Hi,
I’m looking for some general advice on where to start with a project using UE4. I’m pretty new to the engine, but I’m a very experienced C++ developer and have experience with various other engines (custom, ogre, unity, etc.)
What I’d like to do, basically, is create a virtual tabletop miniatures game. The goal would be to allow a small group of players using tablets or laptops be able to view a shared top-down map and control the positioning of pawns, as well as access features such as viewing character statistics and die rolling.
Very importantly, the map the players share will be able to be quickly and easily designed by one of the players ahead of time using a set of tiles, props, and effects. He or she will be able to selectively hide or reveal areas of the map as the players move their pawns about, as well as access additional interactive features available only to the game’s referee.
My question is mainly regarding the creation of the map itself by the lead player. Is there an established set of best-practices for managing dynamic scenes with an in-game map editor? Can such a thing be accomplished with blueprints or should I investigate custom coding? Are there any pitfalls to be aware of with instancing scene elements such as visual or collision geometry, lighting sources, or anything else?
I’m not looking for much hand-holding, just would very much appreciate any links to other discussions about similar projects or documentation that I should focus my attention on. I have a tendency to over-engineer when what I want to accomplish isn’t immediately obvious. Hopefully I haven’t simply missed an obvious example! 