What i would like to see, and i really believe that is one thing missing in Unreal Engine, is…complete advanced character controllers that can be used for all kinds of gameplay genres, or tutorials that show the process from start to finish!
What i mean is …ok, so you get these so called ‘game templates’…where you have a character controller that is VERY, and i mean VERY basic! To give an example, the third person character controller…what can it do besides moving forward, backward, left/right, jump and run?? Nothing else!
Everything else must be added by ourselves. If we want our character to be able to swim, or climb walls, or ledge hang, or draw a weapon, or crouch or whatever…we must add it ourselves.
And, i can hear some already say…‘well, what’s wrong with that?’. Well, what’s wrong is…not KNOWS how to do that! That’s wrong! I’m pretty sure that there are plenty of guys (or girls) that want to create a game…but lack certain skills to make complete character controllers for their game. And, i bet they would even want to learn how to create such a complete advanced character controller, so that next time they wanna make one, they will be able to.
There’s all these great animations on the marketplace, and i applaud those who make them! But…what are all those great animations, if you can’t create a character controller that can use these animations??
We all know that the character controller is essential to any game! So, why aren’t there any?? Why aren’t there any COMPLETE tutorials on creating one, showing step by step how to make the controller, and explain why it is made that way??
If there are such tutorials, then my apologies. Perhaps i’ve not seen them yet.
Furthermore, i think that the guys at Epic should make either the character controller, or the tutorials. Reason being…well…hmm…i bought character controller a while back on the Marketplace…but, later i found out that the addon lacks support and that some features are still missing from the addon.
So, my dilemma is…i was so excited to have the addon, thinking that the features the addon was going to have, would eventually be in there. But, i was wrong. It happens often (i’ve seen it using addons in developed by third parties) that the addon is no longer supported after a while, or the addon doesn’t work well with other addons, etc, etc…
And, when i saw that the addon was no longer worked on (or at least not that i know of), my dream of creating my game felt into deep water. It’s really not fun, i can assure you. So, i dropped my game. Because of it.
And, you might say…why don’t you learn to create such an advanced character controller, one that can be used in a variety of game genres (adventure, shooter, fantasy, horror). Well, i would…IF i could find good and COMPLETE tutorials on the subject!
Don’t get me wrong …i love Unreal engine and the community. It’s just that i believe that is the one thing missing to really get people to make games. Not that a character controller will make a game, but at least you get a solid base to begin with. 
To give an example of what i would call a ‘complete’ all-purpose character controller:
- must be able to walk forward and backwards, walk/run left and right, jump, crouch, swim, wall climb, ledge hang, draw weapons (both melee and handguns), pick up things, throw things, pull levers, manipulate switches, fight (punch, kick), fall down, grab ledge, climb ladder, die, rope sliding, pole climbing, roll…
- damage system, inventory system, weapon pickup system, HUD
- camera system that prevents going through scenery
- footstep sound system based on material, and if possible also footprint system per material, foot IK system
- waypoint system
Perhaps i missed something, but i think most things are listed.
Anyways, that’s just my two cents. I really hope to see such an addon on the Marketplace, and i would buy it for sure. Or, follow the tutorials.
Thanks in advance!