I’m developing a drone-based game in Unreal Engine and I’m stuck at a core architecture decision.
The drone is a quad-rotor and I want it to behave as realistically as possible, but still be playable.
What I want the drone to support:
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Realistic response to forces like wind and collisions
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Ability to keep flying even if one arm or motor is damaged (but becomes unstable and harder to control)
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Natural crashes and breakage (no scripted movement)
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Different flight modes later (manual, altitude hold, position hold / loiter)
Right now I’m confused between two approaches:
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Fully physics-based drone
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Single physics body using Chaos Physics
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Forces applied at motor locations (AddForceAtLocation)
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Rotation and movement emerge naturally from physics
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Input-driven pawn
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Movement controlled directly by user input
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Physics used only for collision or visual effects
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More predictable but less realistic
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My concern is:
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Physics-based approach feels correct for wind, damage, and instability
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But it’s much harder to stabilize and control
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Input-driven approach is easier but feels “fake” and doesn’t support partial damage well
For a game that needs environmental interaction, partial motor failure, and emergent behavior, is a fully physics-based drone the right approach?
Or is there a hybrid approach commonly used in production?
I’d appreciate insight from anyone who has built physics-driven vehicles or drones in Unreal.