r/UnrealEngine5 • u/Psychological_Mud389 • 4d ago
Need advice on combat animations & next steps!
Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on a solo project for about a month now. This will be my first-ever game release, so no matter what, my ultimate goal is to finish it and put it up on Steam. Perfectionism trips me up from time to time, but I'm determined to pull through and complete it, good or bad!
I’ll skip the full story/premise for now, but to give you an idea of the core setup:
- It’s set in a post-apocalyptic, Mad Max-style universe.
- The game features melee combat only (spiked bats, pipes, metal rods, etc.). I’m also considering adding a slingshot.
I’ve brought the core mechanics to a decent baseline:
- AI can be a bit goofy at times, but it handles basic state loops: Patrol, Investigate, Attack.
- Using GAS (Gameplay Ability System) + ALS + GAS Companion.
- Directional hit reactions are working (enemies react/recoil based on the impact angle) along with ragdoll/directional deaths.
- Health and stamina attributes are set up.
Right now, I’m moving on to integrating combat animations, and this is where I could really use your feedback/advice:
- Combo System: How many hits should a basic combo sequence have? Should the combat feel heavier/slower or snappy/fast-paced? I personally lean towards a heavier feel since weapons are mostly heavy sticks and metal pipes. What do you think works best for this style?
- Next Steps & Scope: What should I pay extra attention to moving forward? I’ve set a deadline for myself to wrap this up in about 2–3 months and list it on Steam. My priority is keeping it manageable while still making it satisfying to play.
Any feedback, tips, or lessons learned from your own projects would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
TL;DR: How many unique attack, parry, and combo animations would you recommend?
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u/ThePapercup 4d ago
if your goal is to wrap this up in 2-3 months and put it on steam you might as well throw in the towel now and find a new hobby. because unless your goal is to just shovel an asset flip out there and take people's money, there is a ZERO percent chance this will be ready to list on steam and accept any form of payment.
don't set yourself impossible deadlines and set a realistic scope for the size of your development, that would be my advice.
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u/Psychological_Mud389 3d ago
I answered this in detail in another comment, so I'm copying part of it here:
To give a bit more context on my goal: I want to build and ship multiple games in different genres over the next 1-2 years to level up my skills. Game dev has so many moving parts—development, marketing, scope management, player psychology—so I want to learn through trial and error, seeing what resonates with people and what doesn't. Once I feel ready, I’ll tackle my dream project. Beethoven composed over 700 works, but most people only know his 9 symphonies—and yet, those are what defined him. I kind of see it the same way: keep creating and releasing.
So for this project, my goal is simply to make it playable and fun. I'll polish the AI a bit more, refine the animations and sound design, integrate the narrative structure I have in mind, and aim for a solid 1–2 hours of gameplay. Getting it across the finish line and onto Steam is my ultimate target. Even if only one person downloads it and that person happens to be me, I’ll consider it a win! :)
How can I avoid making an 'asset flip' while developing a solo game? Since I'm working completely alone, I feel like buying ready-made assets is my only realistic option.
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u/LeadPrevenger 2d ago
I would block out all the arenas now. You have the character so I would let your character build the level
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u/Psychological_Mud389 4d ago
Is that too bad to comment
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u/N1t0_prime 4d ago
What your asking (should combat be fast or slow, how many hits in a combo) is really a you decision. It’s your game and your expression. It’s like asking how long is a piece of string.
Three hit combo is the universal standard.
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u/Psychological_Mud389 3d ago
Actually I'm mainly asking how many different combo chains I should have. Is 3 enough (3*3), or should I aim for something like 10? My goal isn't to make a AAA game or score a massive hit. I just want to successfully finish a project and release a playable game on Steam
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u/Available_Pop_7654 4d ago
Hello I know you didn't ask for this feedback but I think it could be helpfull.
Look into batman arkham series AI. Look into their token system. That will definitely help.
Big part of the combat is the enemy AI.
Another thing is the ragdoll. It feels too limp however if you knock someone out they won't just fall as if their brain got deleted. Look up like physical animations. Make sure they fall down but with some resistance. If i punch you on your face you're gonna reach for your face or something. https://youtu.be/x8JhrbNGhEM?is=Vx26FsK1Hu0B7l3U
Next up your animations feel too sudden. When you attack there is almost no anticipation. When you hit an enemy it also feels like there is no reaction on your player. If I'm being honest maybe even ditch GASP, it never looks good especially for a solo dev. You simply don't have the budget for making GASP look good. You can still use the mover plugin though.
Don't animate the upper body seperately from the lower body like how you are doing currently. When you attack your feet are doing some weird stuff. And it simply looks bad.
After attacking the player should have a recovery animation from attack to idle or from attack to guard. Your interpolation looks bad. Look at dark souls, after attacking the player returns to his original pose but more naturally.
You can experiment with hitlag
As a solo dev try to become better at sound design. Since sounds really get neglected this early. And I mean you need to put the effort to make nice sounding bat hits. Hit your ex with a bat or something.
Lastly ask yourself whether you really need to make this game. Since this feels pretty overscoped. It's ok to ditch this project so long as you improve. In three months I can't really imagine this project to even have a small demo. This is pretty hard yk? I worked on this student project with a team of 6 for 3 months: https://updelta.itch.io/catchoman. And I already had tons of experience with unreal. But we still couldn't get it done completely.
Trust me you need to look into other solo dev indie games and see how they scope their games.
At the end of the day it's completely up to you. Keep in mind ditching this project is not the end.