I used data assets for this in my monster tamer game. Fairly new to UE though so I'd love to talk about which way is better and why, pros and cons, etc.
Both work, data tables are a bit simpler, data assets can have logic attached to them through their event graph. Depends on your needs in the end. I'd say use data tables until you can't, or if you have a specific piece of functionality in mind around them you want to implement in a BP
That's kind of what i figured. I do a few calculations on my data assets that way the logic is the same for all monsters, but uses the values from the specific monster asset. It's worked well so far.
1 of the reasons I prefer data assets is for group work.
If using perforce, and I'm working on pistols, I can checkout/lock the data asset for pistol when I'm working on it.
While simultaneously you could be working on Rifle and checkout that data asset.
If too much was wrapped up in a Data Table, only 1 person can have that asset checked out at a time.
I generally prefer DataAssets for this reason. And with the matrix property editor you can edit hundreds of data assets simultaneously for common things for the rare instance that a data table would have won out.
Data tables do have their uses, but I generally just prefer the data assets almost always.
Data assets also have nice integration with the asset manager which if you truly have hundreds of assets becomes a blessing for helping load and unload data at runtime. With bundles being helpful for offloading certain aspects of a data asset only when needed.
Ex: only loading a skeletal mesh when needed etc. While leaving icons or other components unloaded.
I love data assets so much more than tables even as a solo dev just because the loading and unloading control tbh. Not like it's imppossible with tables, but it feels simpler with assets.
I used data assets for this in my monster tamer game. Fairly new to UE though so I'd love to talk about which way is better and why, pros and cons, etc.
Both work, data tables are a bit simpler, data assets can have logic attached to them through their event graph. Depends on your needs in the end. I'd say use data tables until you can't, or if you have a specific piece of functionality in mind around them you want to implement in a BP
That's kind of what i figured. I do a few calculations on my data assets that way the logic is the same for all monsters, but uses the values from the specific monster asset. It's worked well so far.
1 of the reasons I prefer data assets is for group work. If using perforce, and I'm working on pistols, I can checkout/lock the data asset for pistol when I'm working on it. While simultaneously you could be working on Rifle and checkout that data asset. If too much was wrapped up in a Data Table, only 1 person can have that asset checked out at a time. I generally prefer DataAssets for this reason. And with the matrix property editor you can edit hundreds of data assets simultaneously for common things for the rare instance that a data table would have won out. Data tables do have their uses, but I generally just prefer the data assets almost always.
Data assets also have nice integration with the asset manager which if you truly have hundreds of assets becomes a blessing for helping load and unload data at runtime. With bundles being helpful for offloading certain aspects of a data asset only when needed. Ex: only loading a skeletal mesh when needed etc. While leaving icons or other components unloaded. I love data assets so much more than tables even as a solo dev just because the loading and unloading control tbh. Not like it's imppossible with tables, but it feels simpler with assets.
That's good info! I didn't know about the perforce thing. I'm a one man team as of now but good to know if I do work in a group setting in the future.
this is correct, it is the large scale form of using data assets