Guadalupe Hernandez - Dialogue System

My role in Wroughted Iron:

Typing away... :

I was responsible for implementing a dialogue system into the game. While working on Wroughted Iron, I gained new skills in Unreal Engine, along with some unexpected insights that contributed to my success. In my Coding 2 class, we covered Data Tables and Structures, which proved useful for organizing and storing data. Data Tables allow for easy management of large amounts of data, while Structures can hold a variety of variable types. For my dialogue system, I created two Structures, one for Sergeant Gonzales and one for the Juggernaut, each containing the same set of variables, as shown below:

Shown below is one of the many Data Tables I have made for Sgt. Gonzales with his respective lines that were given from our lovely narrative team. I typed out each line in rows:

As you can see, each line has their own piece of audio attached to it. Isaac, from the narrative team, had provided me with .wav files of spoken dialogue. To make this easier on me, as well as for times sake, I had Vincent cut some dialogue down to their line length. This made things easier for me to put it all together in blueprints.

Expressing the Dialogue System Through Blueprints:

My process was a little slow because I didn't have the script right away. So I decided to make a test dialogue blueprint.

My code:

Once I received dialogue audio, it was time to implement it. Below is a a showcase video of one of the dialogue triggers:

My code:

This is the general idea of what I have implemented so far in terms of the dialogue system.

What did I learn?

Data Tables!

I learned a lot about Data Tables from watching tutorials and rewatching lecture videos, which gave me a good idea of how they work. However, it was still challenging to actually get them to do what I wanted.

Exploring alternative ways to stay engaged.

While waiting for the script to be finalized, I would often open the project and spend time contemplating my next steps. To make use of the time, I worked on troubleshooting in my test blueprint. Initially, I expected the process to be straightforward, but I encountered a series of small issues that took several hours to resolve. In the end, the solution was simple—something I had overlooked.

Staying in touch with colleagues throughout the process.

This semester, I worked to overcome my social anxiety by engaging with my fellow programming colleagues. Although it took some time to feel comfortable reaching out for help when I was stuck, doing so ultimately contributed to my success in improving the dialogue system.

When push came to shove, so did surprises!

The most surprising part of this project was when we would meet with our groups during class and just talk about what we did or didn't do. I appreciated the honest criticism I received from my professor and colleagues.  I believe that being open and honest plays a crucial role in effective communication, fostering a collaborative environment where feedback is valued and ideas can be shared more freely. Although we encountered a few bumps along the way, including some unexpected challenges and setbacks, everything came together pretty well in the end. We were able to overcome the difficulties and achieve a successful outcome.

My greatest achievement.

My greatest achievement was figuring out how to sync the dialogue text to the duration of each .wav file. Impressively, it only took me about 10-15 minutes, making it the quickest time I’ve ever solved a problem entirely on my own, without relying on help or tutorials. This moment not only boosted my confidence in my problem-solving abilities but also reinforced my growing independence as a developer. It felt rewarding to see immediate results and know that I was capable of tackling challenges with the skills I’ve built over time.