Using Unity for 2D Game Development

HighOnFireZA

I've done a quick search and couldn't find a similar discussion so I've created a new one.

I'm looking to create a 2D game using Unity. I've read around and done a couple of tutorials but I'm not 100% sure what 2D framework plugin to use or if I should use a plugin at all. I've checked out Orthello 2D and done a quick tutorial and it seems nice. I've also read about the 2D toolkit plugin for Unity which people are praising. It costs $65 so I'm a bit skeptical before dumping that amount of cash out of my own pocket.

My question is what is the preferred method for creating 2D games in unity? Any input would be appreciated.

Pomb

Seems the search function is broken, I remember a similar thread when I was looking for 2d solutions.
My opinion is that of Larry David's use whatever works, and is free first:
sprite manager 1
RagePixel
Orthello 2d

Once you have a game that is fun and people respond too ie. lots of people start saying, "Dude that game is awesome and I want to give you my money!", then I'd consider dumping money into tools to help make things " easier / slick ? ", or if things are working fine in the free zone, why not just stay there :)
You can make fire with sticks and cook steak just as well as on Tommy's gas braai. The meat tastes the same, what I'm trying to say is games are plugin agnostic, it doesn't really matter. Use whatever you think is easier for you and will help get your ideas out into something playable.

Good Luck! hope to see your ideas in prototype form soon :)

Rigormortis

@HighOnFireZA, is there a specific reason you need Unity? The reason I ask is that I played around a bit with Sprite manager a while back and it was fairly easy to use, but it's a whole lot easier(according to me) to use GameMaker or a 2D engine. If you want to create prototypes and speed is essential I suggest trying game maker instead of a plugin for Unity.

If you are set on using Unity then I agree with @Pomb, start with the free stuff and based on the things you find you need or don't like you can decide on what to buy(if you need to).

D3zmodos

I'm kinda (kinda, very slowly and intermittently) trying to make some sort of framework around Sprite Manager 1 that makes it easier/faster to use (mostly just editor scripts). So if that ever gets to a point where it's actually easier to use than the original play Sprite Manager, then I'll put it up here.

I only really found out about/downloaded RagePixel a few days ago, have yet to take a look at it.

Fengol

I've used Sprite Manager 1 and I've played with EZGui and now NGui (although I don't know how appropriate they are for game sprites). I know @BlackShipsFilltheSky swears by Sprite Manager 2 for all his games but that's a paid for product

HighOnFireZA

@Pomb
I'll check out the solutions you listed. So far Orthello 2d works alright. Haven't heard of RagePixel but I'll check it out. If possible I definitely want to stay in the free zone. If people start throwing me with money then I'll consider opening the wallet but currently there is no danger of that happening ;) Thanks for the suggestions.

@Rigormortis
I haven't tried GameMaker yet but the reason I like Unity is because it seems like a popular choice among developers. It offers everything necessary to create games from simple to advanced, 2d and 3d. I don't want to spread myself too thin across different game engines since my time is a bit limited so I would like to take a single engine and become an expert at it.

@D3zmodos
Brilliant. I'll keep an eye out.

HighOnFireZA

Here is a nice comparison I've found:

http://www.thesecretpie.com/2012/07/comparison-of-2d-frameworks-for-unity-3d.html

- Orthello has terrible performance
- Sprite Manager 2 costs $150, ouch!

So far it seems Sprite Manager 1 might be the answer.

Rigormortis

@HighOnFireZA, if your time is limited and you're only starting out with unity, I strongly suggest giving game maker a go before you search for some way to make 2D games in Unity. Unity is a popular choice, but unless you know the framework well, game maker will probably be a lot faster.

HighOnFireZA said:

I would like to take a single engine and become an expert at it

Spread yourself thin. At the start at least. If your time is as limited as you say you need to try everything and see what is fastest for the stuff you want to make. If you arbitrarily decide on an engine and try to become an expert with it, you might be wasting valuable time on things that are probably a non issue in another engine. Become an expert when you need to.

edit: I just want to add that while the focus most of the time on the site is video games, other games types of games like board games and/or card games are great ways to learn how to create games. (Depending on what your goals are, this might be a better approach in the beginning.)

raithza

here at free lives, even though we have a spritemanager 2 license, we only really use features of spritemanager 1. And even then we use a really limited set of features... Doing animations in spritemanager is ridiculously clunky and it's usually quicker/easier to just write your own animation system.

If you can program (seems like you can) and you intend to be making games for a while I think you might as well take the plunge and use unity even if you intend to make 2d games for the first while. Then when/if you want to take on something bigger you'll be familiar enough with its inner workings.

hermantulleken

It depends a lot on what you want to do (as always :)). Although rolling out your own sprite system should not be too hectic, rolling out custom GUI components can be a real pain. I would also suggest if you are looking to pay for a plugin, to contact the developers and ask for a trial before you buy.

I don't have info on the specific plugins you mention, but here is some info on EZGUI / Sprite Manager 2, another one that was used on several projects that I have worked on:

• It's expensive (EZGUI $200, SpriteManager $150).
  
• It get's the job done, and it does save tonnes of time for simple GUIs. For complicated GUIs, you still write a frightening amount of code, and it can feel like you are fighting the system. We have on occasion changed the plugin code to get something done.
  
• The sprite handling and animation is decent, although organisation of animations can sometimes be a bit painful.
  
• No specific support for non-block colliders (I see that is one of 2D Toolkit's features).
  
• You have to set up your scene in a specific way for sprite sizes to be comparable to world sizes. There is also not any particular support for making it easier to program a 2D world.
  
• At times, it's behaviour is mysterious (sizing sprites, for example).
  
• Automatic layout is extremely limited and buggy.
  
• Good performance.
  
• Support is very good.
  

All-in-all, I'd say it's worth the money, although I can't judge how it compares with the others.

Edit: I see while I had the pane open a lot of people added comments, so just one additional one: if you have the money for tools, spend it! Even when starting out, tools help you save time (and anyone's time does have a cost). Less time coding, more time making games. Knowing tools is also something that can be put on a CV, if you are looking at working in the industry (although having a game that works is even better... and tools can help with this too).

HighOnFireZA

@Rigormortis
You make good points. Maybe I should just clarify what I mean with limited time. Between work and spending time with my wife/daughter, I maybe have an hour or two a night to work on game dev. There is no specific deadline I need to reach but I would rather get more bang for my time spent. Making games in game maker sounds like I would get a lot more done, but ultimately I'm going to have to make the leap to Unity or a similar more advanced platform/engine if I want to realize my dream, which is to make face-melting awesome games. I think I should rather dive into Unity from the get go and learn the ropes there.

@raithza
I think for me you just confirmed that sprite manager 1 would be the best choice. thanks.

@hermantulleken
Thanks for the info. For the time being I'm going to stick to the free tools but might move to 2D Toolkit a bit later on. It's a bit less expensive and there seem to be a lot of praise for it.

Tachyon

Not sure if it answers your question directly but take a look at this cool unity tut from the walker boys: Mario Clone

dislekcia

I wouldn't worry about spreading yourself thin. What you actually want to do is understand the methods of thinking that go into solving common problems in game development, not waste your time becoming a master of one specific tool.

Try out as many tools as you can find that you think will offer you something and see which ones gel with you the best. Spend a couple of days doing nothing but tutorials, it'll make everything else a ton easier, trust me ;)

Edit: Also, I hate this weird idea that you can't make face-meltingly awesome games in Game Maker. That's just a silly assumption - we won and IGF award with a GM game, Vlambeer does amazing stuff with GM, the key thing here is being good at game design, not magically having the awesomeness of your game bestowed via the tool you chose.

Rigormortis

@HighOnFireZA, I have about the same time limit that you do at the moment, and I wish I spread myself thinner when I started out. The thing is that because you have so little time you can't afford to become an expert at a tool at the moment. Try a lot of stuff to see what can get you to making games NOW, not in the future. You can always change the tool but the fundementals of how to make games carries over. That is why I made the comment about the board games. If you know how to hit nails you can use any hammer.

@Dislekcia, I think the reason people make that assumption is because of the possibilities that Unity provides in terms of expanding on the types of games you can make. This was my perception when I started with it anyway. I regret not starting with game maker or something even simpler though, it's so fast to make 2d prototypes. You've got to love drag and drop coding :D Also, my mom said that I should never trust someone that says trust me :P

dislekcia

@Rigormortis: I think I just get annoyed at assumptions that mean people aren't going to actually investigate stuff properly. Some tools are definitely better than others at certain things, but I have no idea how anyone can expect to have picked the right tool without trying things with as many different tools as possible.

And then, far too often, people defend their assumptions when people who have explored the various options provide advice... "No Mr Plumber, the pipes are blocked, so stop trying to use your roto-rooter and start hitting stuff with your trademarked wrench instead!" ;)

D3zmodos

@raithza In what sense is the animation system clunky? How do you do it?

@dislekcia It may just be the amount of time I've spent working in Game Maker (IE too little to get used to it/realise how good it is) but I simply don't like the way the scripting works...at all. I much prefer Unity's way of doing things (but then again only working within my "comfort zone" doesn't land me with a very broad skillset now does it? =/)

TheFuntastic

ex2d has a free trial version you can get directly from their website http://www.ex-dev.com/ex2d/try-ex2d-for-free/. Worked well enough so far for my game jams done in Unity. Mentioning it here for the sake of completeness.