OK I’m new to most everything software related. I have been a hardware person for a long time. Doesn’t mean that I know squat about software. But I’m trying to rap my head around everything needed to create a game before actually investing a pot of gold into what I want to do. So please let me know if the following is flawed.
Photoshop for the graphics overlay designs(or equivalent)
Audacity for ingame sounds.
Blender for 3D graphics animation to import into Unity(or equivalent)
Unity game engine.
Badumna, Photon, or SFS for the server side.
I know there are other options for each of the above and that they all have pros and cons, but its just me, myself and I so this is what I have found to make sense going through the Forums here needed to make a basic game. Plus I have read and messed with most of the above software now since starting to tinker with Unity. I just need to know if I have the topology right.
My project I am working towards (after I get the basics down and a long time away) will be a PvP group based game with PvE Coop modes. A max of somewhere between 20 to 30 clients interacting in the same scene at the same time with LAN and WAN capabilities.
Does investing in the above software make sense? Or does any of it seem unecesary? I also am taking into account that most of the above Software have free bundles. Any advice on this would be handy.
I don’t know about your point 5 (haven’t worked with server-side products), but everything else you’ve listed is free to download, with the exception of Photoshop. Swap in Gimp to begin with, and you can pretty much start playing around without spending a cent.
Other than that, I’d suggest the same thing that pretty much everyone suggests around here: Start Small. Build a very simple game to begin with while you’re working out your tools. If you immediately jump into the main project that you’ve described above, you’re going to get completely lost and end up discouraged.
If you are totally new you don’t need to be going anywhere near Photon and the like. When it comes to the point where Photon is necessary you will know it.
Audacity, Blender and Unity are all excellent choices, and Photoshop can be replaced with GIMP if you’d like (GIMP is free). If you are spending money though photoshop would be the best place to put it as GIMP is lacking in a few areas.
I know jumping straight into your dream project seems appealing, but you really need to be starting with much smaller games. Game design is very difficult, and a multi-mode 30 player multiplayer game is is about as difficult as it gets. This is akin to an aspiring architect buying his first pen set and setting off to build a sky scrapper same day.
server side a ? wow, multiplayer already and your just starting ? id start small first unless if you are good at multiplayer stuff …myself i cant do a thing about multiplayer …is too complex for me now …im only been here for about 3 months … and id use whatever works as tools whatever they are … im using anim8or for modeling a bit since it is so easy …then i put those models into 3ds max and turn them into fbx files for unity
One more question. I understand that Unity doesnt have built in Voice chat, but is it possible to have Txt chat inside a game without a 3rd party software?
I suggest if you are new new, to follow the tutorials on the main unity resources area, as well as maybe looking up some video tutorials. The tornadotwins video tutorial series helped me out a lot when first beginning.
As far as what you’ve described, you should be able to use the built-in network features for that size of game. I’ve not messed with multiplayer yet, but if I recall correctly, the built in system allows for a max of 32 players. I would start smaller then that though. Make some basic games first, just to learn the system a little bit and get comfortable in the engine. While you are doing that, smooth out the story and gameplay ideas for the bigger project. Preproduction is very important.
Guys I understand the precautions. I’m not thinking I will design my dream game tomorrow. That is just the game I am aiming for in the future. My current stuff I’m working on is Wills 3Dstudent.com etc. Thanks for the youtube link btw. I will check them out. But I want to have the software to be able to combine the neccisary end pkg so I can work with them now in a begining. I have no plans on the the game above to be created in the near future. I am just aimin towards that. Right now my game consists of 2 pill shaped Gameobjects that bounce around on a platform :). But to me im really interested in the networking so even if it is just 2 pills bouncing around on a platform I want to be able to render the txtures of those pills and platform and have them conrtolled via networking and able to chat via txt. Even that I know will take some time in doing. but I do understand the baby steps.
Also thanks for the GIMP advice. I had thought that was a linux software item but once again I am proven wrong. Dling it as we chat.
I really appreciate the warnings though. It shows that the community at large understands that allmost everyone is a beginner at some point.
