Hi all,
I’ve written a draft concept of a first person game mostly set in an office building and I want to do a basic mock up of an office floor. What would the best approach be? I presume I would model desks,props etc and import those as prefabs.Would I use the mesh collider?
But my main query is with the level environment itself. Should I model each room separately? Or would I be best sticking with a modular approach? IE model some basic wall sections etc and plug together in unity?
How would I handle stairs and the floor above?
Thanks for any feedback 
not that I’m particularly experienced- but I could see both approaches working out. Modular units are easier to duplicate and therefore make bigger levels, but do tend to look repeated (the 3d castlevania games on ps2 are a perfect example of how terrible modular levels can look).
Heres a few thoughts anyway:
-Custom made levels- which you would create entirely in a 3d program like Max, will look more unique, but require a lot more texturing and stuff, and potenitally a lot more time.
-Each method will have their own planning challenges- for example you might think modular is faster, but they require a lot of foresight, or you might end up with doors that dont align, or other wee niggly thinks that you didn’t think of at first.
-Of course you could always do a mixture of both- have a unique corridor, with one or two types of rooms that repeat and come off it, or a unique shaped room with modular elements in it- like repeating rows of pillars etc.
-In modular systems, its down to the props you put in the room to really differentiate them- absolutely save these as separate prefabs and just drop them in in unity.
- With modular units I always tend to make them square or rectangular so they fit together better, but then like I say they can look very boring. custom designs can have split level floors, arched or curved walls, angled walls and ceilings, custom windows- large small, circular, etc.
-Personal preference would be to model fancy stairs (such as spirals or free floating)separately- same as modelling a desk or furniture, then drop it into unity. Just be sure to keep the dimensions in mind when designing the floors around them. Added benefit here is that you can reuse the model in other levels or even other projects. Same goes for all the other props you make!
Alternatively- if its just a set of steps leading up a narrow corridor, or attached to a wall them it might be better to model the room and stairs as one.
Hope any of that is of benefit to you lol
Michael
You can model however it makes most sense to your game. If you stay modular, creating new levels will be easier.
Mesh colliders probably won’t make a lot of sense, as you don’t need to bumb into every little detail of a desk. If you can’t duck below it, a BoxCollider will be enough.
If you can duck below it, multiple BoxColliders are still a more performant option than a MeshCollider.
Stairs: You can place one BoxColliders for every step or create a lowpoly version of the stairs for using it in a MeshCollider.
The floor abive makes no differene… if it has a Collider, you can walk on it.
Also make sure your FirstPersonController has the right step height configured, so it can actually climb the stairs.