RTS Unity Tutorial Together. Part 0 - Idea Selection

Welcome to the RTS Unity Tutorial Together (temporary name :P). A project I want to develop posting here what I do it and why. At the end of the development process we will have a fully playable game and a nice tutorial to learn.
  

Video game development in a nutshell. Let's waste some technology ;)

I plan to make this tutorial with you, that means that everything will be done on the go. There may be back steps and refactoring on the development of this game. Tutorials usually show step by step how to make a video game, like a recipe. The problem is that that is not the real way video games (or any program) are made. I hope you will enjoy going with me through all the process. :)



Creating a full video game can be an overwhelming task. It doesn't look so big before starting, but if you are not careful, you can find yourself trapped. That's why until you have enough experience, you should keep your projects very small. So small that they look ridiculous to you. A tiny working game is better than a fully featured idea surrounded by some spaghetti code.


Although it may change or be expanded when the idea for the game will be selected, this will be the structure of the tutorial I am going to present you on this blog:

   0- Idea selection
   1- Prototyping
   2- Top level game
   3- Controls
   4- Basic scenario
   5- Game rules
   6- AI
   7- GUI
   8- Polishing
   9- Multiplayer
   10- Submitting the game


Let's talk about the three propositions I created for your following the Rule of 3. I want to keep them all small, so I will be sure that I will be able to finish them. I would like you to vote and decide witch one is the most interesting for you :)


Polygon Wars:

- Game play: the goal of the game is annihilate the enemy. To do that you need to spread thought the nodes of the map. Reproduce your units and change the polygon shapes to explode your enemy weaknesses. Check Jelly Go for reference. This game balances fighting and economic aspects, but doesn't get too deep in any of them.
- Style: minimalistic. Neon art and simple polygons. Check Geometry Wars for reference. 

Awesome Sketch number 1. Polygon Wars.

Epic Dojos:

- Game play: the goal of the game is destroy the enemy base. Samurais walk along the different horizontal lanes of the map and fight in the middle, pushing its way through. Check War Lords: Call to arms for reference. This game focuses on fighting, there will different units and factions (or races) to choose from.
- Style: realistic but simple. Check Samurai Defence for reference.

Awesome Sketch number 2. Epic Dojos.

ExtraTerrestial Corporations:

- Game play: the goal of the game is control the natural resources of different planets. To do that you need to build and expand your way through the map. You will need to have an strategy and counter the opposite corporations. Check Super Energy Apocalypse: RECYCLED! for reference. This game focuses on economy, building and resources. Planets have it's dangers, but combat is indirect and secondary.
- Style: cartoonish and colorful art, probably abstract. Check Creeper World for reference.

Awesome Sketch number 3. ExtraTerrestrial Corporations.

Time for voting! Which one would you like to come to reality as a Unity tutorial? 
--UPDATE-- The survey is over, you can check the results of the voting here.
 

The technical aspects of the game will be:
- Developed with Unity 4.3
- 2D (or very simple 3D geometry)
- Mobile (developed on PC)
- The game will be posted and updated in Github.

If needed we will use this existing solutions:
- GUI will be developed using NGUI 2.7 (Free version here).
- Multiplayer will be implemented using Photon. (Not sure this may work in mobile for free).


About the art. I will try myself to find the free assets on line. Unfortunately I cannot make them myself. If some artist read this and it is interested in making an small contribution to this tutorial to make it look awesome, please contact me. :)