Hello, everyone. I am Darkwood Productions, a indie horror video game developer. I recently switched from using Unity 5.4 to the Unreal 4.12. I am experienced in game development but not using the Unreal engine. I am currently making what will soon be the first (or at least one of the first) Unreal-powered Slender games. I’m looking for someone who can give me a basic outline of how I should start off making a horror game (like Outlast or Slender) in the Unreal engine. For example, how can I make a flashlight? If anyone (regardless of your Unreal experience) could help me, I’d greatly appreciate it. Please and thank you!
Assuming you are using Blueprints, you can add a SpotLightComponent to your Character and adjust the intensity between 0 to 5000 (or whatever you want the intensity to be) upon key press.
Adding SpotLightComponent (I renamed the SpotLightComponent to Flashlight):
I have actually just released a first person horror template today that should help you get started on what you need. It includes a flashlight and other mechanics (such as notes) that you could use.
PLEASE tell me you’re going to be working on a VR horror game!!! There aren’t nearly enough out there for my liking!
I’ve just started working on one myself called Nakamura’s Pride, named after the spaceship it’s set on. I’m going for Dreadhalls type of experience but with a side of survival horror adding to the experience rather than just having enemies that you have to avoid or run away from. I’m at the VERY early stages so far, only built 10 models and haven’t UV Unwrapped them and textured them yet.
From what I’ve experienced over the years the key to making a game scary, full of tension and or stressful is good use of lighting, music and sound rather than jump scares (although a few not overused jump scares here and there can also add to things).
If you are thinking of doing this for VR might I suggest using a third person character and adding the camera to a socket on your protagonist’s head, effectively giving your game first person perspective but also increasing immersion by having your protagonist’s body in view when you look down.
That’s what I’m going for, although I’ll be adding comfort turning and comfort movement for those that don’t have strong VR legs yet. I’m a firm believer that developers so far are being too cautious with regards to locomotion and bunging in immersion-breaking teleportation mechanics for every game that seems to be released these days. As long as it’s on the Oculus Store, Steam or WearVR and it’s made clear that it’s an Intense game then people should just suck it up lol.
People won’t grow their VR legs if developers continually wrap players in cotton wool!