Space Game Starter Kit [Released]

[ArenMook]

Play it here.

Have you ever wanted to create a 3D space game, but weren't sure where to start?
Well, here's how the Space Game Starter Kit can help your ideas come to life tonight:

- NEW: NGUI+TNet-based version is available upon request.
- NGUI-based version available upon request.
- Multiplayer support out of the box
- Controllable with keyboard/mouse as well as the XBox 360 controller
- Very flexible and tweakable damage, power generation, and shielding systems
- Plasma beams and heat-seeking missiles as weapon examples
- Simple yet powerful UI system (no need for any additional UI package; optimized for Android/iOS)
- Planet shader lets you create your own unique looking planets with a few clicks of a mouse
- Fully tweakable ship parameters -- create anything from a slow, unwieldy cargo ship to a fast highly manuverable assault fighter
- Asteroid shader automatically seamlessly textures rocks of all shapes and sizes (no UVs required!)
- Real-time dynamic reflections on anything you like via a simple attachable script (Pro only)
- Localized gravity example (space station)
- Distortion shield effect
- Control impairment on collision
- Near miss detection
- 3D HUD (no OnGUI used!)
- Simple targeting indicators
- Even runs on Android and iOS (with appropriately limited functionality)

All of that in clean, easy to understand and well-optimized code.

All feedback welcome

[Rajmahal]

This looks great ... on my to buy list!

[orrtcloud]

Looks great! What about skyboxes/domes? Does it support those? Is your webplayer version's skybox a normal texture or generated?

[ArenMook]

It currently uses Unity's built-in skybox for simplicity's sake (which is far from ideal, I know). It uses a set of 6 regular textures. I actually have a procedurally generated star map using LibNoise, but it's not finished so I have chosen to exclude it until a future update.

I would really appreciate some feedback in regards to the XBox 360 controls if anyone has a controller around. What feels natural to me may not feel the same to others...

Also, in case anyone is interested in taking a quick glance at how the UI is set up and configured:

[Rajmahal]

I tried the web player demo but for some reason the camera begins to shake after a few seconds. I'm using IE 8.0 and have the latest version of the web player installed.

[ArenMook]

I'm guessing it's that odd issue I see with Unity sometimes. Shutting down Unity usually helps (is it running in the background?). If not, try this link: http://www.tasharen.com/sg/index2.html -- the only difference between this and the original is the smooth camera follow script is partially disabled.

[Rajmahal]

Strange ... for some reason it's still happening with the new link and with Unity switched off. As soon as I press a key to move the ship or use the right mouse button, the whole screen begins to shake and the ship barely responds to input. It may be this computer that I'm using ... I'll try again on my home laptop when I'm home from work.

What type of documentation do you provide with it? Is there a walkthrough document or is it all in code comments?

[ArenMook]

That's odd, can't say I've seen that happening and I've tested it on several PCs, macs, and even an android phone. It almost sounds like the rumble effect gets turned on, but that should only happen if you collide with something. Are you trying multiplayer? Currently all players spawn in the same location, which can cause issues if they don't move (note to self: randomize that). What are the specs of your machine? As for documentation, I've commented the code where I believed it was necessary, but most of it is pretty clean and straightforward. If anyone has any questions, I'm able to answer them pretty much any time, unless I'm asleep.

[Rajmahal]

Sounds good. It does seem like the rumble effect since the screen seems to rotate a few few degrees and then rotates back in the opposite direction a few degrees and so on. I am trying multiplayer so perhaps that's the issue.

The machine I'm using is my work laptop ... a dual core Intel CPU running Win XP and with 2 gigs of ram. I'm pretty sure my next game will be a space shooter so will pick this up as my starting point as it has multiplayer worked, which is still a big mystery area for me at the moment.

[ArenMook]

Try this: http://www.tasharen.com/sg/index3.html -- Smooth follow and rumble disabled.

[g00niebird]

I'm getting the rumble thing on both links. No Unity on this machine (crappy Dell at work), so that's not the reason.

Also, if I may suggest enabling going fullscreen. Otherwise, your webplayer barely fits on my screen.

[ArenMook]

Odd. I'll see if I can get a hold of an XP machine and try it there.

[Rajmahal]

Tried the new link but I get the same result.

[ArenMook]

I think I managed to reproduce the problem on my end. The physics updates currently happen 100 times per second. If I change that back to 50 times per second (Unity's default), I get jitterness. I'll try to figure out why this happens and fix it.

[RandAlThor]

Is there something to shoot at and with?
Are there an ios control (joystick or buttons) inside?

[ArenMook]

Not yet. I'll most likely add some rockets this weekend just for the fun of it though. Each game has their own approach to how they want to handle combat, so I've chosen to omit the damage and combat mechanics from the toolkit... but if there is enough interest, I can certainly add it.

The control on iOS/Android is touch-based in this version, and there are no visible widgets. With the next update there will be, but it's a bit limited compared to its PC and 360 counterparts (no maneuvering thrusters).

[Rajmahal]

I tried it last night at hom one my windows 7 computer and it worked fine. I wonder if it's either an XP thing or perhaps because I was connecting via a VPN on my work laptop?

[ArenMook]

I updated the build last night with a fix. The update has also been submitted to the asset store, so should be fixed in version 1.4.

[ArenMook]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention... I've added proper iOS and Android controls as well:

- Hold the top left corner to accelerate, bottom left corner to slow down.
- Drag from the center of the screen to steer.
- Left side of the screen to roll left, right side of the screen to roll right.

It still feels a bit awkward to me and I'm open to suggestions on how to make it better (accelerometer perhaps?).

[Rajmahal]

Sounds great ... missiles or lasers would be a great addition as well.

I tried the latest link and now only the ship shakes while the rest of the screen is fine. That's on my XP computer with 2 gigs ram while on my home computer (Win 7 with 8 gigs Ram) worked fine.

I just switched off my VPN and connected directly on the work computer but that still gives the same shakiness to the ship.