Troubleshooting Package errors

    On my first day of senior year, as a way to try to preliminary test the stability of my thesis project and get an initial result for building on Unreal Engine 4.12.5 after moving my thesis file from 4.10.0, I decided to package my project with no alterations from Junior year.

    Each time that I packaged for Windows 64 bit on the lab computers in 308 (my only school computer lab test), I would get an unknown cook error and subsequently have the package fail. I didn't even have to ask anyone if they had the same error because a classmate popped in after class and asked if anyone had the same error. I also heard that another classmate was having the same issue, so I was curious to do some tests on my home PC with positive result.

MatineeZaq is my original file that I used throughout junior year, and Zschlang_HOME is a new file that I migrated all vital assets from MatineeZaq into, due to having left starter content on foolishly and wanting to have a clutter free file.


    I managed to get to package success at home with my thesis project on both 4.10.0 and 4.12.5 on my home PC. Based on this test of multiple projects and versions used and currently being used within the project, I can assume that the "unknown cook error" is currently a issue isolated to the labs, at least in my case. I plan to update this with the last data point for the school test of my new project file, and to try to troubleshoot the issue both myself and some peers are experiencing.

Puzzle Game Research- Portal

Primary mechanics: Moving, jumping, carrying objects, shooting portals

Test Chamber 4
 When you walk into the chamber you are faced with a locked door and a massive red button. If you think that stepping on the button opens the door, you are right. However, the door closes as soon as you step off, so you must find something heavy to keep the button depressed.

As you step past the protective glass, you see a pre placed portal and a pit that upon further inspection is not one that will kill you. (you death brings joy to GlaDOS)

On even further inspection, you see a large cube; Could it be that this cube is a similar weight to your player character? Let's find out. 

As I have played through both Portal and Portal 2 at least 3 times, I tend to take shortcuts/get lucky with my portals. In the above screenshot, I skipped the part where I jump down to fetch the cube and just aimed my portal to go directly under it.Since this pit wouldn't kill you if you fell into it and this puzzle is very early in the game, either option is viable. 

Once the cube falls ever so gracefully out of the pre placed orange portal, you can place it on the massive red button and move onto the elevator and to the next puzzle. 

This puzzle is rather early in the game, so it is meant to teach players how to think outside the box since this mechanic is pretty darn new to gamers. You are meant to experiment and see what happens when you step onto the button and if the door stays open when you step off. The clear glass is placed deliberately so the player has a line of sight to their end goal. I taught teenagers last summer how to make puzzles for Portal 2, and one of the ideas I tried to hammer into their heads was that the player should be able to see their end goal and how their actions affect their path to the goal. Most of them intentionally ignored this by removing the indicator lights that connect buttons with the object that the affect. The indicator lights are blue when they are passive and become orange when the button is activated. 

All of the parts you need to solve the puzzle are easy to see and the small size of the level lends itself to this. The player wanders and uses their problem solving skills to connect the fact that the cube must be retrieved and placed on the button to enable the player to pass through the end goal door. 

If i was to give this puzzle a classification, I would say that it is an excluded middle puzzle. The player sees that the big red button always causes the door to open, but when they step off, they see that the door closes. The button is A and the door is C, they need to find the mid point of the puzzle. Most puzzles in Portal are put together this way, where the player can technically open the door, but without the missing piece, they are stuck. 

Despite this being one of the easiest puzzles to solve in the game, it already makes the player feel smart because they have use their one portal to move an object to a puzzle element that allows the player to progress. 

Isometric views

 4 Arm mounted blast shield- Expanding energy shield to block projectiles.Constant barrage of things flying at player that they must block. Recharges over time, so player must use the shield wisely or they will be smushed.

  5 Tractorbeam gun- Energy gun that pulls objects within a certain distance toward player.Build your own route out of a pit using debris.  Climb up similar to escaping the planet in the metroid game. Make wise decisions while using the machine however, you only  have a certain number of uses.

. 6 Dematerializing backpack. Gives players the ability to walk and see through solid walls. Cheat your way though a maze where some walls are not solid, but also some floors are not, so step carefully.

10 Toy ideas

1 Water powered Jetpack- Tanks on the back will be filled with water and deplete over time. Short bursts to overcome short obstacles but unable to get much lift without depleting entire tank. Think sunset overdrive with just the jumping mechanic.

2 Rocket Rollerblades- Two wheeled roller blades with articulated rockets on each side of the foot. Fast travel option but if the player hits walls too much they will explode due to the highly volatile fuel. Game would be a race when extra fuel is picked up quickly, but missing one or two may cause the player to stall.

3 Claw-based wall climbing gloves- self explanatory. Kind of like a cat climbing a scratching post. Retractable. Verticle based gameplay.

4 Arm mounted blast shield- Expanding energy shield to block projectiles.Constant barage of things flying at player that they must block. Recharges over time, so player must use the shield wisely or they will be smushed.

5 Tractorbeam gun- Energy gun that pulls objects within a certain distance toward player.Build your own route out of a pit using debris.

6 Dematerializing backpack. Gives players the ability to walk and see through solid walls. Cheat your way though a maze where some walls are not solid, but also some floors are not, so step carefully.

7 Shockwave cannon-  push force from center of gun out to push enemies and obstacles away. Big burst with gradual power recharge. Can be used before full charge, but will be less powerful. Sort of a mix between the idea of TF2's sniper and Samus from Metroid's charge cannon.

8 winged backpack- allows upward and forward boost for short time; cannot stay airborne for long. Flapping of some sort cause that's just super cool. Vertical based platformer, like escaping at the end of a Metroid level.

9 Fire extinguishing vortex glove. – Spiral of air shoots out of palm to push out fires and give a slight push to objects. Escape the burning building, find air pockets to reabsorb oxygen or you will suffocate and your extinguisher will run out of air.

10 Propeller backpack. Similar to a quad copter, 4 articulating propellers mounted to a central backpack. Allows for hovering but is prone to failing if player hits roof.

FPS level Analysis

Extra Portfolio Images.

Here are my car and character turnarounds in wireframe with polycounts.

Final Attract Trailer

For the final portion of the racing game, I edited together some footage to create an attract trailer for the game.