Next Steep - Prototype - Assets

We have basics informations about the game that we would like to create. The best way now for my opinion is to create core gameplay prototype without any documentation.

Why we don't need documentation and why it isn't a good way to start? I've found that 90% of documentation in every project that I've worked on changed during production. Designers was rewriting it day by day instead of creating gameplay and testing their ideas. 

Core gameplay here is of course controls, shooting, enemies and simple game goal with summary screen. 

When doing prototypes I'm always trying to create something that is polished without ugly placeholders. Not everyone can imagine great game from placeholder prototype. 

I will start with finding needed graphics asset to create an great looking prototype.

References

Searching and choosing references is critical part of game development. Not only for graphics but for everything - gameplay, monetization, UA etc.

My major reference for mood is Alien Movie indoors.

Environment 

Sci Fi Pack from Manufactura K4

I've started to look out for scifi indoor pack, there is couple of interesting assets on Unity Store and Turbosquid but I've decided to use this one: S-F Pack from Manufactura K4. Michael is very talented artist and he has a lot of game development experience and he gave me access to his assets for free! I recommend his work to everyone. 

Hands and Weapons

This is much more harder to find because creating hands with animations take some time. I've searched internet for good looking hands with animations (one hand weapon and two hand weapons) the problem is that every hand that I've discovered was rigged with weapon so it is blocking me to add other weapons to the game. 

Shooter Game example from Epic in UE4 Marketplace does have sci-fi hands - but only with one animation - two handed weapon. So we need to find good looking sci-fi two handed weapons. 

Hands from UE4 Shooter Game example.

For more modern games I recommend this. It's cheap and ready to use. 

There is couple of good sci-fi weapons out there:

• From Will B
  
  
• Free from Alexander Tomchuk
• From Aetherealstudios
  
• Shotgun from JonLundy3d
  
• Assault Rifle (Rigged) from GraGra74
  

Enemies

For enemies we will need couple of types to have varied gameplay. It's hard to find characters with animations so let's see what do we have:

• Mele attack only, quick running into player,
  Sci-Fi Mech Robot from KK Design
  
• (humanoid) Mele attack only, slowly walking into player,
  Steel from Profi Development
  
• (humanoid) Ranged attack only,
  Futuristic Soldier from DexSoft Games
  
  And we will take TPP Character from Unreal Engine 4 Shooter Game example. It's ready to use.
  
• (spider droid) so we will need to aim down,
• (flying droid) and aim up as well,
  Will take droids from PA SciFi Enemies and Vehicles. It's for free and with good quality.
  
  Robot Animated, Defender and Deminer from DeeLogic
  
  
  
• (badass mech) that will be our boss,
  Amored Golem from DLNK
  
  Low Poly Animated Robots
  

UI

• Free UI from Doomstalker
  
• Mobile Scifi GUI
  
• Holo GUI 
  

Sounds

I will move with sounds and music when I will have core gameplay in place because I don't know which weapons/enemies I will finaly use. 

So that's all what we need for now. Scene, characters, hands, weapons and UI - we can start creating prototype. Next post will be about importing what I already have into Unreal Engine 4. In the meantime I will try to get as many assets I can.