So I'm back to game development as a hobby (and hopefully, someday, more), hopefully for the last time. It's make a game or bust. Here we go!
First thing's first, I had an excellent time with Unity 3 the last time out. My would-be app then, which I called Jan Tamad, was almost finished - save for visuals, sound effects, and everything aside from the core gaming experience.
So I found it appropriate to start with that - the same concept and gameplay (codenamed JT -_-), and this time, in the much-improved Unity 4.5.
As I've learned, Unity has gone a long way since our little tango. Unity 4.3 brought native support for 2D game development, which is huge! When I first created the first JT, I used 3D objects and just set up the camera so it would look like 2D. Now the entire development can proceed with 2D in mind, which is exciting, especially for a small team like ours.
On top of this, the Android and iOS modules for Unity are now part of the Free package. Sure we're probably going to upgrade to the Pro version once development kicks in to full gear, but it's nice to know I can test my game on my phone without any pressure (and monthly bills).
Step 1, of course, was to install unity (www.unity3d.com), which was quick and easy as before.
Step 2, was to find a guide/tutorial. I wanted to start from scratch since the last time I tried Unity was more than 2 years ago, and I don't think the official tutorials will cut it. I still had the old ebook I used, but that specialized in iOS development and that used Unity 3, which is, again, mostly in 3D.
So, against the recommendation of my friend, I got another ebook called "Learning Unity 2D Game Development by Example" from Packt Publishing. Like the last ebook, I probably won't even finish half of this book. But that's fine. I just need that quick jumpstart, and a book specializing in readers with zero knowledge of unity, and focusing on 2D development, may be exactly what I need.
Just like before, I still don't have the necessary artistic genes, so the graphics and sound effects of any game I develop would always be a challenge. But JT is my stepping stone, so for now, I will have to make do with my own "artwork", hand drawn using Adobe Ideas. Luckily, as I've learned in Unity before, it will be easy to replace this with a much more professional looking one in the future, if ever I decide to release this game at all.
Finally, it was time to decide on a gameplay. I was re-doing JT, so I already had that. To recap, though, the game is simple. You control a character and try to catch falling fruits while avoiding hazards. There will be twists - the previous version had darkness, rain, and powerups, which I intend to carry over. Players will earn points which correspond to currency, which can be used to upgrade their character. Top score/leaderboards will be available, matching you up with Facebook friends (think Temple Run).
Oh, and by the way, I don't have a copy of the previous version I created, which is a shame but I guess it's fine, considering I wanted to start from scratch.
Also, I've thought of a game which I'm very, very excited to make. I don't see myself making it anytime soon, but I'll talk about it down the road and hopefully convince my partner(s) to make it next year so that by this time next year, maybe I'll finally be playing it.
That's it for this post. On my second post, hopefully I'll be able to show screenshots (again using my crappy art).
No comments:
Post a Comment