Hi, i’m just wondering where should you start in Unity, i know how to use it and i have a rough idea of creating a game and assets but i don’t know how to code.
I have tried to follow many tutorials but they arn’t helpful and they don’t tell you what line of code does what, can anyone point out any useful tutorials i’ve searched everywhere.
Also i’m wondering if it’s wise to start a big project or start small.
(I don’t mean an insanely huge project, just something like a third person shooter and have a go and try and learn how to create that type of game that’s not commerical, or is it better to start out with a sidescroller and climb you’re way up to something more complex.
Many people in the past have had the impression that i’m a troll, well i’m not i just want to understand things, i’ve used google and youtube to attempt to find a tutorial but they just arn’t helpful.
Thanks for reading
(I know it’s not easy to create games but i’m just wondering if it’s good to attempt a bigger project so you can learn coding, modeling and other stuff, and then not release it as a final game)
(Please don’t have a go at me, i’m just a bit baffled about where i could start, i’m not asking for ideas either, i’ve got tons and i want to try and create them when i’m better with the concept of creating games.
Once you’ve finished EVERY tutorial that is provided on this website or others, start small, but with a larger project in mind.
See if you can figure out how to code small, individual components and gameplay mechanics of your dream game a bit at a time; most basic game mechanics when broken down can probably be achieved with a few objects and 1-2 scripts. Then you can assemble your dream game out of the myriad of components you built piece by piece.
honestly? i would highly suggest going with smaller projects that could be used to ramp up to a larger project if that’s where you want to go with it…
for example, say in the end you want to make a standard MMO (just as an example.)
then if you can, a small project to work on the controls and make a little game that way…
then working on something that will incorporate networking…
then something that will work on an inventory system…
then something with an expansive world…
see where i’m going with this?
reason i suggest a bunch of small prjects that could be used for a larger one is that if you jump into the deep end for a grand project, it can get so daunting that (depending on your personaltiy) it might actually discourage you that you’d be in development for a couple years… but, a lot of small stuff that can be rounded up into one big one at a later date… much easier and that sense of accomplishment that tends to keep a lot of us driving forward (again, depending on your personality) is going to be coming more frequently as you achieve the smaller pieces of the puzzle.
Yea I found that I have built several components and parts of ideas when I started. Then I found myself clicking “new project” in unity and bringing those parts in one at a time and reconstructing them and tearing them apart and rebuilding them to make them work on a larger scale. Then I click “new project” again to take those larger more robust components to build a game and again i break them down and rebuild them to be more robust and streamlined again.
It is a constant cycle. eventually you will get to where you have enough components and pieces to pull from to begin making things. I have never touched the tutorials. I just started from a blank plate, literally… I mean not even standard assets. That is because when you start with those things you never learn how those things were put together in the first place and it becomes a crutch that you fall back to those pre-made assets and if those break your going to be lost.
That being said if this is the first game engine you ever used I would recommend going through the tutorials to get a feel for how things work and the general workflow. But after that ditch the assets and start from scratch. it may take longer but you will be better off in the long run I think.
To be honest, with Unity as your base a third person shooter wouldn’t be much more difficult than a sidescroller really - it just depends on what you want to do with it (A.I. will be more challenging though).
I’ve found the approach that worked best for me when I was first starting out was taking a concept for a game I wanted to create (for me it was a flash tower defense game) and breaking it down into smaller chunks that I would need for an eventual game. Instead of trying to create “my” game right from the start, I just started making a test TD game and slowly, as I learned how, implemented all the things that I would need in the long run. My day 1 goal wasn’t to create my dream TD (which I still havn’t done), it was to a basic creep that would move along a pre-defined path. Next my goal was to create a simple tower that would attack that creep, eventually I worked my way towards learning and finally implementing the A* pathing algorithm for my creeps (a real treat to learn, but definitely a more advanced topic if you don’t want to just copy-paste code).
So what will you need for your game? Personally, I would start with the character controller - when that starts to feel pretty solid, start working on a camera script to go with it. From there make a really simple weapon/projectile script. Maybe implement some basic “This does something when you shoot it” objects. Maybe go to some more advanced scripted objects that you’ll need (doors, moving platforms) - eventually working your way towards implementing the enemy AI.
As a huge tip; don’t be afraid to dive into the scripts that come with Unity. I’d code your own scripts from scratch if for no reason other than it’s an excellent way to learn; however, looking at Unity provided scripts similar to what you need as a base is an excellent way to get started (Unity should include a simple “FPS Walker” script as well as a few simple camera scripts to get you started).
As you run into trouble, even if it’s step 1 with getting your controller working - read through the FPS Walker script and make a list of specific lines of code/functions that you don’t understand and come to the scripting forum asking specifically about that. I have very, very infrequently seen people get chastised for coming to the forums with specific scripting questions (no matter how basic); it’s the people who come with very vague and broad questions like “How do I make a car attack with rocket lazers?” that tend to receive negative attention.
You seem to be off to a good start though; hopefully after you run through some of the tutorials and dig through some of the scripts that ship with Unity you’ll be in a good place to start your own project. Best of luck!
With a shooter the first thing you’ll want to do is get the A.I. up and running, but if you don’t have a programming background I think that’s a mistake. I’d start by getting yourself working and breathing some life into the world first. That’ll give you a basic understanding of C#/UnityScript and the engine before you start to dive into the A.I.
Simple terms, start small… if you set yourself for a challenge… ha I bet 98% of the time it will be WAY too much to handle, developing games itself is hard… don’t make it harder and stressful…
Oh and after reading the whole post (cause i only read the title…) I noticed it was “you”, and you need to stop asking questions and actually GET into creating the game you want, I dont think anybody had to go thru making 10 threads and then start theyre game, its not as hard as you think to start, thats the easy part… As it is, before installing unity you should have had an idea of what kinda game you wanted to make, i did and it was my first learning project and ive come a very very long way from then.
When I 1st started off, i thought big. Then my mind was changed by reading a post like this. I broke down the “Big” project i had in mind and went from there. I did the shooting components, health, AI, shops, and so on, and then compiled them. Also, DON’T get distracted halfway through a project and be like " Oh i like that idea better, im going to drop this one" You should always finish the project you started, or it was a waste of a lot of time. My two cents.
My way would be to start workin on any idea, requireing a large or small project, lots or less time. If you want to make a big game, start doing it bit by bit. Doesn’t matter if you finish it or not, the most important thing is that you’ll learn a lot. If you start with Minesweeper, Yamb or something alike and you don’t like that sort of games, it won’t be long until it starts to feel like your hobby became a burdeon. No time spent learning is wasted, follow your vision and make that time enjoyable.
It’s hard to finish a project, even if it’s small so start by trying to finish a small project. BUT it has to be a project your interested. It’s very hard, near impossible, to finish a project by yourself which you have no incentive to do that you aren’t interested in.
If you can do that, then challenge yourself. You’ll notice the learning curve is a lot quicker when you challenge yourself, and you’ll pick up on many things very quickly but there’s no point if you just give up. You need the experience completely finishing a project to understand the mindset it takes. Lots of game design isn’t actually that interesting yet is very important.
I find even the boring stuff to be fascinating. Probably because I find the entire aspect of game design to be complicated (a challenge) because of the infinite amount of variables, including the insignificant ones.
