Using multiple player prefabs with the network manager?

Hi,

I would like to ask for some advice, I have been searching and find some posts about this but am not sure how to approach this yet.
How can I set individual player Prefabs to client with the NetworkManger?
I have more than one player prefab to choose from, but the network manager only allows for one player prefab..

Threads like this https://forum.unity3d.com/threads/h...ent-in-the-networkmanger.348337/#post-2256378
show some code, but I am not sure where to use the method:
public override void OnServerAddPlayer

Can I add that to any object in the same scene as the networkmanager? How should I use the override function/method?

Thanks for any help on this.

 

Hello, I recently did this with the help of this thread https://forum.unity3d.com/threads/unet-spawning-different-player-prefabs-solved.387747/

I used this script

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. using UnityEngine.Networking;
3. using UnityEngine.Networking.NetworkSystem;
4.  
5. public class NetworkCustom : NetworkManager
6. {
7.  
8.     public int chosenCharacter = 0;
9.     public GameObject[] characters;
10.  
11.     //subclass for sending network messages
12.     public class NetworkMessage : MessageBase
13.     {
14.         public int chosenClass;
15.     }
16.  
17.     public override void OnServerAddPlayer(NetworkConnection conn, short playerControllerId, NetworkReader extraMessageReader)
18.     {
19.         NetworkMessage message = extraMessageReader.ReadMessage<NetworkMessage>();
20.         int selectedClass = message.chosenClass;
21.         Debug.Log("server add with message " + selectedClass);
22.  
23.         GameObject player;
24.         Transform startPos = GetStartPosition();
25.  
26.         if(startPos != null)
27.         {
28.             player = Instantiate(characters[chosenCharacter], startPos.position,startPos.rotation)as GameObject;
29.         }
30.         else
31.         {
32.             player = Instantiate(characters[chosenCharacter], Vector3.zero, Quaternion.identity) as GameObject;
33.  
34.         }
35.  
36.         NetworkServer.AddPlayerForConnection(conn, player, playerControllerId);
37.  
38.     }
39.  
40.     public override void OnClientConnect(NetworkConnection conn)
41.     {
42.         NetworkMessage test = new NetworkMessage();
43.         test.chosenClass = chosenCharacter;
44.  
45.         ClientScene.AddPlayer(conn, 0, test);
46.     }
47.  
48.  
49.     public override void OnClientSceneChanged(NetworkConnection conn)
50.     {
51.         //base.OnClientSceneChanged(conn);
52.     }
53.  
54.     public void btn1()
55.     {
56.         chosenCharacter = 0;
57.     }
58.  
59.     public void btn2()
60.     {
61.         chosenCharacter = 1;
62.     }
63. }
64.  

And on the networkmanager there's a field called "Script" just drag this script in there.
Then add all you player prefabs to the characters field, the int chosenCharacter is the index for your characters.

Then I made this quick script

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. using System.Collections;
3. using UnityEngine.Networking;
4.  
5. public class ChooseHero : MonoBehaviour {
6.  
7.     public GameObject characterSelect;
8.  
9.     public void PickHero(int hero)
10.     {
11.         NetworkManager.singleton.GetComponent<NetworkCustom>().chosenCharacter = hero;
12.         characterSelect.SetActive(false);
13.     }
14. }
15.  

So that I could use unity's buttons to pick my character. I added this script to an empty object that I called "Game Manager"

This lets you pick your character before you join a game. IMPORTANT Make sure to register your player prefabs with the networkmanager.

 

WOW, Many thanks for your help with this, just what I wanted to understand. How can a network session be ended if using the custom script, i.e. the networkmanager persists over scenes, how can that be stopped (at end of level/gamescene)? is StopServer()?
Thanks again for your help and sample script, much appreciated.

 

I'm not sure what you mean. You mean how do you exit a networked game? I've never done that before, and I'm still quite new to UNet so you'll probably have to ask someone else. But I think you want networkmanager.StopClient()

https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Networking.NetworkManager.StopClient.html

 

Thanks, I thought it might be something like that.
If I may ask another question about the code you kindly shared, do you see any problem if different clients choose different playerprefabs when joining, that to my mind should work, would you agree?

 

Yes, It works for me when choosing different playerprefabs on different players.

 

Hi, I'd like to ask what your approach would be for debugging an issue, in this scenario: server starts with player1 selected prefab, then clients join that server with other selected prefab2, but the prefab2 is not seen, only prefab1, why would that occur? it's as if only ever prefab1 can be used..
E.g. try setting Debug.Log("text"); in various places?
Thanks for any input on this.

 

The strategy to adopt in these situations (and in general) is to say that the player prefab is a general-purpose "Player Manager" object, and not the player's character itself. Then, the server can give the PlayerManager any character to control

 

Hi, thanks for your reply, I am not sure I understand where you write " is a general-purpose "Player Manager" object", how is that done? What code should be used for this?

 

Imagine you make a "PlayerManager" class that holds the player's score, name, etc.... and has a reference to its controlled character.

Now if you want each player to have a different character for example, you can say in the NetworkManager that the player prefab is the PlayerManager, and then make sure that the NetworkManager spawns different characters and assigns their control/authority to their respective PlayerManager

I use a structure like this even when I don't need every player to have a different prefab. It just seems more elegant/well-structured to me

 

Thanks for your reply,
So is it important that the network manager spawns the plsyer object? Or in your playermanager class would you have code such as:
NetworkManager.singleton.GetComponent<NetworkCustom>().chosenCharacter = hero;
characterSelect.SetActive(false);

Thanks, It is a bit confusing to know what to do here exactly, hopefully you can provide more input.

 

Hi, many thanks for sharing this code. It really helps a lot

But I think there is a small type error in the function OnServerAddPlayer

"player = Instantiate(characters[chosenCharacter], startPos.position,startPos.rotation)as GameObject;"

should be

"player = Instantiate(characters[selectedClass], startPos.position,startPos.rotation)as GameObject;"

So the server will use the NetworkMessage information (which client send to server)to Instantiate GameObject

 

Hmm, I think you're right... That's odd... I copy pasted that from my game that worked. But reading through that bit I don't understand...

 

This is very useful man! But can you explain that ......chosenCharacter = hero; . What should I put? Number of element or? Thanks in advance.

 

if you have video tutorial, please show me.. i am beginner

 

Just tried this out. Works like a hot dam. Thanks guys !!

 

Why did you put

Code (CSharp):

1. public GameObject characterSelect;

on line 7 and

Code (CSharp):

1. characterSelect.SetActive(false);

on line 12

 

I tested it. Now both players (client / server) have the same character. You cannot change the player on behalf of the client.

 

hello,
This code is not working for me, since the client is going to start before you click the buttom, and it is not waiting for the function buttom script to be called, it will generate the client player with the default chosenCharacter value.

It was very helpful, but I still can not get this to work. I would appreciate your help guys.

Regards,
Licross