This project isn't that new and it certainly isn't anywhere near being complete yet, but I don't make nearly enough posts here and decided to finally overcome my laziness and post about my projects
Anyways, introducing......
Project Valhalla(The name is still temporarily, it will eventually be changed to something better or just to 'Valhalla' if we can't come up with anything)
What is 'Project Valhalla'?Project Valhalla is a project I'm working on together with 2 cousins. The goal if this project is to learn how to use almost every part of Unreal Engine 4, so that we can use it well when we start on future projects, and hopefully to end up with a nice game as well
StorylineThe main storyline is very simple: Months ago, a group of Vikings set sail to a nearby island in search of a cursed sword from a legend (the legend will be explained during the 'intro'). Recently, their ship came back, but it was completely empty apart from a single sword that was lying on the deck. You then sail to that island to find out what happened to these guys (and you crash your ship on the way there), but it turns out that the entire island was cursed and it is now swarming with undead monsters. It is now your quest to save that island by lifting it's curse.
It will be explained in slightly more details in-game, but that's basically the only part of the story you'll be forced to listen to. However, there will also be a lot of backstory that you'll be able to uncover by talking to NPCs. Most NPCs will behave in a certain strange way (usually during dialogues and quests, I don't think I'll be able to give them all unique idle behaviours), and their backstory will explain the cause of their behaviour. It will need to be mostly pieced together from dialogues from multiple NPCs though, not simply by asking NPCs about their origin story. This is an attempt to give the game more depth and optional storyline, while still being easy to program.
GameplayThe gameplay will revolve mostly around combat and puzzles, with possibly some platformer elements in it as well.
The current plan for combat is to give the player a standard attack, an attack that's more effective against armour and a way to dodge attacks, together with a locking system that points the camera at the monster you locked on and a way to change the locks (to make aiming your attacks easier. The player will also be able to obtain a crossbow that can be used for attacking at a distance, though it won't be very useful in most areas and is mostly intended as a puzzle element. Most monsters will also behave differently based on their kind (for example: zombies are weak and move slow, but they'll generally appear in large groups and if they manage to surround you, then you're pretty much dead). (the goal is to keep combat simple and intuitive, while still having it be quite varied)
During the game, you'll be able to explore 10 different areas, with 2 of them (a beach and a village) acting basically as a hub where you'll be able to do sidequests, talk to NPCs and find secrets. The 8 other areas are each protected by a simple puzzle for which you'll need a certain items. Those items are hidden at the ends of each area, sometimes protected by a boss fight (assuming we manage to program boss fights). Off course, the puzzles are made so that you'll only be able to complete the areas in one fixed order.
Planned features and other stuffPlanned The concept is worked out Somewhat functional, but not complete Finished programming-wise, but not graphics-wise (Almost) finished
- The storyline
- NPCs (Only some have complete concepts, but they are already somewhat functional programming-wise)
- Conversations (graphics may be reworked in the future, they look fine, but they currently have a modern style and I may eventually give them a more viking-ish theme)
- Combat (currently working: locking and 1 attack)
- Monsters (zombies are pretty much finished, but I still need to think of some concepts for more monsters)
- Boss battles (though there are concepts on what the bosses may look like)
- Improve the lighting (or make it worse, depending on how you look at it, because now the lighting is realistic and I'll probably go for a more cell-shaded look eventually)
- 3 minigames (one even has some programming basics already, more may be added eventually if we can think of good ones)
- Graphics (I still have LOTS of modelling to do, also I should improve the viking's face sometime)
- Puzzles (There are a few concepts, and some elements already work, but I still need to add a lot more elements to be able to make them interesting)
- Post-processor effects (the outlines and water)
- Death, respawning and level handling (though there are a few small glitches with that)
- Item handling (apart from the models, and his does not include an inventory screen)
- Sound effects
- Lots of other small, internal stuff
- Menus (main menu, inventory, ...)
- Intro cutscene (a tiny bit of the graphics has already been done)
- Side quests and minigames
- A store
The 'maybe' pileThis is a list of stuff I may eventually add, probably late in development, depending on my skills at that time and on how lazy I'll be.
- Music (though I may just use the theme song that was meant for our other project)
- Voice acting (not because it's needed, but because it would be fun)
- A multiplayer gamemode (though very unlikely, and not before the rest is finished)
- Achievements
- Some other stuff I haven't thought off yet
- Make the lists on this topic tidier and more readable
Any suggestions are welcome. This project is currently closed-source, but I hope to make it open-source when it's either done or dead. Some assets can be downloaded
here though, with more becoming available as the project gets closer to release. Expected release date: not anytime soon, but hopefully on this timeline instead of only on alternate ones
