used thus far provide a Blueprints interface. You can increase Blueprints performance by Nativizing.

We only use C++ for features not exposed to blueprints by default like HTTP communications :(. We only implement C++ in the form of plugins for ease of add/remove/replacement. Most process extensive tasks are already handled in Engine C++ likefast pathing. If an feature cannot be implemented in Blueprints with decent performance, we’ll seek a Plugin alternative or eliminate the feature.

The question is is eventually narrowed down to what do you want to use C++ for?