S.G.S (POC) Limitations

Core Mechanics and Atmosphere
Current Scope & Known Constraints

Screenshot captured from in-game prototype (S.G.S).

This Proof of Concept (POC) of Small Game Seasons™ (S.G.S) was built to explore the mechanics of the birds flight, core interaction, atmosphere, and design direction. It’s not a full representation of technical scope, visual polish, or final mechanics. Below are some of the key known limitations.

Further concepts, visions, and ideas for a full game version are explored in the Beyond The POC section.

General Limitations of the Prototype Demo (POC)

This prototype was independently developed by a digital designer without formal training in game programming. Unreal Engine and Blueprints were learned specifically for this project to bring a creative vision to life. The goal was to demonstrate bird simulation, overall interaction, logic, experience design, and atmosphere—not to represent production-level code or full system implementation.

PC-Only / Offline Prototype Build:
This prototype was developed for PC (mouse and keyboard). It does not currently support controller devices such as gamepads, nor does it include console-specific UI adjustments. Platform features like Steam integration or achievements are also not implemented at this stage. However, future development could explore scalable adaptations and input options based on publisher direction and platform demand.
Blueprint Code Structure:
The Blueprint scripting used in this prototype may not reflect industry coding best practices but is functionally structured to handle essential object interactions and logic flows. For a full commercial game, this code might need to be refactored, rewritten, and optimized to meet professional standards for performance, scalability, and maintainability.
Use of Plugins and Workarounds:
Certain gameplay features were implemented using third-party plugins or creative workarounds to solve interaction challenges and reduce the need for complex custom coding.
Bugs and Glitches:
As with most prototypes, bugs, unintended behavior, or occasional glitches may be encountered during gameplay. These are expected at this stage of development.
Resolution & Display:
The prototype was primarily developed and tested in 1920×1080 resolution. While other resolutions are available via the settings menu, some visual elements may not render correctly in non-standard aspect ratios or higher/lower resolutions.
Performance & Optimization:
The visual quality was optimized to ensure reasonable performance for testing and evaluation. However, frame rates (FPS) may vary depending on system specs, environment complexity, visual settings, and bird activity.
Not Optimized for Distribution:
The build is designed for demonstration and evaluation. File size, installer packaging, and compatibility across devices or launchers have not been optimized.
Scenario-Specific Performance Notes:
The Wood Pigeon hunting scene is currently the most performance-intensive, due to its flock generation system, which requires further optimization in future builds.
Partial Save System:
User-selected visual settings and gameplay options are saved and reloaded between sessions. However, progression data—such as achievements, mission states, or player stats—is not tracked or stored.
Settings Behavior Across Destinations:
Each destination includes its own settings panel; however, saved options may cause conflicts or unintended behavior when switching between environments.
Developer Shortcuts Active:
Some debug features or shortcuts used during development may still be accessible in the current build.

Visual and Audio Asset Quality

The prototype relies on a variety of pre-built assets and tools used for rapid prototyping, concept testing, and environmental simulation. While care was taken to create a cohesive experience, some visual and audio elements are placeholders or adapted from third-party sources for efficiency.

Mixed Visual Asset Quality:
The prototype was assembled using a variety of third-party asset packs, resulting in some variation in quality, texture resolution, and overall art style across destinations.
Character Representation:
The hunter is represented through a first-person arms pack and does not feature a fully modeled 3D character. Only the arms and hands are rendered for player interaction.
Bird and Dog Models:
Animal models and animations were sourced from various asset packs, resulting in variation in model quality and visual refinement. Some birds were adapted using basic texture editing for prototype purposes:
- Wood Pigeon was adapted from a feral pigeon model
- Female Pheasant was derived from the male using texture adjustments
- Thrush was adapted from a blackbird model
Environment Design:
Each hunting destination was custom-built using a combination of landscape and foliage asset packs. These were adapted to suggest the intended biomes, but may not fully reflect the accuracy, diversity, or ecological realism that would be expected in a finalized game environment.
Firearm Representation:
The featured shotgun and its animations were taken from the only comprehensive firearm asset pack available commercially. As a result, it may not perfectly reflect a traditional over/under field shotgun in look or behavior.
Bird Sound Effects Are Placeholder Assets:
The bird calls and sound effects featured in the prototype are placeholders, sourced from a variety of libraries—including Creative Commons licensed materials, as credited. These assets are intended to support early-stage immersion and will be refined or replaced in future development.
Audio & Voice Implementation:
Music, sound effects, and character voices were generated using AI tools to quickly establish mood and pacing during the prototype phase. Some AI-generated voices may lack natural tone, emotion, or inflection. Certain sound effects and UI audio cues are provisional and used purely for demonstration purposes.
Prototype-Level Ambience:
Ambient sounds are tailored to each destination to evoke a sense of place, but they were primarily generated using AI tools and integrated in a static manner. Audio layering is not dynamic and does not respond to gameplay context.
No Spatial Audio or Occlusion:
The current audio system does not support spatial sound (where the player hears directionally accurate audio based on position) or sound occlusion, which simulates how sound is blocked or muffled by obstacles like trees or terrain.
AI Voice Acting:
All character voices are generated using AI voice tools. These are intended for placeholder use and may lack the expressive range of professional human voice actors.

NPC AI Behavior

NPC behaviors in the current prototype are functional but limited in scope, designed to illustrate key mechanics rather than simulate full behavioral depth. Several features were intentionally simplified or disabled to streamline development and reduce debugging overhead.

Bird Behavior & Logic:
Bird AI is designed with path based flight initiation logic.
- Flight paths adapt to terrain variation; however, in certain conditions, birds may fail to avoid ground.
- Birds adapt their flight paths to terrain but not to vegetation, and only interact with trees or rocks through physics-based collision when falling—not during active flight.
- Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock may enter a looping flight animation if they fly across water surfaces beyond a certain distance.
- Some naturalistic behaviors, such as feeding and resting—especially for species like the Ruffed Grouse—were initially programmed but have been disabled in the current version of the prototype to focus on flight mechanics, terrain interaction, and overall stability.
Bird Falling Physics:
Birds fall using Unreal Engine 5's physics system. While the effect broadly demonstrates the intended mechanic, results are dependent on the skeletal mesh quality of each bird model, which may cause irregular motion or joint reactions.
Dog Behavior (Early Prototype):
Hunting dogs appear in select locations to showcase early behavior simulation.
- The German Shorthaired Pointer demonstrates basic movement and pointing logic but lacks motion fluidity, occasionally changing direction in a robotic or mechanical manner.
- A known bug can prevent the dog from pointing birds in specific detection scenarios — this is under review.
Perception-Based AI Only:
Birds and dogs rely on perception systems and respond to nearby movement or specific sounds like gunshots or proximity.
- The German Shorthaired Pointer actively detects birds using AI perception.
- The Pointer and Labrador can fetch downed birds via user command.
No Environmental Responsiveness:
While animal AI reacts to the player and nearby sounds, there is no adaptation based on weather or time of day in this version.
Environment Collision & Interaction Limits:
Most terrain and major objects include basic collision for the player and dog, but foliage does not respond physically to movement. Birds adapt their flight paths to terrain but not to vegetation, and only interact with trees or rocks through physics-based collision when falling—not during active flight.
Water Interaction Is Non-Physical:
AI characters and birds interact with water surfaces in a basic, non-physical way. The prototype does not include buoyancy or realistic water physics. For example, birds that fall into water do not float or respond naturally to the surface—they simply collide with the water mesh based on simplified logic.
Snow Footstep Effects Not Implemented:
While the dynamic environment system supports snow coverage, footstep imprints for the hunter and dog were not implemented in this prototype.
No Inter-Species Interaction:
Dogs and birds operate independently; there are no systemic inter-animal behaviors or environmental ecosystems such as predator-prey relationships. Although dogs can detect birds in the prototype, this is currently simulated through noise-based perception to approximate scent tracking. A more realistic, scent-driven detection system could be designed for the full game.

Shotgun Ballistics Simulation and Hunting Gear

This section outlines how shotgun mechanics, ballistic effects, and hunting gear were implemented in the prototype using available tools and simplified logic. These systems are intended as approximations for the sake of prototyping and do not reflect the full realism or flexibility expected in a commercial hunting simulator. Future development would aim to offer a much more nuanced and authentic experience.

Shotgun Manipulation:
The virtual hunter holds the shotgun in a limited number of positions. In the prototype, it is primarily held vertically (in the right hand) to keep the front view unobstructed. Video trailers show a mounted position when approaching pointing dogs (e.g., Ruffed Grouse, Woodcock). The final game should include more natural posture transitions and situational animations.
Shell Simulation:
Shell size, velocity, and pellet count are simplified in this prototype. The number and spread of pellets do not represent real-world ballistics, and velocity is based on Unreal Engine parameters rather than external ballistic models.
Shotgun Ballistics:
A third-party ballistics plugin was integrated and adapted to simulate basic pellet spread and drop. This is used purely as a conceptual demonstration, with the expectation that a full version would incorporate deeper, data-driven ballistic modeling.
Choke Tubes:
Choke behavior in the prototype is approximated, with basic influence on shot spread and velocity. The current implementation is limited and does not reflect specific choke types or realistic patterning. A full version of the game would feature a wider range of choke tube types (e.g., improved cylinder, modified, full) with authentic ballistic behavior and greater player control over spread dynamics.
Red Dot Sight:
A red dot sight can be enabled on the shotgun, as it is part of the default asset used in the prototype. It is not calibrated for specific ranges, and no adjustment interface is available. This feature is basic and does not reflect the optics typically used in traditional upland bird hunting, but a full game version could incorporate more appropriate and customizable sighting options.
Game Callers:
Bird callers were implemented for early-stage experimentation and affect bird behavior in a randomized, simplified way (e.g., attracting Thrushes). A final version would support species-specific calls, techniques, and realistic audio responses.
Two-Eyes-Open Technique Preview:
A transparent material effect was applied to the shotgun to suggest the visual concept of the two-eyes-open shooting method. This early test hints at the idea of visual ‘ghosting’ or depth blending. A more immersive, realistic approach would be developed in a full game.
Shotgun Camera (Draft Feature)
This early version of the Shotgun Camera captures a still image at the moment of impact but does not record or save full sequences. Full replay functionality is part of the intended vision for the complete game.

General Gameplay Experience

This prototype is designed to demonstrate the core concept of an authentic, simulation-driven bird hunting experience. However, several gameplay dimensions expected in a full game are intentionally limited or absent in this proof of concept.

Limited Scope of Content:
Only a small selection of bird species, destinations, and gear are included—enough to support concept validation and interaction testing. Additional content and biome diversity are part of the full game vision.
Limited Gear Selection:
Only essential gear is available to support the prototype’s core mechanics and visual presentation. Expanded equipment options are planned for a full version.
No Multiplayer Functionality:
This POC is built solely around a single-player hunting experience. Multiplayer modes—whether cooperative or competitive—are not implemented at this stage.
First-Person Perspective Only:
The prototype uses a first-person view to emphasize realism and immersion. While this aligns with the intended final design, third-person perspectives could be explored in the future, especially for multiplayer or social features.
Simplified Interactions:
All interactions are focused on the essential shotgun handling and shooting mechanics. Other potential gameplay actions—such as retrieving birds, using callers, handling maps, or interacting with inventory—are not featured in the current version.
Basic NPC Interaction:
Other characters (e.g., gamekeepers or guides) appear in select destinations but are implemented in a minimal form. Their roles are limited to simple presence or brief dialogue via text and AI-generated voice lines.
Dynamic Weather (Presets):
Each destination features a dynamic weather system based on user-selected season and weather presets (e.g., clear sky, fog, light snow). However, weather conditions do not evolve over time during gameplay.
No Wind Interaction with Vegetation:
Vegetation assets used across destinations come from various third-party packs and were not uniformly configured for wind or physics responsiveness. As a result, weather effects such as wind do not visually impact foliage or trees in the current version.
No Progression Loop or Unlockables:
The prototype does not include a progression system, stat tracking, unlockable gear, or long-term goals. It is designed as a sandbox-style proof of concept, focused on isolated hunting scenarios.

Branding & UX/UI

The branding and user experience design in the prototype aim to support the simulation tone and genre, while keeping development scope manageable. Although functional and visually coherent, several areas remain intentionally simplified for the prototype phase.

Visual Identity & Branding:
The visual style draws inspiration from upland bird hunting publications and sporting traditions. While the direction is established, it still requires refinement in typography, iconography, and overall polish to achieve a final game-quality presentation.
User Interface Style:
The UX/UI design favors the simplicity of classic PC games, supporting clarity over flashiness. However, a more dynamic and interactive style—with refined transitions, feedback states, and motion design—would elevate the player experience in a full release.
Destination Overview UI:
The destination selection and overview interface uses basic text and static visuals. A more immersive and animated presentation is envisioned for the final game to better convey atmosphere and environmental diversity.
In-Game HUD Elements:
The current HUD offers only essential information in a minimal layout. While this supports the simulation tone, several visual components lack consistency in style and could benefit from additional refinement, motion feedback, and user customization options.
No Navigation or Mapping Systems:
The prototype does not include any minimaps, GPS features, or navigation aids. Destinations are manually selected through the main menu without in-game spatial guidance.
Lack of Tooltips or Contextual UI Prompts:
No in-game hints or tooltips are currently implemented. Instead, a simple control guide is available in each destination’s menu to support user onboarding for this prototype.
No Structured Onboarding or Tutorial:
The prototype does not feature an interactive tutorial or guided onboarding. Player instructions are provided via in-menu control guides and destination descriptions.