Town Alarm Collision Detection

Author: Trayvion Coats

Posted on: 5-25-2024

Part 1: The Problem

During this week's production on our project in Unreal Engine 5, a challenge emerged concerning collision detection for the "Town Alarm" system. Initially, the main issue was the inconsistency in collision detection, which was crucial for triggering the town alarm accurately. The collision detection is fundamental as it initiates the alarm that cues various in-game events, impacting player strategy and enemy behavior. If this system failed, it could lead to a disjointed gameplay experience where players and AI do not respond appropriately to threats, thereby reducing the immersive quality and tactical depth of our game.

Part 2: Problem Solution

After identifying the core issue was with the collision parameters, I adjusted the collision profiles of the relevant game elements to ensure that all necessary interactions were detected reliably. Now that the collision detection is functioning correctly, the new challenge is to refine how game elements—both players and AI—react to the town alarm. To tackle this, I am currently developing a series of response behaviors within the AI scripts that dictate how different types of characters should react when the alarm sounds. This includes modifying AI paths, changing character states (from passive to alert), and triggering specific animations and sounds. These adjustments are essential for maintaining a coherent and responsive game environment that reacts dynamically to player actions and game events.