Second Edition updated for Unity 2017, Published in February 2018
Why this book can help you to get started with Game Development Creating your own game can be very intimidating at the start, and quite often, regardless of your experience with games, it is sometimes difficult to find the time and motivation to get over the first barriers and to get started.
Often, these barriers seem higher than they actually are. Maybe you are a teacher trying to introduce games in your classroom or a parent trying to help your child with coding, but with no previous coding or game development experience; maybe you are a hobbyist who would love to create interactive environments based on your favorite games; maybe you are a student getting started with game development but you just don't know where to start or what resources to use; or maybe you have tried online video tutorials but found them disjointed. You may be wondering: "How can I start to create my games if I have no experience of coding", or "this game engine is so complex that I just don't know where to get started".
This is quite common, and you can easily overcome these issues with a step-by-step approach that gets you to progressively develop and use your skills. This is the approach that I have used successfully over the past years to take students from no knowledge of coding or game development to good levels of proficiency in Unity and coding.
Of course, it takes some time and dedication; however, by following the techniques and suggestions described in this book, I can promise you that you will progress, regardless of your background, and become more comfortable with Unity and coding.
Content and structure of this book In this book, the second book in the series, you will become comfortable with scripting in Unity by creating a simple survival game. The book includes:
- A list of the learning objectives at the start of each chapter.
- Step-by-step activities.
- Opportunities to engage in deeper learning and problem-solving skills through challenges at the end of each chapter.
- Quizzes to test your knowledge.
- Full project and code solutions (in JavaScript and C#) for each chapter.
- Cheat-sheets (i.e., shortcuts, best practice, etc.) that you can download.
The content of each chapter is as follows:
- Chapter 1 gives an introduction to JavaScript and to core principles that will help you to get started with coding. You will learn key programming concepts such as variables, variable types, or functions.
- Chapter 2 helps you to code your first script. You will learn how to code following best coding practices, debug your code, and also avoid common errors.
- Chapter 3 gets you to improve your scripting skills, enhance your game and add more interaction. You will learn to implement a scoring system, to detect collisions, and to load new levels.
- Chapter 4 explains how you can create and update a user interface for your game (e.g., displaying images and messages onscreen) using scripting.
- Chapter 5 explains how you can polish-up your game. You will add a splash-screen, a simple inventory system, sound effects, as well as a mini-map.
- Chapter 6 explains how to add Non-Player Characters (NPCs) with Artificial Intelligence (AI). You will configure each NPC and get them to either follow the player or walk along a simple path of your choice, and also detect collision with them.
- Chapter 7 provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (e.g., scripting, audio, AI, or user interface).
If you want to start scripting with Unity, using a tried-and-tested method:
download this book nowPatrick Felicia is a lecturer and researcher at Waterford Institute of Technology, where he teaches and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students. He obtained his MSc in Multimedia Technology in 2003 and PhD in Computer Science in 2009 from University College Cork, Ireland. He has published several books and articles on the use of video games for educational purposes, including the Handbook of Research on Improving Learning and Motivation through Educational Games: Multidisciplinary Approaches (published by IGI), and Digital Games in Schools: a Handbook for Teachers, published by European Schoolnet. Patrick is also the Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), and the Conference Director of the Irish Symposium on Game-Based Learning, a popular conference on games and learning organized throughout Ireland.
