Why not use Unreal Engine 4?

[Torx]

Judged by the technical problems at this game’s launch. I couldn’t help but to wonder, why not use some other engine where the devs don’t have to bother to software engineer? But just would go ahead and use what is already implemented in the Unreal Engine 4?

I’m not an expert with UE4 myself (yet). But frankly, I can’t image one could trash UE4 like this game’s engine even if one tried hard. Needless to say, UE4 is triple AAA grade, bit with a possible Indie game usage via Blueprint Nodes. Recently the Matinee cinematics editor got declared as legacy, and replaced with a more robust nonlinear in-game cinematics solution, called Sequencer. The devs may have to ditch support for Xbox 360 and PS3, though.

But maybe now is the time to get at least a first impression of UE4, and maybe consider it for future titles?

Here is link to the new stuff of UE4 4.12, including Sequencer: http://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Support/Builds/ReleaseNotes/2016/4_12/index.html#new:sequencer

[joridiculous]

Well, UE4 got its own problems, so its just aswell for a dev to stick with one eninge they knows for the time beeing.

[Kaldaien]

This game engine's problem is that it uses DXGI features not often used. A crapton of third-party software installed on systems to draw overlays is not compatible, hell AMD's own Raptr / Gaming Evovled Client doesn't even work correctly.

It'd be better off as a UWP game, then no third-party software could screw things up.

[Kael]

I don't have any inside knowledge of Telltale's. But I expect that they have invested a ton of time, talent and work to make an engine that makes these types of adventure games. Switching to a new engine is a huge task for littel benefit.

When they started Batman that had a library that could make the entire game. they may have need some new code for the linking "detective" system. But by and large a designer could have made a prototype of this entire game by himself without any help from a programmer or artist.

That is incrediably powerful. You adjust the story, play with scenes and characters, try to cut down to meat when it isn't expensive for the company to iterate. After you are happy with your prototype you invite a staff of programmers and artists onto the project and they spend all the dev time making it better.

They dont need cutting edge graphics, in fact better graphics may hurt them because of uncanny valley problems. So they have no need to switch engines.

The issue with performance on this release aren't really engine (imo). Functionally it is, but its a process problem. They would indicate (not that I know for sure) either an issue with a last minute change (which I doubt), to little development time for testing (which I suspect) and to small of a real world beta program (which I highly suspect).

You need to let your game out into the wild for a little while or you are rolling the dice on release day unless you have a massive QA process.

Either that or Batman games after Batman Arkham Knight are cursed.

ps. FWIW the game ran fine on release day for me and I had a great time with it. Bring on Episode 2!

[joridiculous]

btw: Want to see UE4 problems? Just read the Abzû discussions :P

[Darkshift]

Telltale have been iterating on their in-house engine, "Telltale Tool" for 12 years. Probably way too invested at this point to make a jump to UE practical. UE has unique issues of its own as well.

[Torx]

Originally posted by Darkshift:

Telltale have been iterating on their in-house engine, "Telltale Tool" for 12 years. Probably way too invested at this point to make a jump to UE practical. UE has unique issues of its own as well.

Yeah I have to admit that the problems are true with UE4. I'm now like a year with UE4. And I think today I reached a high score on encountered bugs with the Nav Mesh and AI for my own game.

However, I don't own this game. But The Tales from the Borderlands that I played, didn't make an impression that there is much of a game framework with this kind of game. Is there even any kind of actual physics or collisoin? I imagne that for this kind of game, you really just make some level design. Make the models and animation with external tools, and just import them. I wouldn't be suprised if even the level design itself was done in an external tool!?

UE4 has Cinematography. Real-Time Cinematography in Unreal Engine 4 - SIGGRAPH 2016 Reveal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGtb6uMUgZA

The creative director of Ninja Theory, says that you can get from set to final edit in a few minutes instead of month. So, we could get our next episodes sooner?

[Seb | セビ]

Originally posted by SouldomainTM:

The creative director of Ninja Theory, says that you can get from set to final edit in a few minutes instead of month. So, we could get our next episodes sooner?

it would probably take a lot longer actually with all the upgraded assets etc. telltale is still an indie developer

[Torx]

Originally posted by Seb | せ日:

Originally posted by SouldomainTM:

The creative director of Ninja Theory, says that you can get from set to final edit in a few minutes instead of month. So, we could get our next episodes sooner?

it would probably take a lot longer actually with all the upgraded assets etc. telltale is still an indie developer

They don't have to make better quality assets, though. The way The tales of the Borderlands, or this Batman game, is looking, is fine. This Batman game looks kind of weird to me. But that’s the art direction and not the asset quality.

Also, UE4 is used by indies as well. Actually even for mobile games not just desktop.

I’m thinking that UE4 might be perfect for them, because UE4’s editor is very artist friendly. It’s like an advanced version of Unity (Unity is too simple). Blueprint nodes for game logic, may piss of a programmer like me, although of course there is still C++. But judged by the UE4 forum threads, artists are actually quite excited about programming with Blueprint node graphs (go figure).

I don’t see how an “interactive real-time movie” could reach such a complexity that it would blast the limits of node graphs, and force the development with C++. By the way, Blueprints function alongside, or rather on top of C++. So if one knows how to write in C++, one could easily write code and extend the functions of the Blueprint nodes themselves.

Since 2014, UE4 changed to a new licensing model that allows now anybody to use and try UE4 for free without paying first. That’s why I can use it and do use it myself for my first indie game. The tutorial videos on Epic’s YouTube channel are stacking now. So there should be plenty reference to learn how to use UE4.

[xLydieebearx]

Originally posted by SouldomainTM:

Judged by the technical problems at this game’s launch. I couldn’t help but to wonder, why not use some other engine where the devs don’t have to bother to software engineer? But just would go ahead and use what is already implemented in the Unreal Engine 4?

I’m not an expert with UE4 myself (yet). But frankly, I can’t image one could trash UE4 like this game’s engine even if one tried hard. Needless to say, UE4 is triple AAA grade, bit with a possible Indie game usage via Blueprint Nodes. Recently the Matinee cinematics editor got declared as legacy, and replaced with a more robust nonlinear in-game cinematics solution, called Sequencer. The devs may have to ditch support for Xbox 360 and PS3, though.

But maybe now is the time to get at least a first impression of UE4, and maybe consider it for future titles?

Here is link to the new stuff of UE4 4.12, including Sequencer: http://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Support/Builds/ReleaseNotes/2016/4_12/index.html#new:sequencer

Because the engine is not real.

[Kaldaien]

No, it was real but then it became un. There's a difference.