Developer Log

LATEST April 27, 2026

This week was mostly about making MoonBurn’s characters feel more alive in combat. Enemies can now use animation events from Spine, which means attacks can be timed to the actual “hit” moment in the animation instead of just happening instantly. Simpler enemies can still damage on contact, but more dangerous ones can now telegraph their melee attacks, lock onto the player, and only deal damage if you’re still in range when the strike lands.

I also added some new visual feedback for damage and deaths. Characters can flash when hurt, and defeated enemies can pop with a small cartoon-style Niagara effect. It is still early, but this should help combat feel less like hidden numbers going down and more like something is actually reacting on screen.

There was also a small but important aiming fix: the player’s aim visuals now respect the character’s facing direction when the sprite flips. That sounds boring on paper, but in-game it means the weapon/aim pose should finally point the right way instead of getting reversed in certain directions. Small step, but a good one for making the hand-drawn character setup feel properly connected to the controls.

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April 20, 2026

This week I spent some time updating the player character art in-game, including new Spine imports and texture/skeleton changes. It is mostly behind-the-scenes asset work, but the goal is simple: keep pushing MoonBurn away from grey-box prototype land and closer to the hand-drawn look it is supposed to have.

I also added a new tentacle wiggle material setup for enemies. The fun part is that the motion can react to how fast the enemy is moving, so the tentacles should feel a bit more alive instead of being completely static. It is a small visual system, but these little touches matter a lot in a game where the characters are drawn in 2D but need to feel physical in a messy, reactive world.

The map also got updated alongside the new character and enemy assets, so this was a bit of a visual pass week rather than a big new gameplay feature week. Not flashy, but useful progress toward making the game feel more like itself.

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April 13, 2026

This week was a small but useful character-facing fix. The player’s front/back direction now matches the actual art correctly, so moving up and down should no longer pick the wrong facing pose.

I also refreshed the player’s Spine assets and updated the prototype map to use the latest version. No big new feature this time, just steady cleanup on the character presentation side so the movement and artwork line up better in-game.

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April 6, 2026

This week I worked on making enemies feel a bit less robotic. They can now switch between different movement speeds more smoothly, instead of snapping instantly from one pace to another. Melee enemies also have a proper attack action now, with range checks and a hook for animation/VFX, so their attacks can start feeling more intentional rather than just being constant contact damage.

The bigger change is that enemies can now react to fire. They can notice nearby fire hazards, decide whether they are brave enough to ignore them, or try to flee to a safer spot. That should help fire feel more like part of the world instead of just a damage zone sitting on the floor.

I also did more work on character facing and Spine animation playback, so enemies can turn and play the correct movement animations more consistently. It is still early AI work, but this is an important step toward combat where enemies don’t just chase blindly — they can hesitate, avoid danger, and make the arena feel more chaotic.

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March 30, 2026

This week I worked on making the quarantine barrier feel more like a real part of the arena instead of just a visual boundary. If the player touches it, they get punished with heat and knockback. Enemies can also be knocked around by it, and some of them can be forced into a burning state, which should make the quarantine phase feel more dangerous and messy.

I also added proper enemy tracking inside the quarantine zone. The game can now register which enemies are trapped inside, listen for when they die, and know when the quarantine has been cleared. That gives the encounter a clearer structure: get locked in, survive the fight, clear the zone, then move on.

On the AI side, enemies are starting to move away from simple “always chase the player” logic and toward perception-based behavior. They can now detect targets through sight, use behavior trees, and react to stun/knockback more reliably. This change should make fights feel less fake and give me a stronger base for more interesting enemy behaviour later.

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March 23, 2026

This week was a big step for the main mission flow in MoonBurn. I added the first version of the quarantine zone: an arena-style area that can lock the player into a fight, track when the enemies inside have been defeated, and then clear once the encounter is done. This also ties into the mission computer and objective UI, so the game can start guiding the player through the sequence more clearly.

I also added the extraction point, which gives the level a proper “get out” moment after the quarantine fight. Once activated, it can detect when the player reaches it and trigger the successful extraction flow. Together with the new player HUD and quest log work, the game now has a clearer loop: reach the objective, survive the quarantine, clear the enemies, then extract.

Fire also got a proper damage-over-time pass this week. Burning characters now take damage based on how much heat they have built up, and that heat can drive character fire VFX using Niagara. The goal is for burning to read visually on the character, not just as invisible damage ticking in the background.

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March 16, 2026

This week I worked on the mission computer and the first pieces of the level objective flow. Power reactors are now interactable, and the mission computer can check how many reactors have been activated before allowing the next step. This gives the level a clearer structure: find the reactors, power things up, then return to the terminal to start the next phase.

I also added the early quarantine cycle logic. The mission computer can now move between states like waiting for power, ready to activate, quarantine queued, quarantine in progress, and complete. That means the terminal is starting to act less like a simple text box and more like the thing that controls the mission flow.

There was also a pass on mission computer text and localization data. The terminal text now comes from a data set instead of being hardcoded, which should make it easier to write and revise the in-game messages as the objectives grow. The result is a stronger foundation for the loop I want in MoonBurn: power the area, trigger the quarantine, survive what happens next.

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February 23, 2026

This week I added the first version of a new enemy: the Stalker. Its Spine art is now imported, it has its own character blueprint, and it has been placed into the prototype map. It is another step toward having enemies with clearer identities instead of everything feeling like a placeholder.

I also did a bit more work on the game’s 2D presentation. The default 3D character mesh is now hidden properly, so the hand-drawn character visuals can take over without fighting against Unreal’s built-in mesh setup. That helps keep the characters closer to the flat, illustrated look MoonBurn is aiming for.

There were also new computer assets added for the mission/terminal side of the game. The prototype map and related gameplay blueprints were updated around those changes, so the level is gradually getting more of its own visual language instead of relying on test objects.

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February 16, 2026

This week I added a new set of fire FX assets for MoonBurn: fresh sprites, textures, and a material setup for the flames. Fire is such a central part of the game, so I want it to feel readable and stylized.

I also fixed how flame hazards spawn from projectiles. They now stay aligned upright instead of inheriting the projectile’s rotation, which should make the fire patches look more consistent when they land. That should help the arenas read more clearly when things start getting messy.

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February 9, 2026

This week was mostly about getting the hand-drawn character pipeline properly into MoonBurn. I added Spine imports for the player and an enemy, updated the character blueprints, and refreshed the prototype map around those assets. The game is starting to move further away from test visuals and toward the illustrated 2.5D look I’m aiming for.

I also added new floor materials and a noise texture, which helps the world feel less empty and gives the characters a better surface to sit on visually. Since the game depends a lot on readable silhouettes and clear action, the environment materials need to support the characters rather than fight them.

There was also a rendering/settings pass: auto exposure is now disabled, lighting setup was adjusted, and the frame rate settings were tested. The goal is a more stable, predictable image while I keep building out the art style and gameplay feel.

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January 26, 2026

This week I added the first version of MoonBurn’s interaction system. The player can now detect nearby interactable objects, show an interaction hint, and trigger them through the player controller. The main use case right now is the mission computer, which opens a proper UI overlay when the player interacts with it.

The mission computer is starting to become the level’s main point of contact: a place where objectives, terminals, and mission flow can eventually live. I also improved how overlays open and close, including focus and input handling, so using the terminal feels more like part of the game instead of a separate test widget.

I also added a few trees to the test level and did some groundwork around the player/controller setup. This gives the project a cleaner base for adding more interactable objects, readable level props, and UI-driven mission moments later.

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January 19, 2026

This week I added the first version of player respawning. Safe Points are now in the prototype map, and when the player reaches one, it becomes their new respawn location. That gives the level a clearer sense of progress and sets up the checkpoint-style flow I’ll need as the game gets more dangerous.

Enemies also got contact damage, so they can hurt the player by getting too close. Combined with the existing fire and projectile systems, this starts to make positioning matter more: enemies are not just things to shoot at, they are hazards you have to keep away from while the arena gets messier.

I also added the first mission computer assets and UI cancel input, then spent time getting the project back into shape after the Unreal 5.7 update and character blueprint changes. Player input, camera, collision, weapon firing, enemy damage, and Spine animation setup are all moving into a cleaner state, which gives MoonBurn a better base for building the next round of combat and mission features.

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January 12, 2026

This week I added a movement modifier system, which means character speed can now react to what is happening to them. Running, aiming, burning, water, and ice can all affect movement in different ways. For the player, that means running is now supported, and aiming or being affected by heat can change how mobile you feel during a fight.

I also added the Flame Projectile. When it hits something or expires, it can leave behind a Fire Hazard, so shooting fire is starting to create actual danger in the arena instead of only being a direct attack. This is an important part of the direction I want for MoonBurn: fire should spread problems into the level and change how both the player and enemies move.

The burning system also became more heat-based. Characters now build up heat from hazards, and burnable objects can use fuel to create fire hazards. That gives fire a more flexible foundation: instead of a simple on/off burning state, it can grow, fade, slow characters down, and eventually become something the whole combat space has to react to.

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January 5, 2026

This week I added the first proper weapon and aiming setup for MoonBurn. The player now has a modular weapon system, with equip/unequip support, firing logic, and aim handling for both mouse and gamepad. The flamethrower is also in as an actual weapon, with flame projectiles spawning from a muzzle position that follows the aim direction more accurately.

I also added the first projectile base and fire hazard system. Flame projectiles can now exist as real gameplay objects, collide, deal damage, and connect into hazards in the arena. Fire hazards can affect overlapping characters and consume fuel over time, which starts to make fire feel like something that lives in the level rather than just a visual effect.

The aiming side also got more accurate, especially for mouse control. The player’s aim now projects into the game world more reliably, and the character’s aim visuals can follow that direction. This is a big foundation week for the core feel of MoonBurn: aim, fire, leave danger behind, and let the arena start turning against everyone.

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December 29, 2025

This week I added the first real player character setup for MoonBurn. The player now has movement, camera support, and aiming input connected through the game’s input system. Mouse and gamepad stick aiming are both working, with deadzone handling for the stick, so the basic control feel is starting to take shape.

I also connected the aiming direction into the Spine character setup, so the character can rotate an aim bone based on where the player is pointing. That is an important step for the 2.5D hand-drawn style, where the character needs to stay readable while still responding clearly to player input.

Enemies also got their first chase and roam behavior. They can switch between wandering and pursuing the player based on detection distance, chase distance, and stop distance. This gives the prototype its first simple combat rhythm: move, aim, get chased, and start testing how the arena feels under pressure.

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December 22, 2025

This was the first week of MoonBurn’s actual project history: the project was created, the first plugins were added, and the basic gameplay code started taking shape. The first major piece was a health system, with support for taking damage, defeat, and temporary invincibility. That gives characters a shared foundation for combat instead of handling health separately everywhere.

I also added the first base character and enemy setup. Enemies now have their own character class, AI controller, and early roaming behavior, so they can move around the level instead of just sitting in place. It is the first version of the “something is alive in the arena” feeling that the rest of the game can build on.

There was also some early project organization work: README, plugin source notes, and the first test map/blueprint updates. The main player-facing result is simple but important — MoonBurn now has the beginnings of characters, health, and enemy movement.

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Combocow December 1, 2025

Transitioning from Combocow

After a decade doing contract work as Combocow, I’ve decided to officially pivot. Fun Frame Games is now my full-time focus, and original IP development begins today.