Assets to learn for a non coder?

to start I just want to say hello!
I’ve been peering around at unity for ages, watched lots of tutorials and browsed the asset store- and I want to know which of these are worth buying and learning and which I should save my money on?
Now, I have made games before using other non coding game design tools, (rpg maker for instance and I’ve done art for the old school flash games) but I really want to get into 3D because I enjoy 3D sculpting so much more then drawing and I really want to do something with my models... a monster/hunting farming game would be perfect for what I’m used to doing which is creature creation. Though an rts with these models would also be very fun! Really I just want to world build I’m not going into this expecting to make money or anything like that.. .
Issue is, I’m not a programmer. I will never be a programmer. I’ve tried. Truth is I’m 28 and i still struggle to type coherent sentences in English let alone code. I know unreal has a visual scripting add on, and I’ve seen some in the asset store for unity to... I’m not sure which are worth it and which aren’t... and I’m not sure if I should invest in some kind of asset pack for the type of game I want to make or not... really, I just want some guidance that isn’t more of the same tutorials I’ve watched already.
I honestly just want to throw something together that I don’t have to throw to much money a to learn how to do it all, so I can get to putting something better together next time... the tools to throw together something rough is all I need. Preferably some kind of c grade slime rancher or Pokémon let’s go clone since that would teach me virtually what I need to get where I want to go in the end...


Thanks <3

 

Visual scripting systems don't eliminate programming. They maybe reduce issues with syntax, but most of programming isn't about syntax. Programming is about taking complex problems, breaking them down into simpler problems, and thinking logically about complicated systems.

If you can do that with a visual scripting system, then you are a programmer. Conversely, if you are not a programmer, the visual scripting systems will only get you so far; when you attempt to build a complex game, you'll still be in over your head and your efforts will fail.

All that said, if you love art and don't love coding, then that's fine! I would suggest putting a portfolio up somewhere (there are lots of places to do this) to display your creatures. Then, you can either sell (or give away) assets for others to use in their games, or look for a programmer with no art skills (there are very many of those!) to collaborate with on a game. If you come to the table with a decent stable of creatures ready to go, you will probably have no trouble finding such a partner.

Good luck, and have fun!

 

I have to start learning somewhere.
I wouldn’t even mind collaborating, but I’d much prefer learn a new skill to start with. As I’ve said I have made stuff before though it’s been a very long time.
The biggest part of my problem with programming is I actually cannot spell which makes typing code a great big “how do I spell any of this” game. I have to stop and spell check everything and then when things don’t work I’ll never know if it’s cause I’ve made a mistake, or I’ve spelt something wrong or put a dot somewhere it shouldn’t be... I have dyslexia and words get fairly jumbled in my head if you can imagine that. Which is why I used to do okay with some of the visual scripting nonsense I used to have for my old games. I know I can do this is I have the right help, and the right place to start... im pretty good at getting around my limitations, but I do need the right tools lol the only reason this message makes any sense is because I’ve got my handy spell check on lol



Anyways thanks got the response ^^

 

How long of a time period are we talking here and with what tools? I ask because the worries you have are largely eliminated with modern code editors.

Visual Studio, for example, has a feature known as IntelliSense which displays a little window near where you are typing code that shows you the variables, methods, and other entries that start with those letters. I almost never have to type more than four or five letters before it reaches the one I want, and once it has I just hit tab and it fills in the rest for me.

And if that isn't sufficient for you there are spell checkers available for Visual Studio.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=EWoodruff.VisualStudioSpellCheckerVS2017andLater

Just be aware if you do decide to go with visual scripting that it won't eliminate the need to type. Below in the spoiler is an early mockup of Bolt 2 (a popular visual scripting system). Ignoring the code that is at the very bottom of the image (Bolt generates C# code from the nodes) there are still a good number of places in that example that you would have to type.

Spoiler

 

Lol oh now your asking something lol well more recently I played with rpg maker which has a little bit of coding but mostly you can get away with doing very little, that would have been years ago at this point... before that they where flash games, made in the usual adobe flash and a bunch of knock offs. That was 12 years ago lol at least? yeah... it’s been awhile... your probably right there probably is a lot of kinks in the system that have been smoothed our since throwing together flash games was a thing. Lol unity is a massive step up from flash lol

So visual studio is good? Sounds pretty good to me! I’ll have a look at it see if I can find some tutorials...

Yeah it’s not the typing itself, it’s the length of time it takes to error correct for me- that’s always been the thing keeping me out of doing a lot of this kinda stuff. It is embarrassing to admit as an adult, I’m not gonna lie, but it haven’t held me back now that most of my writing is online and I can use things like predictive text and autocorrect and voice detection if I’m really REALLY stuck. If I can figure out equivalents for unity I can work around what I’m best at, which is creature creation.


Thanks so much for your time! I’m gonna look at visual studio

 

When you settle with VisualStudio, i would consider getting the Resharper plugin (30 day trial available).
Or take a look at Rider, it comes with Resharper included.

Both will make your life easier, just give either one a try.

 

Thanks a ton! I definitely will!

 

Neither options is free to use, as far I am aware.
VS offers lots of free useful plugins. For example formatting.

 

Why does everything need to be free these days?

I just hope your boss does not start to think you are free

I have to admit that i haven't used Visual Studio in years, so i don't know what it offers out of the box these days.
Either way, a free trial of the stuff i advertised doesn't hurt anyones wallet

 

Not everything is free. But is just paid different way. For example as other M$ products, in case of VS. Or data mining (M$ anyone?), to name few.

Why pay for something, where good alternative exists. Very wasteful otherwise.

Not every one earns. Specially students.
Not every one earns same currency.
Not every one earns enough, to spend on something.
Specially, when many other things cost as well and more worth-full to spend on. For example assets.

 

Nothing has to be “free” and since I do volunteer work I do work for free... actually what I do often costs me money...

that being said, when I buy a thing I have expectations and if a thing dose not live up to those expectations I can return it, if I buy a physical videogames and it sucks I can trade it in, I probably can’t if I buy some digital asset that sucks or that I never use... I don’t know where people get this idea that paying or being is superior in some way... world would be a worse place if everyone started thinking that way by far.

Aside from that, why should I pay for a product that dose not provide something that I cannot do for free or on my own? People still buy photoshop and gimp has been a free thing for years. Why? Photoshop offers something gimp dose not... but if you do not want those extra things why on earth would you pay for a massively expensive photoshop subscription? If your a hobbies who is just trying to make some art, can you even afford to throw that money at your hobby? Is it worth it? For some people, yes, for others no. For a professional artist the extra tools and ease of use and time savers are worth it... if your product is so bad that a free product is beating it, and that’s why your defending paid products over free ones, what can I tell you? Make your product better. If it’s better people will buy it, but there’s no shame in a hobbies taking the cheapest possible path especially when they don’t even know if they like a thing or not yet.

Rant over. Lol point is the cheaper the better starting out, since I don’t know what I’ll be using 6 weeks from now let alone 6 months from now tools wise.

 

I will heartily recommend Logic Forge.

 

Visual Studio Community is free. It doesn't have to be and didn't use to be! But it's free, sorry! You are advertising? Typically advertising is not free.

 

This was my first impression, when I saw this post earlier, and considering necroing in https://forum.unity.com/threads/opi...ming-tool-for-non-coders.609157/#post-5194799

 

For real advertising you can check assets which somehow are directly promoted by Unity, on facebook, forums,blog and youtube.
I just wanted to share to community ideas and knowledge, on topic (
Assets to learn for a non coder?,
), and have give for free my 4years work to anyone who asked. How you end up to Visual Studio??? Is it outside the topic???. BTW I'll recommend Consulo IDE.

 

It's because most people don't know that there are alternatives available, and any time someone asks how an effect was achieved the a picture it's almost always something to the tune of "it was photoshopped". Adobe doesn't need to advertise because the Internet is constantly advertising it for them.

Speaking of alternatives check out Affinity Photo. It's a one-time purchase and popular with developers here.

https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/