Shutdown protocol
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Shutdown Protocol — Project Wrap-Up & Lessons Learned
Shutdown Protocol — Project Wrap-Up & Lessons Learned With Shutdown Protocol now fully completed, packaged, and documented, this final dev log serves as a retrospective on the project. Rather than detailing another set of tasks, this entry focuses on what the project taught me—both technically and process-wise—and what I will carry forward into future, larger-scope
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 18 – Release
Dev log – Day 18 – Release Summary Day 18 was focused entirely on finalizing Shutdown Protocol for submission and release. The work centered on producing and validating both a Development test build and the final Shipping distribution build, resolving last-minute performance and presentation issues discovered during verification, and completing all required documentation deliverables. The
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 17
Devlog – Day 17 Summary Today’s work focused on bringing the experience to a more finalized, cohesive state across environment, atmosphere, UI flow, and last-minute fixes. The bulk of the day was spent polishing visual presentation, reinforcing the end-of-game sequence, and eliminating immersion-breaking issues such as debug output and unclear interaction prompts. Together, these changes
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 16
Devlog – Day 16 Summary Today focused on polishing and hardening interaction feedback across Rooms 1–2. I replaced player-facing Print String LookAt output with a centered HUD widget (with proper set/clear behavior), tightened LookAt targeting to eliminate false positives, and ensured the Room 1 keypad UI always has a clean exit path with correct focus
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 15
Dev log – Day 15 Summary Today was a focused polish and readability day across Rooms 1 and 2. I built a reusable visual wiring solution for Room 1 (iterating through a custom spline-mesh approach before switching to Unreal’s Cable Actor and finally integrating a Fab cable asset for higher-fidelity results). In parallel, I completed
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 14
Dev log – Day 14 Summary Today was a major polish + scope-lock day. I pushed Room 2 much closer to final visual quality by replacing placeholder environment pieces and puzzle consoles with higher-fidelity assets, improving readability, and tightening organization—while keeping Puzzle D/E/F logic unchanged. In parallel, I executed a hard scope reduction by fully
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 13
Dev log – Day 13 Summary Today’s work focused on completing the reward and progression flow for Puzzle F in Level 2. This involved reliably spawning the Security Keycard after Puzzle E resolves, fixing state logic issues that prevented correct first-run behavior, and implementing a keycard reader that validates inventory state and unlocks the connected
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 12
Dev log – Day 12 Summary Today was focused on delivering Puzzle E’s full “read → enter → validate” loop in Room 2. I built the 5-slot word-cycler panel as an interactable, ensured each slot cycles independently with wrap-around, added on-panel word displays, and wired deterministic phrase validation that resolves once and locks into a
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 11
Dev log – Day 11 Summary Today focused on fully implementing Level 2 – Puzzle D, an observation-driven pattern puzzle that links environmental server-light cues to a console-based input sequence. The work established the complete interaction loop—from readable world signals, to responsive console input, to a persistent unlock state—then validated the system end-to-end to ensure
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 10
Dev log – Day 10 Summary Today was focused on two things: (1) building a reusable “inspect-style” environmental clue pipeline in Room 1 (in-world prop → interact → full-screen readable popup → clean close + input restore), and (2) continuing a Room 1 visual pass by upgrading key interactive devices (monitors, fuse/switch panels, and connected
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 9
Dev log – Day 9 Summary Today was all about pushing Room 1 closer to a finished, playable mood through a focused visual pass—upgrading the doors, desk, and locker presentation, switching the room over to a more flexible modular wall + door wall setup, and adding atmosphere via a flickering light effect and subtle dust.
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 8
Dev Log – Day 8 Summary Day 8 focused on completing Puzzle C’s power-routing switch panel and fully integrating Puzzles A, B, and C into Room 1 (Maintenance Room). Work finalized Puzzle C’s logic, visual feedback, and dependency on Puzzle B, then moved all puzzles out of the test area and into their intended room
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 7
Dev log – Day 7 Summary Today was focused on locking in two core gameplay systems to support Level 1 progression and consistent puzzle feedback. I implemented the Level 1 Fuse Panel interaction as a one-time, persistent “restore power” action that consumes a Fuse from inventory and triggers downstream progression (validated using a door as
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 6
Dev log – Day 6 Summary Today was about delivering Puzzle A’s full keypad-lock loop end-to-end: a dedicated locker actor with persistent unlock state, a 3-digit keypad UI, and a clean submission path where the locker owns validation + state (not the widget). After wiring and testing the interaction flow, a couple of edge cases
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 5
Dev log – Day 5 Summary Today was focused on pushing core gameplay systems forward: expanding the inventory system with query + unique-item handling, building a working pickup flow, and adding “use item” logic so doors can require (and optionally consume) a key item. On the UI side, I implemented a basic HUD notification widget
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 4
Dev log – Day 4 Summary Today focused on recovering from the asset loss of Day 3 by reconstructing most of the destroyed meshes, materials, and Blueprints and returning the project to its previous state. Building on that restored base, work continued on improving door and interaction logic, expanding button functionality, and polishing key gameplay
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 3
Dev log – Day 3 Summary Today was focused on building the foundation for the interaction system by creating a parent interactable class, establishing child Blueprint types, and beginning work on a modular door system. I also created a set of colored material instances to help visually differentiate level components. Significant time was spent implementing
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 2
Dev log – Day 2 Summary Today focused on establishing the lighting atmosphere across all rooms, refining the project’s lighting setup, and beginning implementation of the core interaction system for Level 1. Major work went into removing unneeded sky systems, adding proper interior lighting actors, developing a flickering light Blueprint for mood, improving emissive materials,
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Shutdown Protocol Dev log – Day 1
Dev log – Day 1 Summary Today was focused on establishing the project foundation, organizing engine settings, and beginning the blockout process for all three levels. I used ChatGPT to support early GDD and LDD development before moving into Unreal Engine. Major progress was made on Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 blockouts, along