[redxdev]

Because they aren't meant for you (assuming you're an engineer). They're meant for level scripting, simple prototyping, stringing together systems written in lower level (C++) code, and beginners.

They absolutely don't suck when used in the intended way. I'm not a fan of writing code in visual languages either (worse information density, slower to write the code, harder to debug) but if all you're doing is wiring up some triggers in a level? Hell yeah, it's great. Need to fire a bunch of events over time, maybe do some super simple code-drive animation? Timelines and latent actions are way easier than the textual equivalents. And extending it is dead simple which makes it easy to write something in C++ to be used from Blueprint.

It's also worth noting that Unreal's C++ has many of the niceties of C#. I won't say it's as easy to use (it isn't) or that Unreal gets rid of some of the eccentricities of the language or build system (it doesn't, and Unreal's build system - while nice - is incredibly under documented), but Unreal does provide garbage collection (and even reflection) which takes a big part of the burden of C++ away.

[jay_kyburz]

I'm a level designer and artist that now codes because Unity makes it easy. :)

[redxdev]

Fair enough. If you're working on smaller projects I totally understand where you're coming from. Unreal's workflows are very much built with an eye towards large teams/AAA where there's a very hard division between engineering/design/art, and having a simpler language (blueprint) that doesn't require much training and that engineering teams can use to expose just what's necessary is a benefit rather than a detriment.

Unfortunately Unreal doesn't really have a middle ground - something between the complexity of C++ and the simplicity of Blueprint. There's been rumblings of a new text-based scripting language (Verse - https://twitter.com/saji8k/status/1339709691564179464) but it hasn't been officially commented on by Epic outside of a single presentation where it was shown in relation to Fortnite.

[jay_kyburz]

Exactly, blueprints might be OK for opening a trigger when you open a door, but there are huge chunks or game logic that needs to be written by game designers.

Magic Armour gives you +15 health and Orcs spawn in the Forest after the Spider Queen is defeated.

You don't want to have to go to the programmers when the behavior of magic amour changes or when Orcs have some other prerequisite.

Can't wait to hear more about this Verse.