Gameplay Prototype
- Tank -
PROJECT TYPE
DATE
Solo Project
Unreal Engine 5
September 2022 - Present
Overview
This tank prototype is based around an M1 Abrams tank, with the movement and controls utilizing Unreal Engine 5's Chaos Vehicle Movement Component but modifying it heavily to emulate the feel of a tank.
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My Goal:
Try and capture the feel of how a M1 Abrams moves, fires, and feels within a variety of terrain.
The video below is the prototype after I got movement, basic weapons, and a simple HUD implemented. I did include some minor polish tweaks that were easy to hook up as I went, such as knockback to the tank firing a shell, and track rotation matching the movement of the tank. I kept the controls fairly simple and straight-forward arcade-y controls. Rather than more traditional tank controls of levers dictating track movement, I went for the more classic forward/backward and rotate.
I also did some research on the M1 Abrams to find out stuff like what the main gunner's perspective would look like, and how quickly a new shell is typically loaded into the main cannon by a skilled gunner. I wanted this prototype to tread the line of realism while maintaining a control-scheme that feels familiar and reasonable to players.
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