Context Player Start!

🧠 Designing with AI: Why Context is the Real Code

Over the past few weeks, I've been developing a modular MOBA project in Unreal Engine 5 using Python for level scripting and layout automation. Today, I hit a milestone — not because of a particularly complex piece of code, but because of a breakthrough in workflow clarity and communication with AI tools like ChatGPT.

Let me explain.

🧩 The Problem: One Marker, Too Many Responsibilities

Like many game developers, I use placeholder Blueprints in my level to mark spawn points — turrets, minions, players, etc. One such marker, BP_PlayerStartMarker, was being used both as the player spawn reference and as an input for my minion lane logic.

It worked… until it didn’t.

I found myself needing a clean, isolated way to spawn the player — at the right spot — without overlapping with my lane logic or minion AI.

Rather than jumping straight into code, I paused and turned to ChatGPT. But not to ask for a script (yet). Instead:

🔁 I Started with Context

I described:

• The purpose of each Blueprint I was using
  
  

• My overall architecture (modular, placeholder-driven level building)
  
  

• What I wanted long-term (Python-powered automation)
  
  

• And most importantly: what each actor was responsible for in the level
  
  

This context became the foundation for collaborating with ChatGPT as a development partner, not just a code generator.

🛠️ The Solution We Built (Together)

Once that context was in place, we created:

✅ A Python script to:

• Locate my original marker (BP_PlayerStartMarker)
  
  

• Spawn a new, correctly designed Blueprint (BP_NewPlayerStartMarker) at that exact location
  
  

• Cleanly separate design-time markers from runtime logic
  
  

✅ A second Python script to:

• Automatically set the BP_TopDownCharacter Blueprint to auto-possess Player 0
  
  

• Guarantee proper player control every time the character is spawned
  
  

No manual clicking. No inconsistent logic. No code chaos.

📌 The Lesson: AI Is Only As Smart As the Context You Give It

ChatGPT didn’t just “know” what I needed. It responded intelligently because I gave it the full picture.

💡 When you're working with any AI assistant — context is the real code.

• Don’t just say “I need a script.”
  
  

• Explain why, what’s already in place, and what each part does.
  
  

• Be clear about the problem, not just the outcome.
  
  

This mirrors real software development. A junior engineer might write you a script. A senior engineer will ask you about architecture, long-term intent, dependencies — then write a better one.

🧭 Final Thoughts

Today’s success wasn’t just about code — it was about communicating design intention. And with the right context, AI can become more than a helper. It can become a collaborator.

If you’re using AI tools in your dev workflow — especially in Unreal, Unity, or procedural game design — I encourage you to:

• Provide full context before asking for code
  
  

• Think like a lead dev talking to your tools
  
  

• Iterate and refine with the model, not just through it
  
  

This mindset changed the way I build games. It might change yours too.

👉 Are you using AI in your game dev workflow? What context do you give it? I’d love to hear how others are approaching this in production-level pipelines.

#GameDev #UnrealEngine #Python #AI #PromptEngineering #LevelDesign #Automation #ChatGPT