UnrealScript Game Programming Cookbook

Discover how you can augment your game development with the power of UnrealScript

Overview

• Create a truly unique experience within UDK using a series of powerful recipes to augment your content.
• Discover how you can utilize the advanced functionality offered by the Unreal Engine with UnrealScript.
• Learn how to harness the built-in AI in UDK to its full potential.

In Detail

Designed for high-level game programming, UnrealScript is used in tandem with the Unreal Engine to provide a scripting language that is ideal for creating your very own unique gameplay experience. By learning how to replicate some of the advanced techniques used in today’s modern games, you too can take your game to the next level and stand out from the crowd.

By providing a series of engaging and practical recipes, this “UnrealScript Game Programming Cookbook” will show you how to leverage the advanced functionality within UDK. You’ll be shown how to implement a wide variety of practical features using the high-level scripting language ranging from designing your own HUD, creating your very own custom tailored weapons, to generating pathfinding solutions, and even meticulously crafting your own AI.

Learn how you can fully augment your projects with UnrealScript, with the additional inclusion of specific techniques that cover disciplines as diverse as AI scripting and HUD design. Initially starting with recipes that cover tinkering with your IDE, developing archetypes, and scripting cameras, you’ll soon move on to creating advanced artificial intelligence, weapons, and vehicles alongside unique HUD and inventory systems.

What you will learn from this book

• Create advanced navigation with pathnodes and waypoints.
• Construct AI that follows and avoids players and other bots.
• Produce custom modular weapons, like your very own homing rocket.
• Develop a HUD to display essential information using the UDK canvas.
• Fashion archetypes and prefabs for easy collaboration with level designers.
• Script a modular camera system for a variety of perspectives.
• Craft pickups for both health and ammunition.
• Design weapons that perform damage over time or even heal friends.

Approach

Filled with a practical collection of recipes, the UnrealScript Game Programming Cookbook is full of clear step-by-step instructions that help you harness the powerful scripting language to supplement and add AAA quality to your very own projects.

Who this book is written for

This essential Cookbook has been assembled with both the hobbyist and professional developer in mind. A solid foundation of object oriented programming knowledge will be required. All examples can be replicated and used by UDK and in some cases other software and tools – all of which are available for free – can be used too.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Development Environments
Chapter 2: Archetypes and Prefabs
Chapter 3: Scripting a Camera System
Chapter 4: Crafting Pickups
Chapter 5: AI and Navigation
Chapter 6: Weapons
Chapter 7: HUD
Chapter 8: Miscellaneous Recipes