A roundtable discussion for indie game developers using Unreal Engine 4. "Why We Chose Unreal Engine 4" Edition

The game engine Unreal Engine 4 has been increasingly adopted for the development of large titles, but at the same time it has also become more common in the indie game scene. There are as many reasons for hiring as there are people. Some are fascinated by Blueprint functions that do not require programming knowledge, some are fascinated by the multi-functionality of the engine, and some are fascinated by rich visuals. Even in Japan, there are developers who are attracted to such Unreal Engine 4 and are making games.

They use the EULA (so-called free) version to create powerful games without the support of Epic Games, and they aim to develop games that are as good as those sold by general manufacturers. This time, we have Paper Palette (@kamipallet), creator of Giraffe and Annika, Sig (@sleepyslowsheep), creator of Link: The Unleashed Nexus, Major (@__syousa__), creator of Gensokyo Defenders, and Assault. Spy” creator Wazen (@Assault_Spy) gathered and talked about the appeal of their works and the appeal of UE4. Under the gentle chairmanship of Epic Games Japan Kazuya Okada, who is also known as a side dish (@pafuhana1213), we will report on the round-table discussion that was gentle but sometimes harsh. It will be posted in 3 parts for 3 consecutive days from September 6th today. Please follow along and check it out.

Four Fascinated by Unreal Engine

Okada: Thank you for your time today. Please introduce yourself briefly. Then, in alphabetical order, from Paper Palette...

Paper Palette: A paper palette. The work is making "Giraffe and Annika". As for my background, after working as a designer at a game company for 20 years, I became independent in February of this year and now I am working solely on indie game development. I think there are many types of game company designers. When I first joined the company, the number of employees was small, so I had to do various things for a while. I've done all sorts of things related to painting, such as modeling and 2D design. So I am a generalist rather than a specialist. I've been working around art so far, so I'm using Unreal Engine because I think it's an engine that shows its power when used by designers.

Okada: Next, Mr. Sig, please.

Sig: My name is Sig and I make indie games. "Link: The Unleashed Nexus RH" (hereafter, Link) is under development. As for me, I don't have any experience working for a game company... I was suddenly fascinated by Unreal Engine 4 while I was looking for a job in college, and it changed my life (laughs). The university is not an information system, but a liberal arts university that has nothing to do with software development. I read an article about 4Gamer's UDK (Unreal Development Kit) and was actually playing around with it. Sometime around 2014. The original game was announced at a launch event in 2014, but now that the PS4 release has been decided, we are developing a remake from scratch. That will be "Link". Another game we are developing in parallel is Code: Transcendence. It will be a work that combines a rhythm game and an action.

Okada: Please tell us more about that. Major, please.

Major: Major. We are doing various things in the circle called Neetpia. As for my career, my main business is completely different from game development, and I make games as a hobby. My main business was research and development of 3D displays and head-mounted displays. I also worked on depth sensors, worked on web systems for a while, and recently changed jobs to deep learning. I have developed both hardware and software. Regardless of work, I have been making games since I was a student.

Okada: Have you been making Touhou games for a long time?

Major: If you look at the official website, you'll understand, but at first it was a game called "Doujin"... Ever since you moved to Touhou, you've been doing Touhou. I am using UE4 in this work.

Okada: Thank you. Mr. Wazen, please.

Wazen: Wazen. We are making an action game "Assault Spy" in which an office worker rampages in the office and fights against robots. I've been making free games since I was a student, and I've been a planner since joining a game company. "Assault Spy" was picked up by AUTOMATON (related article), and NIS America, a US subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software, said, "I'll support you, so why don't you make it to the end?" It has reached the stage of early access sales.

Sig: When you were a free game, your work was "Asaru and the Spy". I played Really it was interesting.

Wazen: Thank you. The free game has no connection with "Assault Spy". It's definitely a different game. It's just a matter of noticing that it's the same author from the characters, the world view, and the way the text is written.

Okada: As far as I can tell, there are 2 former game company freelancers, 1 company employee from another industry, and 1 freelancer. hey. I often hear that people in the game industry are making different games behind the scenes, but I wonder if this is a rare gathering of special cases (laughs). By the way, is everyone doing it individually?

Major: Circle.

Wazen & Sig: Individuals.

Paper pallets: Personally, I use outsourcing a lot. I'm the only person working full-time, but I feel like I'm getting help from people I know.

Okada: Does Major-san feel like a normal Comiket circle?

Major: Right. It is a circle that people who have a main job gather at night by Skype. In this work, there are three main people, and there is a separate helper. It's a form of writing the specifications and then thanking you.

Okada: What inspired you to start the circle?

Major: The first member is a friend from high school. After that, the members changed many times, and now it feels like the players of the second game have gathered. Either because I liked the work, or as a result of being involved as a test player, I was entrusted with specifications and scenarios from there, and before I knew it, it had become established (laughs). It's been going on for over 10 years.

Meeting with Unreal Engine

Okada: Thank you. Is it okay if I assume that everyone is using the EULA version (free without support)?

All: Basically yes.

Okada: The EULA version has no support from Epic Games. Probably, it will be made robustly in the same environment as the person reading this article. Today, I would like you to write an article that you can express your dissatisfaction with Epic Games, including that part. Now, let me ask you some serious questions. Can you tell us how and why you started using UE4? UE4 was released to the general public and free of charge in 2015, but everyone seems to have been making it since around 2014, and I would like to ask why.

Paper Palette: I used to use UE3 when I was working for a game company. There is, but since I was involved as a UI designer, I have only used texture import. After that, I made a rough map with BSP. After that, I was involved in a certain engine project. I was in charge of art direction, so I wasn't involved in embedding.

After that, I saw an article about the production of "Dungeon & Burglar" on AUTOMATON and was shocked (see article). I was surprised that a game for smartphones was made in one month. Mr. Wagatsuma's taste comes out properly while using assets well. I was surprised there.

That's because game companies basically make their own assets. Creating your own game using the assets you bought sounds like a trick (laughs). So I realized that depending on how you do it, you can create your own world. And only with blueprints. I immediately thought, "I have to start myself!" Mr. Wagatsuma has proven that even artists can make games. Around the same time, I was also into free games, and I was enjoying a short but good work. As I played, I thought that even though I'm a professional, I've never made a game by myself until the end. So I started thinking of giving it a try.

However, since I'm a designer, I didn't start working with Unreal Engine right away. After several months, I was able to model it, so I put the character in a game with a third-person perspective and moved it. After that, I bought the background asset Landscape auto material, ran my character there, insisted that it was my game, and submitted it to the committee (laughs).

Okada: I've heard that at a game company of a certain size, some people get frustrated that they can only work in one place (specific section).

Paper Palette: When specialists gather to make a game, there was a stereotype that only a large company would be able to make what I wanted to make. However, when I was playing free games, I realized at this age that I could express my individuality by making some elements of the game original, such as pixel art. The quality of the assets is getting higher now, so even if you just buy them and make them, you can show your originality depending on how you put them together. Before that, I didn't know much about the indie scene. There is also a thing called "Touhou"! That's when I knew (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs)

Paper Palette: I didn't even know there was a culture in free games. After all, if you live on the console for a long time, you may only be able to see that side. Now that I've started Twitter, I have more opportunities to learn about various cultures.

Okada: This is an example of how artists can express themselves without the help of engineers with Unreal Engine 4.

Paper Palette: Yes. I was skeptical at first. Can you really make a game with just blueprints? What? However, after reading an article by AUTOMATON, I learned that it was really possible, so I started. I think that Wagatsuma-san was originally an excellent person.

Sig: In my case, as I mentioned earlier, I read an article about UDK while I was in college. At first, I was really impressed by the function called Fluid Surface, which simulates ripples on the surface of water. I didn't really understand UDK's script language, Unreal Script, so I read a thick book and tried it, but the application part was quite difficult. Around that time, UE4 was released, and I was researching it by lightly building blueprints and running them as a trial. After that, I got used to writing while participating in the 2nd Petit Con held by Historia. I also exhibit at Digige Expo.

Okada: Was the UDK used in any way before you touched it?

Sig:HSP (Hot Soup Processor) was used to create pictures and RPG Maker, so it was really just for fun.

Okada: From there, you've become so frequent at Petit Con. How was your lieutenant?

Major: I've been familiar with UE4 since it was first released, but the main reasons I chose to use it were the high quality of the marketplace and the compatibility between what I'm making and UE4's design. That's what it is. For some reason, I was looking for an environment to run C++, so I chose Unreal Engine, which supports C++. Before I touched Blueprints, I read the engine source code. I read and researched materials published by Epic Games. So I decided to look inside rather than outside.

Okada: It's interesting that everyone has different circumstances. So, Mr. Wazen, please tell us why you decided to use UE4.

Wazen: I think it's because it feels good to the touch and the UI is graphical. I thought it was easy to use, even compared to software that seemed difficult. From there, I learned that if you have Blueprints, you can create without having to write code like a programmer. When I actually tried it, I was able to put together a project within the scope that I could understand, and I was convinced that I could make a simple action game, so I decided to use it.

In the first place, working people wake up in the morning, go to the company, and come back. I couldn't keep up with having to get up that morning. When I thought that I would be doing this for the rest of my life, I thought it would be tough and quit the company. After that, I worked as a freelancer for a while. When I was at the company, I was using Unreal Engine 4, so when my freelance work settled down, I started playing around with it as a hobby.

While actually touching it, I learned a lot. And when I was looking at the Steam store, it seemed that 3D action games with a main focus on combat were selling well, and I realized that users wanted them. With Unreal Engine 4, not only did I not have to write code, but more and more functions automatically adjusted, I felt that I could spend more time on trial and error. I thought that direction would continue, so at that point I decided to keep up with UE4 and started making games, and that's where I am now.

I have been interested in software for making games since I was in junior high school and high school, and I had a dream, but it was quite difficult if I could not write code. I thought it would be impossible. But thanks to UE4, I can finally create my own games. I feel that accessibility is very important in a game engine, and the blueprints look cool and the colors are neat. I appreciate that you can intuitively understand the functions by touching them.

Okada: I think that it became a modern form because we threw away everything from UE3 and remade UE4.

Paper pallet: It was made by throwing away Kismet.

Wazen: I thought the name Kismet was cool. If you look it up, it seems to mean fate.

Okada: Is it the name (laughs)?

Wazen: It's like connecting nodes to spin a destiny. The matinee is also fashionable.

Okada: The name of UE4's function is Chuni. Cascade or Niagara? I wonder where the animation elements are in Persona (laughs).

How far can you go with Blueprints?

It's interesting how everyone's circumstances and things are different. By the way, do you have any concerns about using UE4?

Paper Palette: You can do anything with Blueprints, so I'm curious what you can't do with Blueprints. In my case, I think it would be better to use C++ for the music game, but I can build it with Blueprint.

Wazen: I personally worry about execution order and speed with Blueprints. In what order is it executed in a severe situation? Assuming it's the same tick, there are places where you don't know what happens when ticks overlap. I'm afraid of actually failing. I think it's uneasy that it's a blueprint. I feel that it would be better to combine it with code.

Okada: By the way, what about programmers?

Major: With C++, the compilation time at the end of development was long. It was version 4.15 before speeding up, so I think there are such circumstances. Compilation was long and iteration was slow, which was a bit painful. Although it is an impression that it has been considerably improved around 4.20.

Paper Palette: I feel that not being an engineer is a weak point that I don't know how much detail can be done with C++. I'm worried about whether it's okay to continue like this. I guess I'll have to learn C++ soon (laughs).

Major: It's expensive to learn, so I don't really recommend it (laughs).

Paper Palette: I see... However, in the end, I think it would be better to rely on programmers. Still, I want to do it myself as much as I can.

Major: By the way, I have a detailed bug list that I will share later (laughs).

Okada: Thank you. It's an opinion that can only be heard from people who are actually making it with the aim of releasing it. It is difficult to eliminate defects completely. However, UE4 is not a black box and is open to the public, so when I recommend it to licensees, I tell them that they can eventually fix it themselves.

Major: Sure, you're taking care of yourself.

Okada: However, the fact that members of the doujin circle were able to solve the problem on their own may be helpful for those considering it in the future. It's a troublesome story to have you fix it (laughs). When I think about it on a commercial basis, I think it's important to finally be able to do something about it myself. And I'm trying to put it all together in a nice flow (laughs). On the other hand, is there anything that you find useful while using Unreal Engine 4?

Paper Palette: Giraffe and Annika has manga scenes and production scenes, all of which are created with a sequencer. Creating such a scene from a program would be extremely difficult, but with a sequencer it can be done in half a day, so I think the tool is excellent. I also like the level editor. It was originally a mod tool for Unreal Tournament. It may even be the beginning. For example, creating island maps and dungeons in the game can be created more and more.

Okada: Things like dragging and dropping assets.

Paper Palette: Yes. And it can all be done in real time. Normally, I think it's common to create a gray box first, but it's a form of buying assets and putting them away. Even if you make it that way, it's easy to make a picture. Lighting can be done immediately, and you can get closer to the picture you want. I'm grateful to be able to create a picture through trial and error directly in the level editor, and it's fun. And the chairs and glasses that come out when you install it for the first time. Those two were so beautiful and inspiring. I am very happy with the quality of the samples. Starting with "Paragon", it seems that Epic is taking the lead and putting out such things.

Sig: What I liked the most was the speed of prototyping. how is this game? You can make it at once when you think about it. If you think something is wrong, you can fix it partially, and blueprints can be removed when they get in the way. I think it's good to be able to do trial and error like that.

Okada: Certainly, there are templates and other things prepared as standard, so if it's a little action game, you can create it by tweaking the parameters of the Character Movement Component.

Sig: I really like managing things on an actor-by-actor basis.

Okada: We also highly recommend that it is easy to make prototypes. I think it matters how fast you can make it. It's a waste of work if you find out that it's no good after it's solidified and it's rejected. I am happy to hear that.

By the way, I think Sig and Wazen are particular about action game developers. If it's a UE4 action game, I think it's done in the flow of using a character component with a third-person template, but can you create such speedy movements? I wondered what was going on.

Wazen: Base is. From there, we will modify it. The main character, Atari, still has a part of the third person. The core part remains the third-person template. I think I have to change.

Sig: I start by inserting the model into the project and changing the sides, then correcting things like gravity settings. From there, we quickly move on to prototyping unique features.

Major: I don't use it at all. I'm making it from a pitch black screen (laughs). Basically, I couldn't use all the things that were included in UE4 from the beginning, so I'm messing around.

Okada: He said that he was able to make the 2D/3D version because he was tinkering with it.

Major: That's part of it, and the fact that we were able to create a game in that genre. It's an action game with tower defense elements, so I had to mess around with it. I wrote all the pathfinding for the game myself. If you go for the shortest distance, the gameplay is almost impossible, so there are quite a lot of things behind the scenes.

Okada: Are there any features that you don't really use?

Aren't you using Wazen:Behavior Tree? I'm doing a simple blueprint.

Major: On the contrary, I use various functions. Making sounds and making models. I also use the animation function. Although the one related to the game system is C++. All visuals are UE4.

Okada: Do you two also use the animation function?

Wazen & Sig: Yes.

Okada: Recently, I saw a post on Twitter saying, "If you really want to do animation, throw away the animation blueprint."

Sig: That's not true.

Wazen: I'm more curious as to why blueprints don't work. I think it's convenient. If it means that the order of processing is clearer, I think so.

Okada: I think that if you don't know the mechanism and rules for reusing animation blueprints, it will be difficult at the stage of mass production.

Major: I didn't have the know-how for that area, so it was quite a struggle (laughs). I wonder what to do with different bones for each character. It was a form of copying everything with Blender and script and importing it.

Okada: I have a document about that, so please take a look (laughs).

* Reference material About the operation of UE4's Animation Blueprint that even a cat can understand

Continued to "How to learn UE4/Recommended tools/How to deal with subcontractors"

[Author: Minoru Umise][Photography: Ryuki Ishii][Editing and Proofreading: Minoru Umise/Ryuki Ishii]