I’m kinda new here, and I’ve been browsing through the tutorials but i’m not finding the answers i’m looking for… or maybe I’m looking in the wrong place.
I’m planning on making (or at least trying to make) an isometric turn based squad tactics game, with procedural levels, and actually building the level segments is kinda last on my list of things to do.
i want to get the UI and mechanics all working first, especially the menus and other ‘i’m not in a mission right now, there is no level to show’ stuff, which is like… 3/4 of the game i have planned.
the only programming i know is in BASIC and it’s been 15 years since I’ve used that so i’m super rusty.
can that even be done with unity?
where’s a good place to find instructions?
Sure it can be done. It’s pretty complicated though. I’d recommend putting that aside for now and just doing some tutorials even if they don’t seem directly related, so you can start learning your way around Unity. Begin with a few really basic games and then go back to the “big” game when you have more experience.
There is typically a process you want to follow when it comes to game development, where some items take priority over others. First and foremost you are going to really want to learn C# or JS (JavaScript in my opinion is the easier of the two to learn but I use C#). Or you are going to need to ally yourself with likeminded friends, family, fellow students, co-workers, or other people you can find that have skills that you may be lacking in such as programming, 3d modeling, artwork, etc.
The good news is that there are lots of Unity tutorials out there that are not only geared to Unity beginners, but beginning coders as well. Here are some decent tutorial places I found when I first started in Unity that may help you out.
Walker Boys Studios
On the website hover over Unity Tutorials and either start with Unity Training (Free) or the labs. But don’t worry, from what I have found it is all free information, no cost. So don’t let the word free throw you off.
Brackeys
Click the Get Started on YouTube button, they have several tutorial series that make full games for Unity.
Unity Tutorials
Unity also has some tutorials of its own that you can check out.
There are plenty more tutorials out there, but if I had to pick I really liked the Walker Boys ones, the speaker has a very calm voice, professional tone, and does very well making the videos. One of them had to do with making a Mario clone, and it was very fun.
To close, I will leave you with some suggestions. First and foremost don’t be afraid to ask questions. DO try to figure it out yourself first, and when all seems lost, come ask your question or state your problem on the Unity Forums or Unity Answers. Start with 2D as a game developer, if you haven’t done it before. 2.5D and 3D games take an extra level of finesse, if designing a game was a game, 2D would be the Normal difficulty, 2.5D would be the Hard difficulty, and 3D would be the Very Hard difficulty. Keep in mind that Unity is built for 3D not 2D, so you are going to struggle with 2D at times. But your struggling will help you to learn more solutions to problems. Take it easy and slow, Audio, Graphics, and GUI are some of the last things to go into a game usually. This is because they are often dependent on other systems that should already be developed such as your level system, character system, etc. Finally, as you learn DO pass the knowledge on to others here at the Unity Forums, Unity Answers, and elsewhere.
Being an indie developer is H A R D. Especially in the beginning, and is not always fun and games. But if you are suited to it, you will learn to have a love / hate relationship with it, although mostly love. If you work hard on your project every day (or nearly) I guarantee you within 2-3 months things will start clicking into place. Best of luck to you friend!