Would Unity be suited for what I want to do?

I'm an experienced Java developer who have worked professionally building Enterprise and Web Application, in Java and related technologies. And I'm currently taking a few months break to build something which is my main hobby, PC games.

I want to develop a game, not of commercial quality obviously, but rather a simple third person, 3D, isometric, space ship game. No fancy GFX needed and only 2D movement in a 3D space. Basic combat with different type of attacks from different ranges, projectiles, shield effects, explosions etc. The game area would be a limited sized sphere with boundaries and mouse and keyboard controls.

Is Unity 3D the right tool for that game and with my background? I have never done any 3D stuff and not artistic at all so I expect to get/buy 3D models from the Unity store.

Also, could someone tell me if what I want to build is realistic and not too complex as I expect to have a prototype done in about 6 months of full time work. Again, a very simply space shooter, nothing of commercial quality.

 

Yes, Unity is absolutely the right tool for the job, and with your experience in Java, you'll have no trouble getting a good solid prototype done in 6 months.

C# is very similar to Java; the APIs are a little different, but all logical and easy to find. I expect you'll have to problems. (But when you do, post here and we'll help!)

 

To add onto what @JoeStrout said,

Unity is a tool that is quick to learn. To give you an example, I went from knowing only the basics of JavaScript and no prior knowledge of Unity to having a good-looking playable game in a couple months... at the age of 16! 16 makes a difference because at that age, one has the attention span of a squirrel. I'm 18 now and I've upgraded to the attention span of a racoon... still needs improvement, but you get the idea.

- Chris

 

Sounds good. After the Christmas break I will be working full time learning and using Unity to build my game. Looking forward to it

Btw do I need to know complex math for the game I want to build? Cause that has been the main reason why I haven't got into game development, despite being a SW developer. My math skills are average, at best.

 

Usually not. Complex math comes into play if you're doing something unusual, like generating custom meshes on the fly or some such. But for most games, about the most advanced math you would ever need is a bit of simple trigonometry, and in a pinch you can get by even without that, because Unity has built-in methods for most common needs.

 

Like what @JoeStrout said, Unity does most of the complex math for you, especially when it comes to the physics. Thus far, in my experience, the hardest math I've had to do in Unity is basic division, so nothing hard at all.

But I'm sure that if you get into major games that rely heavily on real-time physics, Unity can only go so far. Basically, if you know what needs to be done, Unity can do the math for you if you tell it to.

- Chris

 

If you feel like you need a book to learn from, check out Unity in Action. The explanations are designed for experienced programmers who are new to Unity.