Should you develop a third-person horror game with your first UE4 game?

Question

C++ / C#

Small disclaimer.
The project is being developed as a hobby for PC. Yes, certain funds will be invested in it, but no one is going to make a huge fortune on it. Even if the final sales are lower than the invested funds, it is still an experience. The idea of ​​development did not appear after the passage of any game, which means it does not depend on a gradually fading charge of enthusiasm.
A little intro
I am quite familiar with the engine itself. I worked with most tools (not counting C++), I even tried to develop something playable, but last time it was nothing more than a hobby, so things didn’t move beyond object manipulation and simple AI. However, even then, I managed to animate the character quite well, based on the content from Mixamo. But since I didn’t go beyond the “kindergarten”, the question of developing a third-person project is almost the most basic one.
And now to the point
Why in this particular format? I've always liked these types of games, so like most gamers with experience, I had the idea to develop something similar more than once, if there were funds. There can be no talk of any clone of a famous and successful game. I do not want to develop another horror with notes and a sea of ​​screamers on the screen. It's no longer fashionable. There will be no complex mechanics like crafting and building "bases", with which every second survival project is now teeming. Multiplayer is also in question. Despite the fact that the network has a huge number of manuals and documentation on this topic, it still requires a lot of knowledge and experience.
Project Description
If we give a small description of the future game, then it will be a horror with an oppressive atmosphere, a set of puzzles in their simplest form (find the key, turn the lever, enter the password, etc.). The emphasis will be on building up tension, creating a constant sense of danger. From the arsenal, a pistol is planned, with an accompanying set of animations, a torch and, of course, a flashlight. Opponents will be zombies, without any special differences or "mutations" among themselves. Unless some will be a little slower or faster than all the others. The camera position and movement of the character will be reminiscent of the Resident Evil series starting from the fourth part. But again, this is not a clone. There is no grand plot to speak of.
Conclusion
The project will not be developed only on Blueprints. To optimize logic and implement more complex algorithms and calculations, C++ solutions will be used. Funds for the purchase of models, sets of animations and sounds are available. Almost all of these assets will be purchased from freelancers/engine store. No one is going to model, animate and write music at the same time. In the free use of several carts over time. Again, this is a hobby. However, I want to bring the project to the end and not get stuck at the development stage. The project will have distinctive features and prototyping is completed. In the course of development, it is not planned to deviate from the intended goals.
A few follow-up questions: -What
are the most common challenges you face when developing a game like this?
-Where should you pay a little more attention, and what should you not focus on?
-Is it worth adding multiplayer? Not PvP, but PvE. How difficult will development be? To make it easier to answer -
imagine that this is a cooperative passage of a map by two players.
-How difficult is it to write AI if you go a little beyond just wandering around the corridors? Say, add a reaction to sound and a short-term memory pool, based on which the enemy will look for a player within a certain area?
FAQ
Why horror? - I like the genre, which means it will be interesting to develop one way or another.
Why third person? - Again, I like this position of the camera.
Why Unreal Engine 4? - One of the best free engines on the market with impressive functionality.
Why are you developing one? - I didn't find anyone from my inner circle, and I don't see the point in joining another team, although I understand that good games are not made alone.
What was going to stand out from the crowd? - There are no innovative ideas. There will be some rather nice features wrapped in a new wrapper, but there will be no complex functionality in the final product.

Answer 1

Of course not

Answer 2

Oh sure

Answer 3

If not a single game has been brought to release yet, then no, it’s not worth it. Forget about multiplayer too. When you have at least Tetris or Arkanoid behind you, then you can think about something more complicated. Otherwise, if you do everything carefully and take graphics from the store, then the task looks quite feasible, the main thing is to have time to finish the game before you run into the shortcomings of your architecture.

Answer 4

Definitely worth a try, you can get a lot of experience in the development of such a project (even if you don't live to see the release)
-What difficulties do you most often face when developing such a game?
At a minimum, you can specify the level-design, light, plot, sound, and art component. If there is no synergy here, the atmosphere will immediately collapse. clumsy gameplay and animation can also hammer nails into the lid (the game is from a third person, which means that all the actions of the character will be clearly visible).
-Where should you pay a little more attention, and what should you not focus on?
I would recommend working on shooting and animation, enemy reactions to hits, etc., especially if you plan to run out of ammo. The feeling of impact will complement the atmosphere well, and even zone damage and possibilities a la Dead Space... It is
desirable to work out the overall look & feel of locations, balance, character details and point of interest
. If you play with the light, you can hide the lack of details in the Non-playable area ( There is no need to make beautiful level art where the player cannot go and where he will not see it because fog / dark / indescribable darkness, again, is a good way to optimize).
-Is it worth adding multiplayer? Not PvP, but PvE. How difficult will development be? To make it easier to answer -
imagine that this is a cooperative passage of a map by two players.
At least in UE4 you can try to play around with replication. Quickly and quite has the right to life to test the concept. The PvE co-op idea is good, but if it is, keep that in mind for level design and balance. The final development impact will consist of "collect and see" -> "optimization". If there are skills and abilities in optimizing the network code of games, then why not? Otherwise, you can try Split screen.
-How difficult is it to write AI if you go a little beyond just wandering around the corridors? Say, add a reaction to sound and a short-term memory pool, based on which the enemy will look for a player within a certain area?
I think it can even be assembled on BP using variables and Cast To. (at least the reaction to the shot, attempts to find a player for ntime, and any movements / sounds). The upside is that zombies are not expected to be smart (for the most part), and so instinct-based designs can be more than enough.