3D Adventure Game Creation Tutorial using Unity and Adventure Creator

Overview

• Tutorial on creating a 3D Adventure game using Unity 2021.3 and Adventure Creator 1.75.5.
• Example game involves character "Timpot" rescuing another character tied up in an evil lair.

Setting Up Adventure Creator

• Purchase Adventure Creator from Unity Asset Store.
• Import into Unity:
  1. Go to Window > Package Manager
  2. Select Packages > My Assets
  3. Filter and import Adventure Creator (uncheck 2D demo folders).
• Accept installation box for inputs and layers.

Importing Tutorial Assets

• Download tutorial assets from Adventure Creator online resources.
• Import the tutorial files into Unity:
  1. Go to Assets > Import Package > Custom Package.
  2. Locate and import tutorial files.
• Open and set up the evil layer scene with lighting and props.

Creating Game Managers

• Create managers for game settings using the new game wizard:
  1. Adventure Creator > Getting Started > New Game Wizard.
  2. Set game name, camera perspective (3D), player movement type (Direct), and GUI system (Unity UI).
• Confirm choices and check project folder for created manager assets.
  • UI folder for interface prefabs.
  • Managers folder for manager asset files.

Setting Up the Scene

• Save a new copy of the evil layer scene inside the game folder.
• Convert to Adventure Creator scene using the Scene Manager.
• Organize the scene and set up components for lights, sounds, and props.

Player Character Setup

• Import player character model (El_Tin_Pot).
• Use the Character Wizard to convert model to a character:
  1. Assign graphics to character model.
  2. Choose animation engine (Mecanim).
• Add rigid body and colliders to character and environment objects to prevent clipping.
• Set movement controls for character.

Character Animation

• Create an Animator Controller for character animations (idle, walk, run).
• Set up blend tree for animations based on movement speed.
• Add talk animations and set them to trigger based on conditions.
• Adjust player start position in the scene.

Camera Setup

• Create main camera to follow character (similar to Cinemachine).
• Configure camera settings for smooth tracking and transitions.
  • Set up constraints to avoid clipping through walls.

Adding Interactivity

• Add interactive hotspots (e.g., chairs, laser buttons) that trigger actions when clicked.
• Create action lists for different interactions, such as talking to characters or using items.
• Use dialog options in character interactions for more dynamic gameplay.

Puzzle Mechanics

• Integrate various puzzles requiring player interaction, like turning off the laser.
• Use variables to track state changes (e.g., is the laser on?).
• Allow background character dialogue based on game state.

Saving and Loading

• Implement a save system to record player progress and object states.
• Use Adventure Creator's built-in save components (Remember Transform, Remember Variables).
• Test saving and loading to ensure the game state persists correctly.

Polish and UI Improvements

• Add a cutscene at the beginning for introduction.
• Fine-tune camera transitions and controls.
• Update UI elements for consistency in font and layout (e.g., subtitles, hotspot menus).
• Adjust interaction methods (e.g., mouse over, click to select).

Speech and Audio Handling

• Add audio clips for character dialogue and background speech.
• Use the Speech Manager to gather and organize all speech lines in the game.
• Implement multilingual support for localization (translate text and audio).

Facial Animation and Lip Syncing

• Use blend shapes for facial expressions and lip syncing in characters.
• Implement tokens in speech text to trigger expressions in game.
• Set up phoneme data for accurate lip syncing based on dialogue.

Conclusion

• Recap of the tutorial emphasizing the integration of various features using Unity and Adventure Creator.
• Encourage further exploration of Adventure Creator's resources and documentation.