How to retain bootstrap scene on the client?

I have a multi-scene project where a player starts a host and clients join.

A bootstrap scene is the default scene on game load. The bootstrap additively loads the menu scene using normal scene manager. You can do this because the players can only join after the host is running, so they get all the scenes that the host has. I'm not additively creating scenes after the game is running, so I don't need the NetworkManager.LoadScene (I think).

When the game starts, regarless of host or client, it looks like:

• Bootstrap
• Menu
• DontDestroyOnLoad

Menu is unloaded as soon as the host or client starts.

When the host starts, their game looks like:

• Bootstrap
• Main
• DontDestroyOnLoad

When the client joins, their Bootstrap scene disappears:

• Main
• DontDestroyOnLoad

As the bootstrap scene was loaded when the game was first run, it makes sense that it is spawned before the Network Manager is running (as either host or client). I was expecting to use Scene Validation to protect the existence of the Bootstrap scene but I can't set that up when Bootstrap runs because

VerifySceneBeforeLoading

must be set in

OnNetworkSpawn

and that's not possible when the host or client haven't started.

The documentation intimates that bootstrap scene types are possible but I'm bereft of good examples.

I feel like I'm missing something obvious, here! I can't be the only one with multiple additive scenes. Thanks in advance.

 

Is the NetworkManager object in the bootstrap scene? It will have to be in that scene since the host is running it.

So this isn't actually the bootstrap scene you're using, it's the GameScene because you're running the game in it.

Try doing the following setup:

• BootstrapScene => contains NetworkManager object and only loads the GameScene (not additive!)
• GameScene (formerly known as Bootstrap) => additively loads the menu scene

After game commences the scene should look like this on all machines:

• GameScene
• Main
• DontDestroyOnLoad

This best reflects normal mode of operations anyway, since games usually have to tell you upon startup that they have an uncanny valley intro video they spent way too much money on which they got after Nvidia decided to sponsor the game because it uses three or more raycasts overall and of course you'll have the ubiquitious "don't flamethrower your computer while this icon appears" and lastly, several minutes of logo-animated loading screen that only takes so long due to the logo animation loading because junior dev was tasked with this so he couldn't possibly break the game.

PS: when loading the GameScene make sure to do so in one of the later events like Update because Awake and possibly OnEnable and/or Start (can't remember) will be too early to load a new scene, causing either an error or even freeze/crash.

 

Brilliant, thank you @CodeSmile. Adding another level of direction should do it. I'll report back when I have it working.

 

I'm afraid that doesn't seem to work.

The new bootstrap has the NetworkManager and a new script that does one thing - load the Game scene. If I use SceneManager.LoadScene:

Code (CSharp):

1. public class Bootstrap : MonoBehaviour
2.     {
3.         private void Update()
4.         {
5.             SceneManager.LoadScene("Game", LoadSceneMode.Single);
6.         }
7.     }

Then the Network Scene Manager on the client will remove the Game scene as soon as it connects. If I change it to:

Code (CSharp):

1. public class Bootstrap : MonoBehaviour
2.     {
3.         private void Update()
4.         {
5.             NetworkManager.Singleton.SceneManager.LoadScene("Game", LoadSceneMode.Single);
6.         }
7.     }

Then you will get an error because the SceneManager is only available when the host or client has started.

Any thoughts on that?

 

You have to start the host before you use the NetworkManager.Singleton.SceneManger.
I start the host when the host in my lobby starts the game, and then I use NetworkManager.Singleton.SceneManger.
The Scene change is working, but the host player is spawned then in the lobby scene.
That is my problem

 

@TruckerJoe I think you have a problem that I detail in another thread - there's an answer there: https://forum.unity.com/threads/setting-the-players-spawn-scene.1373337/

My problem is that the Bootstrap scene is removed by the scene manager and I need it - or I end up putting everything into DontDestroyOnLoad.

 

I'm literally having the exact same problem. I'm not sure how to approach it did you found a solution @brainwipe ?