Hello,
I’m currently developing an RPG game, and I’m looking for a file management system that can help streamline the process of managing the numerous game elements such as characters, events, items, and dialogues.
Specifically, I’d like to use Excel spreadsheets to create and manage game data, which can then be imported into Unreal Engine 5 and used to execute the corresponding actions. Here’s an example of what I’m aiming for:
-
NPC Conditions and Locations:
A spreadsheet listing NPC spawn conditions, times, and coordinates. For instance, an NPC might appear in the town square between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM. -
Dialogue and Actions:
A spreadsheet containing all NPC dialogues, their actions, expressions, and voice lines. For example, when interacting with NPC1, the system should reference a specific dialogue entry (e.g., NPCNumber1_001) and trigger its corresponding voice line and animation. -
Event Trigger Spreadsheet:
A spreadsheet used to manage in-game events and their triggers, including the conditions for the trigger to appear, its coordinates, and the size or dimensions of the trigger. For example, it might activate a dialogue line, an animation event, or similar actions. -
Item Management:
A spreadsheet listing all items, their properties, and how they’re distributed to the player. -
Quest Management:
A spreadsheet managing quests, their objectives, locations, and hints for the player.
Example:
When the player approaches the plaza at noon, they will collide with Event Box 001 (UE references the Event Trigger Spreadsheet) → Event triggers NPC001 to appear (UE references the NPC Spreadsheet) → NPC001 speaks to the player (UE references the Dialogue Spreadsheet) → NPC001 gives the player an item (UE references the Item Spreadsheet) → NPC001 assigns the player a quest (UE references the Quest Spreadsheet).
The ideal system would allow me to:
Design and organize these spreadsheets in Excel.
Import them into Unreal Engine 5 easily.
Use the imported data directly to drive in-game behaviors without manually creating everything in the UE5 editor.
This workflow would greatly simplify the process of adding new NPCs, dialogues, events, and items without the need to individually configure them in the engine every time.
Does anyone know if such a system exists on the FAB marketplace or elsewhere? I’m specifically looking for something compatible with UE5 (and ideally UE 5.5, if not yet supported).
Thanks in advance for your help!