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How should I begin my 3D airplane game?

Discussion in 'Game Design' started by coder_58, Jan 19, 2022.

  1. coder_58

    coder_58

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2020
    Posts:
    31
    Hi,

    So I'm making a 3D plane game right now and I'm brainstorming how to make it begin. Currently, the player starts out on a terrain and shoots down turrets and an AI plane, which looks and plays out fine, but I kinda want to add a bit more that to make it funner. Like, should I create a "tunnel" with turns, loops, ramps, etc. and spawn the player there to fly in it, then eventually come to the terrain? Should I add a city/buildings and do something around that to later come to the terrain? Should I approach this with something else altogether?

    How should I begin my game? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
     
  2. BIGTIMEMASTER

    BIGTIMEMASTER

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2017
    Posts:
    5,181
    screenshots or video helps. I think the genre of the game would matter a lot.
     
  3. coder_58

    coder_58

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2020
    Posts:
    31
    The game genre is action and adventure. I want to make it look modern, in a sense, like those futuristic ones do. But at the same time, I want to keep it realistic and enjoyable.
     
  4. Antypodish

    Antypodish

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2014
    Posts:
    10,754
    You don't want to.
    Based on your current experience, you don't want to make anything realistic looking, nor mechanis.

    Do you have any experience with shaders and math behind physics?

    You are better to make arcade style mechanics, and keep simple low poly. Even if is still 3d.
     
  5. BIGTIMEMASTER

    BIGTIMEMASTER

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2017
    Posts:
    5,181
    You can fake it enough and have it seem realistic.

    I'd begin with a mission briefing. A UI screen that has some text, an image of our handsome pilot hero, and some maps that show our targets. The text describes within three sentences what the mission objective is.

    The mission should start from the air. Nobody wants to be bored waiting for engines to rev up and take off. But if you like to try your hand at cutscenes, maybe a 10 second long cutscene where we see the jet take off. Camera is facing 3/4 front view of the plane, the engine gets super loud, the jet shoots right by the camera. Camera turns and follows. Big lens flare from the afterburners fading into the horizon.

    If you like heroic quips, this is the right time to insert one.
    "Time to show these boys muh payloooooad."

    Then teleport right behind the jet, and within another 10-30 seconds we are approaching the objective targets.

    Starting point would be an aircraft carrier surrounded by ocean. Objectives would be on small island. This way you dont have to fuss over background models and it is obvious for player where to go.

    If you want player to practice maneuvering before dropping the big payload, have some line traces waving around in basic patterns from anti aircraft guns.

    That's how I'd do it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2022
  6. FlightOfOne

    FlightOfOne

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2014
    Posts:
    668
    How should you begin?

    Use cubes, spheres and capsules, give yourself few days (key word here is few, 2-3 days max!) and make a prototype. Try to make what you just described happen in the editor. All this stuff should be throw away work, code, art everything so don't try to make it performant or pretty. Just get it to work. Be sure to build it with a menu with 2 buttons. Start and Exit. Should be able to give it to someone to play.

    This will give you a far, far better idea(s) than you would get from others who have no insight into your mind. It will also help you learn if the idea is fun, how much work involved and if you should continue or not.


    As for flight physics (not sure if you are going for realism, if you are it will make your project much more challenging), learn the aerodynamics before you type a single line of code. There are some lectures online, even from MIT aerospace which would give you a basic but solid understanding to model your own flight physics. If you are going for arcade, still learn some aerodynamics as it will help you get the right feel. Also so play some flight games.