Seeking General Direction Advice

Greetings all,

Forgive me for being noob, but I am seeking advice to help make sure I am getting started on the right track. I would hate to begin a long-term journey only to find out I wasted a ton of time and caused a lot of complications for myself because I didn't set up or go about creating the project in an efficient or smart manner. I was hoping to dish out some information in this post and get feedback that could help guide me moving forward.

My brother and I started a company a few years ago to develop and market the games we invented. One game, a financial card game that you physically hold, is done and well on its way. Now we want to turn a tablet-top game that has already been thought out, tested, etc. into the online game it needs to be. I won't be staying 100% true to it, there are too many things I want to add/change now that I can take advantage of the video game medium, but I the game play and content is worked out.


The game is, in my mind at least for now, meant for full screen pc usage. I guess that means "browser-based" since the game would be played over the internet to allow people to connect and play together. It isn't a situation where tons of people are existing together able to interact in real time like an mmorpg, but it is a situation where you can develop the set characters you pick by improving them over time, benefiting you in subequent games. In way, think of it as an rpg chess game, with the King and Queen able to carry over their continual improvement to the next game.


Basic game structure:


Set hex-based map, about 40 X 40 hexes. The map would basically be a 2d and 3d hybrid, looking something along the general 2d/3d hybrid lines of these images:

Image 1
Image 2

Characters are 3d but there isn't serious 3d action in the game - it is more like chess in that way.

It is online, allowing up to 6 players at a time randomly selected, or preformed groups (friends), to play the game to its finish. A game normally lasts from 1 to 3 hours.

It is turn-based, real time strategy I think it is called, with an rpg flare. At the start, each players picks their character, territory on the map as their home base, and set out to either destroy the other players or the other players' home bases. Along the way, each turn, an event happens, normally offering the player a chance to do something (learn, buy, quest, hire, sell, fight a foe, etc.). Behind all this is a sophisticated and skill system that updates/improves with each decision, action, etc. The characters keep their improved skills for the next time they play the game. There is quite a bit more in terms of features, but that is a rough taste.

I'm not a coder, but I am comfortable with many of the requirements surrounding game-making. My background includes things like graphic work, animation and digital video editing, and playing around with forum software style sheets and templates. Since I get the jist of technical game-related things in general and am a quick learner, I figured I may be able to tweak and play with existing scripts to some degree. I will (likely) eventually have to hire someone to create or modify features and so forth.

I was thinking I could save money and time by at least doing the manual labor of adding the content. For example, each turn, depending upon which territory you are in, a "card" or event comes up, offering choices. Once I learned how and the templates for the different types were set up, I could do a lot of the work. So believing that, I have some more general questions about how to get there and such.


I have downloaded Unity but am thinking, especially since I don't even know how to create a start to the game (sign in, pick options, actually start to play), do I buy the HexTech map kit from the asset store, import some pre-made 3d character models, and start fishing for scripts? Do I see if I can get code to a similar game, or a basic core close enough, then modify it? Or is best to start from scratch so I have clean code?


Knowing I can't code anything serious, but am comfortable with things like graphic files and working in 3d spaces, and can do a lot of the work in regards to certain kinds of content ... what is the best way for me to set up and get going? An advice to get me on the right path would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

It's cool you have this card game concept and I think your project goal is obtainiable. But I have to ask, Did your brother and you really start a company? Is it an official company, or do you mean to say you started a 'studio' or 'group' that hope one day becomes a registered company.

My recommendation for where to start is to admit that you're not a company. Next create an outline that details how your game will function and be specific with the project scope. Then start with the basics and add to it. When you hit a problem, that is the time to research it and try to fix it on your own, only after that fails do you post in the scripting or support forum seeking help. Not to say you shouldn't have posted this paticular thread, I suppose this thread was fine.

 

Hi ... not sure why that matters or if you are just trolling me since you ask to verify then tell me to admit something that isn't true, but we formed an LLC to deal with our first game, the financial card game I mentioned earlier.

Thanks for the help ... I think.

 

Anyone can start up a company, I think it costs £25.00 here to start up an LLC or PLC. I was contracting a long while back and started one up in a matter of days.

As for the OP, simple as this go through the Unity Learn modules and get a good grasp on where you're weakest. Then if you have the money to spare you can always download any assets and either reverse engineer how they did it or use it and modify to suit your needs.

You will need at least some sort of decent amount of funds to get anywhere.

 

If that is true, you are the only 'noob' in existance to have a company. Are you unaware of the trillions of post by noobs claiming that they are a CEO of a company when they have no idea what a company is? I assumptions were understandable.

Your welcome... I guess.

 

Thank you. I am worried, in part, about causing a reverse engineering nightmare for someone I hired after I throw together scripts upon scripts!

 

I am sorry, I really have no idea where you are coming from or what your purpose is. I am a noob in regard to Unity, and I know what a company is. Have a good day.

 

The post of noobs I spoke of were on these forums. I was refering to unity noobs. But I suppose they are not as frequent now that things have changed around here. Nevermind, don't worry about it.

 

Does it really matter whether the OP has a company? I think not.

But where are my manners! Welcome to Unity, the place where you turn your ideas into reality.

As far as learning Unity is concerned, I'd suggest you to go over the amazing tutorials and the lengthy live training sessions which can be found here: http://unity3d.com/learn

You'd normally have to choose between two scripting languages : C# or JavaScript/UnityScript. I highly recommend C#. Buy a book or two for the purposes of learning C# and master the basics. The documentation and scripting reference is a mighty useful resource which is pretty much the official Unity dictionary.

But since you aren't acquainted with coding or are a Artistic type of person, I'd highly suggest you to purchase the PlayMaker assets from the assets store which allows you to code game via visual scripting. This is extremely powerful and is quite suitable for the people who lean towards the graphics and art section of game development. It can be found here: http://www.hutonggames.com/

 

Excellent, thank you! I actually watched tutorials on the user interface, assets, folders, etc. but haven't dove into the scripting. PlayMaker looks great. I really appreciate good community help.

Important Question: once someone is done with their game in unity, how do they then get it to the next level where it is actually available online to the world for multi-player use? Can you point me to the instructions or procedure for taking the finished Unity project, publishing it .. but then actually knowing what kind of server or software is needed to give users the options for selecting things like "random game" or "join with your pre-selected group/friends" and then running/managing all those games being played simultaneously with user accounts updated to reflect the continual or saved progress of their characters (database)? Is another shell program needed, or does Unity provide all that?

Thanks in avance!

 

Uhh, now you're asking tough questions.. In essense you will create an authoritive server well before you actually release anything. It will be deeply routed into your game and brings a whole host of new issues to the table, latency / security etc. You can look at the likes of Photon Network to ease the burden but you'll still have a hell of a time on your hands.

My advice, as you're starting out. Forget networking all together, once you are familiar with how Unity works and in general how more advanced games work then have a crack at it whilst rocking backwards and forwards in the shower crying.

Or ignore it and look into Photon.

 

Looks like you haven't unearthed the full potential of the Unity documents.
Here is a link which goes over the process of publishing finished games: http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/PublishingBuilds.html

I'm not really well acquainted with the multiplayer portion of Unity. For hosting a server you can use the Photon Unity Networking (PUN) which can be downloaded from the asset store for free and can be used to host quite a few players. Apart from that, I do not know much, sorry. Maybe a few of the Unity veterans can answer your questions.

 

You're biting off a VERY big meal. I recommend starting here. And then shrink your scope. Make a few smaller games before tackling a project this ambitious, where you will learn in 'bullet' style, before loading up your 'cannonball'. To answer your question, most devs do NOT finish their game, and even fewer PUBLISH what they finish, and that's before considering that you are attempting a multiplayer-game, where the numbers are FAR, far worse as seen in articles like this, and dozens more.

Gigi.

 

What exactly is so advanced about his idea other than the multiplayer (which yeah, will be kinda hard for a first game, but not impossible if you take is slow)?

 

Thanks for all the great input so far. I needed a little context. I'm not scared.

 

OK so who has a multiplayer online strategy game with an rpg component I can use as my base to modify? Is it possible to be that lucky!?

 

nobodys going to donate that amount of work chief, you're looking about a year or two's worth of slog (if you know what you're doing). Get cracking .

 

OK so that I don't get depressed, let me try this. How about someone with a similar game core let me do the efficient thing and hire them for a reasonable fee to get a rough prototype of my game set up? Give me hope dude, I am not a coder, just a graphically inclined idea guy.

 

Nevermind, I take back what I said in my previous post. Uh... Good luck man.