Week 13 | The Slide | 35

 

Experimenting with a surface-driven Slide. This isn’t just a basic crouch-slide; it’s an intentional move to maintain high momentum by "surfing" across surfaces like ice or sand. The challenge was balancing the character's cool composure with the physics of a slippery surface, making it feel like a skilled maneuver that could easily transition into a low-level strike later on.

When animating a slide that transitions into combat, do you prioritize "Style" (cool poses) or "Function" (keeping the hit-box predictable for the player)?

Week 13 | The Dive | 34

 

Expanding the movement library with a high-stakes Dive. This lunging motion is designed for clearing gaps or making a narrow escape under pressure. The focus was on creating a snappy, aggressive arc that conveys both the character's weight and their desperation to reach safety.

When animating jumps or dives, do you prefer a "Flat Arc" for speed or a "High Arc" to emphasize the physics and air-time?

Week 12 | The Roll Attack | 33

 

A simple but effective Roll Attack designed to bridge the gap between evasion and offense. This move transforms a defensive forward roll into a quick strike, ensuring the combat flow remains fluid without breaking momentum. It’s a small mechanical addition that significantly impact's the character’s "threat level."

What's your favorite "simple" move that completely changes the gameplay feel for you?

Week 12 | The Hand Walk | 32

 Taking the handstand into motion with a full Hand Walk sequence. I decided to animate the entire flow from the start transition to the walk and the final recovery rather than just a loop. It’s always more efficient to trim a complete sequence in Unreal Engine than to realize later that a crucial transition is missing.

Animate the whole story, then let the State Machine do the rest.

When animating transitions: Do you prefer baking everything into one long sequence or keeping them modular for more granular control in-engine?

March Recap: Combat, Swimming & Stealth

 

was so focused on the viewport that I almost forgot this recap! March was a massive milestone where I finalized three core sets: Swimming, Basic Combat, and the Stealth system. The biggest technical takeaway was embracing IK it was a total life-saver, making the hits feel solid and the strokes more rhythmic while cutting my production time in half.

13 animations in just 4 weekends! The workflow is getting sharper, and the momentum is only growing.

For those balancing a 9-to-5: Do you find your best creative "flow" happens in these weekend sprints, or do you prefer consistent daily increments?

#Animation #IndieDev #UnrealEngine #UE5 #Maya #GameAnimation #ProcessOverPerfection

Week 12 | Handstand | 31

 

I recently discovered an amazing project from Luigi Lucarelli’s "Leo's Forest" a project that perfectly captures character personality. I found many similarities with my current direction, but even more ideas to learn from moving forward. Starting with this Handstand; it adds a layer of playfulness and show off a bit.

When you find a project that resonates with yours, do you stick to your plan or pivot to incorporate new inspirations?