3rd Person RPG for school project - Is Unity a good engine?

[ApolloPM_legacy]

Hello,

I am 17 and my school project consist of various tasks, one of the tasks is creating a RPG STORY. I have not tried Unity yet and I do have limited knowledge of Python, html, php and extremely limited C+++. I have written programs purely from coding such as calculator, currency converter and guessing/spelling games only consisting of text, no graphic.

I am here trying to look for some answers regarding using Unity as a useful game engine. Now my project is due sometime mid-2014 so I do hope Unity is a fast and accessible program which is easy to learn so I could get straight to it.

I do have Blender and Sketchup and I use them for modelling and animation. It would be nice if I could possibly import/export between Unity and Blender.

If I must say I am doing the HSC right now (One of Australia’s international high school certificate, quite important), I am interested in English, Art and Software. With those three subjects I plan to craft a work based on an apocalypse setting in my English Creative Writing piece, Artwork and RPG game.

I am both a PC and console gamer. My favourite games are usually involve a story of some sort like The Last of Us. This what inspired me to do a apocalypse theme.

Now I do believe I am a decent modeller since I have been creating models in Sketchup since primary school, it was an addictive hobby. I recently only got on with Blender and I am still learning some fundamentals. Blender to me seems to be very confusing and may have a steep learning curve. According to what I read in forums Unity is more userfriendly, limited but very useful. I have to be able to craft an RPG within 4-5 months so I need a start…get a plan…get a learning habit, get a game engine.

Lastly the project must be presented like it is but it must also provide the codes, prove of actual programming. Does Unity allow to print out the raw codes from the game?

Thank you
Paul

PS: By the time I post this I would be asleep and off to school. I will check back tomorrow afternoon.

EDIT: I forgot to add I also do have experience in JavaScript.

[Dabeh]

@ApolloPM_legacy

Lastly the project must be presented like it is but it must also provide the codes, prove of actual programming. Does Unity allow to print out the raw codes from the game?

I’m not really sure what you’re asking…are you saying your school requires you to provide the source code to show you actually programmed anything?.
In the case that is what you want; just provide them with the projects files.

[AndrewGrayGames]

If you only have four to five months, well, first: this is gonna suck. Fair warning. I made a short ‘story-heavy’ game which took me 10 months of roughly one-hour days (except for when I could take multiple hours on rare occasions.)

The first thing you need to do is have a small scope. Tell a tight, focused story, with only the supporting elements you actually need. For a small, school project, you don’t need Final Fantasy’s battle system! Since story is what you’re going for, the story/dialogue is your primary game mechanic. That needs to be in the game, first; you can’t ‘ship’ without your story. Nearly everything else is secondary; make sure your mechanic is fun and interesting, then worry about everything else.

Next, your art - while I’m sure you have skills, you need to settle on a simple style that can be produced quickly, but is easy on the eye. If you go for a photorealistic setup or anything really highly detailed, you’re dooming yourself to failure. Challenge yourself to produce art assets that are as simple, but as expressive, as possible.

Games also have sound. You’ll need some music and sound effects to flesh out your game world. If you focus on story, and avoid trying to create a full-blown JRPG, you won’t need too much - in fact, I’m sure there’s some public domain stuff out there you could use to complete your assignment.

Unity can do what you need it to, but remember - Unity is only one tool in your kit.

[Teila]

Asvarduil, Unity is certainly something you can use for your project. My son is a little older than you and he has been playing with Unity for only a short time. His progress has been astounding. He is more technical, but less artistic so the two of you both have strengths and both lack some of the skills necessary.

I highly suggest investing in Playmaker. Since the programming will probably be your weakest point, this will help you a great deal. DO watch the videos that Playmaker and Unity have out there. Watch and ingest everything before you even start working with the program. I invested in Lynda.com for my three kids so they can watch videos for Blender and Unity. It has a monthly charge but has been helpful. However, there are lots of free videos out there. Tons in fact. Just make sure you are watching videos for Unity 4 and Blender 2.6 since older versions can be a little different.

Also, scale your game to something manageable. Don’t try to go too big. I honestly don’t think you are “doomed for failure”. I do agree you should keep it simple, especially the graphics.

You never know until you try! My teen daughters are involved in a massive art project at the moment (graphic novels) and when they are frustrated, we just think about the end product.

Good luck!

P.S. I have successfully used Sketchup models in Unity. For your school project, those would probably work well. You can find free or low cost characters here or on Turbosquid. Lots of free sounds out there! Music might be tough but since this isn’t commercial, there should be some creative commons stuff.

[squared55]

What do you mean by “raw codes”? You’ll have to write scripts, which you can certainly copy and paste and hand in, but you can’t get at the Unity source code without paying a hundred thousand dollars.

That said, Unity is incredibly easy to pick up. As for exporting between Blender and Unity, just save the .blend file in your project folder, and you’re done. Just make sure to slap on an edge split modifier, or you’ll en up with the whole thing having 100% smooth shading. And, it’s really not very limited at all… but it may be better that it was, because you DO need to keep your scale small. Don’t try and make the next Skyrim; just a polished limited experience.

[AndrewGrayGames]

@Teila

Asvarduil, Unity is certainly something you can use for your project. My son is a little older than you and he has been playing with Unity for only a short time. His progress has been astounding. He is more technical, but less artistic so the two of you both have strengths and both lack some of the skills necessary.

…I think you misunderstand: The 10-month project I built is complete, and is my third released game project (we’ll just not count the scores of prototypes that have died along the way.) But I agree I lack skills - much of my art practices revolve around ways to simplify my art pipeline, since programming and music composition are my strong suits. Perhaps I’m suffering from crippling overspecialization?

[Kondor0]

Wouldn’t be better something like RPG Maker?

Don’t get me wrong, I love Unity and I think it can make any kind of project but for the time you have, maybe you should use something more “genre specific” so you don’t lose time trying to get basic systems working (like GUI, dialogues, etc) and you can focus in the story and content creation.

[MarkrosoftGames]

@Kondor0

Wouldn’t be better something like RPG Maker?

Don’t get me wrong, I love Unity and I think it can make any kind of project but for the time you have, maybe you should use something more “genre specific” so you don’t lose time trying to get basic systems working (like GUI, dialogues, etc) and you can focus in the story and content creation.

thats what i was thinking. as much as i like to tell people to use unity, it sounds like something like rpg maker would make more sense for you. if you try to use unity for this project, you would likely spend the majority of your time learning unity and programming, and not being able to focus on actually making your rpg good. i’m not sure how much time you have during school to work on it, and how much time you plan on spending outside of school time as well.

your best bet is to take a look at both and determine what you can do given the time limit. it’s true with unity you have more freedom to customize it exactly how you like, but without experience it is no easy feat. maybe check the asset store and see if there is a free or cheap rpg kit.

[ApolloPM_legacy]

Thank you for the responses so far!

Though it seems the argument is divided between use Unity and not-use Unity.

Also what I mean by “raw codes” is I have to prove somehow I did the work, like I wrote some programming script. To be honest the assignment we were given is very vague, they said we need to show them the “program” I’m not sure just showing them the game is enough, they did mention about showing them some sort of coding.

Some of my classmates are considering Unity too. They have not started but they are thinking of using engines like Unity.
Blender seems nice but I heard it has a horrible game engine, that’s why I came here.

If time is very limited then I might just use sketchyup purely for modelling, it is the best software for creating simply models in less than 15mins.

Also just to show you guys my skill in modelling, I provided some links (these are all Sketchup):
But before you look at them, please do keep in mind that I was only 14 when I started uploading these models.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?uq=0094690184062215649347569&scoring=m
I also created another account when I was 15/16:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?uq=0655134495004338620759155&scoring=m

So I guess modelling is not a problem, I’m very concerned about doing contextual actions such as movement (walk, jump, run, etc), shooting (or melee) and inventory system.

I found a good RPG tutorial on YouTube (video series) for Unity but it is barebone basic, it has no sounds or anything and it is first person.

I’m thinking about third person, is that a bit harder?

[system]

It’s not hard to get a basic RPG going, making a good looking and fluent RPG game with a ton of features and interesting gameplay is ridiculously complex in Unity, but your time frame is too short to do anything of the sort.

So if it’s just for a basic short term project I say go for it, raw code is just the C# scripts… Wang them in a text file and give them to your tutor or whatever. For modelling, your going to need to know how to rig and animate.

Third person and first person is just a camera position, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference coding wise. I set it so you can switch between the two… Took around 20 mins or so…

If you want to know what you can do, in a short space of time:

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/225407-Fallen-Spirit-RPG

[ApolloPM_legacy]

I might try to elaborate my RPG story.

Ok it is set in the apocalypse world. The reason why I do this is because my work in English and Art are also apocalypse so it is good to have some consistency and ofcourse I am a fan of The Last of Us, Walking Dead and other survival medium, this will help me motivate to create something I actually like. I’m a fan of sci-fi over fantasy so I am a bit biased.

I either plan to create one large setting or three individual stages, it will be simple, just have flat ground, buildings, cars, etc which are all easily can be done on Sketchup and slam some generic texture on them.

Next, I would atleast like 3 items to be useable for the character (melee, range, first aid). Melee seems straight forward but shooting mechanic might be complicate.

I would just like basic movement (W, A, S, D) and maybe Jump. I’m not sure if it is better in first or third person.
Animation would be handle in Blender, a simple animation just have the character running FORWARD when going forward, left or right. Might need to reverse the animation for REVERSE.

And then something that is very crucial are the AI. <— My nightmare in coding.

[system]

@ApolloPM_legacy

I might try to elaborate my RPG story.

Ok it is set in the apocalypse world. The reason why I do this is because my work in English and Art are also apocalypse so it is good to have some consistency and ofcourse I am a fan of The Last of Us, Walking Dead and other survival medium, this will help me motivate to create something I actually like. I’m a fan of sci-fi over fantasy so I am a bit biased.

I either plan to create one large setting or three individual stages, it will be simple, just have flat ground, buildings, cars, etc which are all easily can be done on Sketchup and slam some generic texture on them.

Next, I would atleast like 3 items to be useable for the character (melee, range, first aid). Melee seems straight forward but shooting mechanic might be complicate.

I would just like basic movement (W, A, S, D) and maybe Jump. I’m not sure if it is better in first or third person.
Animation would be handle in Blender, a simple animation just have the character running FORWARD when going forward, left or right. Might need to reverse the animation for REVERSE.

And then something that is very crucial are the AI. <— My nightmare in coding.

All you’re mainly talking about there is artwork, the concepts are still the same… You need a character controller with physics to move and camera position is a preference, the main difference will be the projectiles (Maybe)… Were doing a similar project in another engine…

[ApolloPM_legacy]

@system

It’s not hard to get a basic RPG going, making a good looking and fluent RPG game with a ton of features and interesting gameplay is ridiculously complex in Unity, but your time frame is too short to do anything of the sort.

So if it’s just for a basic short term project I say go for it, raw code is just the C# scripts… Wang them in a text file and give them to your tutor or whatever. For modelling, your going to need to know how to rig and animate.

Third person and first person is just a camera position, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference coding wise. I set it so you can switch between the two… Took around 20 mins or so…

If you want to know what you can do, in a short space of time:

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/225407-Fallen-Spirit-RPG

Ah thank you. I know how to create animations in Blender. But can I import them relatively easy with Unity?
I only really need the character to perform running forward and back to give an illusion that they are not floating even if they strafe left and right the forward animation would still suffice in my opinion.

I just want the absolute basic done, then I could concentrate about things like adding more animation and texture. I might even just start my character models as cubes.

[system]

@ApolloPM_legacy

Ah thank you. I know how to create animations in Blender. But can I import them relatively easy with Unity?
I only really need the character to perform running forward and back to give an illusion that they are not floating even if they strafe left and right the forward animation would still suffice in my opinion.

I just want the absolute basic done, then I could concentrate about things like adding more animation and texture. I might even just start my character models as cubes.

This is IMO one of the most impressive parts of Unity, the import pipeline. You should have little, if no troubles at all importing animated bipeds…

That’s why for small projects I’d recommend against CE and UDK, it might look pretty but it could take you weeks if not a month just to get a rigged character in there.

[ApolloPM_legacy]

Good. To sum it up these what I need to do.

Creating the setting (art) and models - Easy

Scripting such as character movement and inventory system, animation should correspond and sync with the action. - Could be hard

AI behaviour and level up system - Nightmare.

[ApolloPM_legacy]

Could anyone recommended me some tutorials for a 3rd person RPG game?

[dxcam1]

@ApolloPM_legacy

Could anyone recommended me some tutorials for a 3rd person RPG game?

https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/#/content/3192

[ApolloPM_legacy]

@AndrewGrayGames

If you only have four to five months, well, first: this is gonna suck. Fair warning. I made a short ‘story-heavy’ game which took me 10 months of roughly one-hour days (except for when I could take multiple hours on rare occasions.)

The first thing you need to do is have a small scope. Tell a tight, focused story, with only the supporting elements you actually need. For a small, school project, you don’t need Final Fantasy’s battle system! Since story is what you’re going for, the story/dialogue is your primary game mechanic. That needs to be in the game, first; you can’t ‘ship’ without your story. Nearly everything else is secondary; make sure your mechanic is fun and interesting, then worry about everything else.

Next, your art - while I’m sure you have skills, you need to settle on a simple style that can be produced quickly, but is easy on the eye. If you go for a photorealistic setup or anything really highly detailed, you’re dooming yourself to failure. Challenge yourself to produce art assets that are as simple, but as expressive, as possible.

Games also have sound. You’ll need some music and sound effects to flesh out your game world. If you focus on story, and avoid trying to create a full-blown JRPG, you won’t need too much - in fact, I’m sure there’s some public domain stuff out there you could use to complete your assignment.

Unity can do what you need it to, but remember - Unity is only one tool in your kit.

The thing about me is I play 8 hours of video games on every Saturday and Sunday. Because this is an important project (which could put me into a good or bad university/job depending on well I do). I could easily replace my leisure time into making this game which I do enjoy doing. it is what I want to do for my career afterall.

In that case: 1 hour every Mon-Friday and 16 hours on weekends. 21 hours worked per week.

[squared55]

@ApolloPM_legacy

The thing about me is I play 8 hours of video games on every Saturday and Sunday. Because this is an important project (which could put me into a good or bad university/job depending on well I do). I could easily replace my leisure time into making this game which I do enjoy doing. it is what I want to do for my career afterall.

In that case: 1 hour every Mon-Friday and 16 hours on weekends. 21 hours worked per week.

That’s still not a lot of time. Remember, games like like Skyrim took hundreds of people working full time for years to make. You’re one person working part time. Besides, you can’t afford to screw this up - if you get halfway through and realize you’re not going to finish in time, well, that’s a problem.

[AndrewGrayGames]

@squared55

That’s still not a lot of time. Remember, games like like Skyrim took hundreds of people working full time for years to make. You’re one person working part time. Besides, you can’t afford to screw this up - if you get halfway through and realize you’re not going to finish in time, well, that’s a problem.

Yes, yes, to him, you must listen! -Yoda

Unlike my one man indie projects, you’re working under a tight deadline, that will not move for any reason. While you can’t do like I did on The Hero’s Journey and take ten months, burning out halfway and releasing nothing at all would be just as bad.

While you may say, ‘sure I can do 8 hours a day on weekends’, the truth is you probably won’t, and if you do, you’ll burn out pretty quickly. Remember, 4-5 months means you’re losing 16-20 weekends, straight That takes some serious concentration to pull off even if you’re fully into it.

In my experience with game development (nearly three years worth of one-man indie projects, with lots of failures, and three releases under my belt) it’s a lot better to do a little every day, instead of a lot on some days.

What’s more, doing a little every day is useful in preventing what we software engineers like to call ‘scope creep.’ By having small development windows, you prevent yourself from doing too much. It’s both possible, and inevitable, that you will overengineer/overdesign something - if you’re budgeting one or two hours a day on your game, you can always ask yourself, ‘can I create [thing] today?’ If the answer is no, you have an opportunity to rethink it, and adjust both the new thing and your project to fit.

While you are fully invested in the art, a key idea you should remember about games is that games are also software packages. You need time to playtest, and debug, and iterate the game itself. You will almost certainly need to cut features - no game developer I have ever spoken to has ever gotten everything into a game by their deadline. That’s why I suggest starting this project small, with the story you want to implement, as that’s the primary conceit of your game.

We both agree, you pretty much don’t have the luxury of wasting time.