Endless running game

Hello. I just started with Unity yesterday. I don't really have too much programming experience also. What i want to do in the future, over time is an endless running game. Can anyone explain me where to start learning from and what should i basically learn ( the language that appeals me the most is Javascript)? How do these kind of games work ? I'd want to do the controls Subway Sufers style, without accelerometer. So a 3 lane terrain . For the "runner" i could use a block i guess. Is there any free documentation or something regarding this gameplay available ? For the moment I don't really want to spend, but are there some money-worthy starter kits for this ? Thanks.

 

Welcome to Unity! I really love developing in Unity - I think you've made a good choice. If you're still pretty new to programming, I recommend making much smaller/simpler games than Subway Surfers for a while. Starting with a big project for your first one typically leads to frustration. Things will always take much longer than you estimate. Don't let that get you down when/if you get there.

Any of the languages that Unity supports is fine to use. I used Javascript for the first two Unity games I released, but I'm using C# for the one I'm currently developing. You'll find some people who are die hard users of one or the other, but whatever works for you is fine. There are some slight differences in how Unity deals with each one, but there are enough code examples for either language.

Unity has some great tutorials that are a great place to start. Here are some links:
http://unity3d.com/company/support/online-training/
http://unity3d.com/gallery/demos/demo-projects (the 3d platformer tutorial here has lots of things that would apply to an endless runner)

When I got started, I watched the TornadoTwins videos about making a basic game. Here's the first in that series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-X-Ebh1kYA

If you want to start learning by making an endless runner, I recommend doing a side-view runner where you jump from platform to platform (or building to building). Looking at an existing game of this type, figuring out each part of that game, then making it your own is a great way to learn. Some examples of that style game are Canabalt http://www.canabalt.com/ and Rush City http://rushcitygame.com/ (Rush City is a game I made in Unity for iOS...shameless plug).

Someone on Twitter recently posted their recommendation for how to make a game for mobile. They said something like: "Write down all the features you'd want in a game. Cross off every feature except one. Make that." I really like that advice.

Hope this helps. Have fun!

 

Thanks for the tips. The side-view runner idea is great.

 

Hi, How did you do Rush City? Do you move the character or world?

 

Sorry for the delay - I thought my subscription to this thread sent me emails...I guess it doesn't.

In Rush City, the player moves, not the world. I instantiate the buildings just off the screen to the right destroy them just off the left.

Hope this helps!

 

Hey i was checking your "Rush City" game could you help me with something.

I am trying to do similar to your rush city game but i can't make the track where the character runs would be endless until character fall.

Could you help me please, thank you.
Skype: arturikas6
Email: tiger0070@gmail.com
Thank you again

 

Hi - first post from me. I'm working on an endless runner-type game at the moment and made one for a game jam. I agree that it's way easier to make the character move along the ground rather than fix him in place and move everything else. I did the latter for the game jam and found it very counter-intuitive, plus lots of bugs came up because it's such an unusual way to make the game work.

If I were you I wouldn't make the track endless - segment it up and have, say, a gap between each section that you have to jump. Also if you expect the player to move very far on an extended play, use the 3D nature of Unity to make the track curl around and loop back on itself (like you see in iOS / Android Temple Run) because then you'll avoid encountering floating point errors.

 

i have one question here. The character moves, and the world is static. Then how many meter should the map has, 100m, 100m or...
Please give a tips for this problem. Thank for sharing

 

Here's a complete tutorial series on endless runner tutorial
http://www.thegamecontriver.com/p/your-own-subway.html