Our first challenge was to optimize the dedicated server so that it could handle simultaneous players, maintain 20hz, and minimize bandwidth. With every frame the server sends updates to all actors near that player. That means for each player we need to determine all relevant actors, figure out what has changed on those actors, and send a packet to that player with the differences.
In order to minimize CPU time and bandwidth we need send the minimum updates needed to provide a good experience for players.
Much of this work was profiling and optimizing the game code but we also found many engine optimization opportunities along the way. The map in Fortnite: Battle Royale has a playable area of 5. You can see the entire map at once when parachuting in and we wanted to support long view distances during gameplay. We knew that we needed to optimize our level-of-detail solution to make that possible. We used the Hierarchical LOD HLOD feature in the engine, backed by Simplygon, to combine regions of the map into single low-poly meshes that could be drawn in a single draw call when viewed from a distance.
Those tools already exist — we use them in Paragon — but we needed to make changes to allow our artists to be more efficient. Will be in 4. From the challenges we've been through, I know that UE4 is perfect if you want to make a game that's innovative, mechanically deep, and stylish.
How do I know? As a programmer, I'm most excited about the less-obvious but critical improvements deep inside UE4. The improvements to the modularity of the engine and extensibility of core systems make it possible to build drastically different games without having to resort to dirty hacks. We couldn't have made a game that's as varied, stable, or efficient as Fortnite without UE4. For the design of the game, UE4 is great for trying small ideas and building them up into a complete game.
Blueprints are perfect for prototyping new ideas quickly before trying to scale them up. Past that phase, the improved Content Browser has been essential for managing our thousands of assets and the relationships between them.
One critical new feature for Fortnite is the ability to import CSV files in to DataTables, which allows us to manage our balance data and quickly integrate it into the game.
The new automation testing framework gives us the ability to audit all of our content and keep quality under control. We couldn't make a game with the scope or depth of Fortnite without UE4. Using UE4's content tools, our artists continually create things that seem impossible!
0コメント