To showcase the climbing feature, multiple objects (terrains) including walls, pillar, ceiling, ramps are placed to test if the player can behave correctly when facing climbable/non-climbable objects.

Also, a Dummy character is placed inside the level that reacts to attack.

• Run: press W A S D to make the player run in different directions.
• Jump: press Space Bar to start a jump.
• Climb: press E to try climbing. If there is a climbable surface in front of the player, he will climb.
• Cancel Climb: press Q to stop climbing.
• Attack: press Left Mouse Button to attack. The player will not be able to run, jump, or climb during attack.

• The player should not be able to jump while attacking.
• The player should not freely move while attacking.
  • The above are implemented by setting isAttacking = true inside Player's blueprint. Inside C++ action callback functions such as AGoeaTechEvalCharacter::MoveForward(), actions are blocked by condition if(IsAttacking).
• The player should not be able to attack when climbing.
• Spamming the attack does not cancel itself.
  • This is done my wrapping a Do once node around attack logics. It will be reset after attack montage has completed playing.
• Feedbacks while attacking:
  • Plays Sword_whoosh sfx when whipping the sword.
  • Plays Impact_sword_to_body sfx when Dummy is attacked.
  • Applied Camera Shake when Dummy is attacked.
  • Dummy plays On Damage montage when attacked and steps back due to root motion.

The climbing feature is created completely in C++ inside my UCustomCharacterMovementComponent that inherits the CharacterMovementComponent class.

• Detecting surfaces: Use shape sweep on every tick to detect collisions in front of the player.
• CanStartClimbing(): Check if the collision(s) in front of the player is a climbable surface. Criterias for climbable surfaces are described below.
• PhysClimbing(): Handles climbing velocity, acceleration, movement, and collsion.
• ComputeSurfaceInfo(): Calculates CurrentClimbingNormal and CurrentClimbingPosition by averaging all colliding surfaces normals and hit positions.
• ShouldStopClimbing: Checks if (player cancels climb event) || (no climbable surface) || (player is on ceiling/floor).
• ComputeClimbingVelocity(): Calculates velocity by calling CalcVelocity() from base class if not controlled by root motion.
• MoveAlongClimbingSurface(): Move the character by calling SafeMoveUpdatedComponent() and make the player look towards the surface normal.
• SnapToClimbingSurface(): Move the character towards the surface.

Climbable criterias:

1. Player should be looking at a maximum MaxHorizontalDegreesToStartClimbing = 30.f degrees in order to climb the surface.
2. Player should not be able to climb on ceilings or floors (i.e., surface normal is nearly same direction as world up-direction.)
3. Player should not be able to climb objects that are lower than it's eye height. Calls IsFacingSurface() to line-trace forward at eye height to check if hitting the object.
4. Player should not be able to climb on other characters.

Red objects and character are unclimbable.

• Climbing animations using Blendspace
• Added sound effects for running, attacking, and climbing.
• Dummy character always faces player when distance between them <= 500. (Implemented inside Blueprint)
• Dummy character plays attacked montage and steps back due to root motion. (Implemented inside Blueprint)

• Dummy sometimes teleports when attacked

  • Possible cause: Collision setting and root motion. Both Player and Dummy are set to preset object type Pawn , thus probably making the Dummy to be "pushed" by player's right arm and the root motion cannot behave as expected.
    

• Compile error when project packaging. Error messages shows that the issue are related to my CustomCharacterMovementComponent.

• Player cannot move after Unreal crashes or other random events.

  • This issue can be fixed by recreating a new player blurprint and replicating every component and settings. However, it appeared multiple times and it is time consuming to recreate and reset the character everytime.

• Add more climbing assets for smooth ground-to-wall/wall-to-ground/wall-to-wall transition.
• Detect when to climb up ledges/roof and use root motion to move itself up.
• Weapon/footstep sfx are hardcoded in animation assets. Should be able to consider material of collided object to play different sfx.