What Makes A Programming Language Good For Game Developers
There are many different game programming languages available today. What is the best one for game development, though? The answer to that question will depend on your needs and what you want to accomplish with your game.
Here is a list of things that can help determine which programming language for game development is most suitable:
- How easy is it to use?
- The size of the community
- The game engines that support it
- The availability of tutorials online.
- Are you planning to write a 2D or 3D game?
Letâs go through the list and discuss each aspect to get a better idea of what makes the best programming languages for game development.
Do You Even Need To Learn A Language
Whether you need to learn a programming language or not depends on your goals.
Learning code isnt necessary if youre getting into XR as a designer or game designer, although it would help you establish a solid rapport with developers. Understanding how code works leads to a better understanding of whats possible and whats expensive. When developers and non-developers communicate, misaligned expectations are a common reason for missed project deadlines or misinterpretation. Learning a bit of coding helps non-developers prevent many issues before they crawl their way into the final build.
However, it’s worth noting that both Unreal Engine and Unity provide workflows where you can build and release an app without writing a single line of code.
Unreal Engine features a blueprint system that you can use to build your entire application logic by configuring and connecting a series of visual nodes.
Although functions designed using blueprints can be slightly slower than raw C++ code, there are known examples of games and applications written exclusively with blueprints.
Unity game engine doesnt feature a similar blueprint system out-of-box, but plugins such as Bolt Visual Scripting and Nottorus replicate the functionality.
Why Hire A Unity Developer
Trio Unity developers are pre-vetted, interviewed, and then trained further to become true software professionals, capable of adapting to situations that are both within and outside of the scope of their general expertise.
At Trio, we hold our developers to a higher standard. Much like how elite special forces units recruit only the best from main branches of the military, we recruit developers who either show amazing potential or demonstrate exceptional skill. We then take their talents and sharpen them even further.
Another benefit of hiring a Trio developer is that you wont incur the costs of hiring, which can add up to be around 30% of a developers salary on average, as well as overhead costs associated with full-time employment.
To learn more, tell us about your project and well get you started.
Also Check: Creepy Text To Speech Voice
How To Hire A Unity Developer
For those who wish to take the high road and hire Unity developers on your own, were still here to help.
Hiring a developer on your own is a very focused and hands-on process that requires considerable knowledge about software development in general.
The last thing you want to do is trust your hiring process to someone with no technical ability. If you are a non-technical manager looking to learn a thing or two, we have a great resource here for you to learn more about the hiring process in detail.
Otherwise, wed recommend you contact Trio for consulting and developer allocation.
Project Structure And Importing Assets
Unity projects arenât like Visual Studio projects. You donât open a project file or even a solution file, because it doesnât exist. You point Unity to a folder structure and it opens the folder as a project. Projects contain Assets, Library, ProjectSettings, and Temp folders, but the only one that shows up in the interface is the Assets folder, which you can see in Figure 4.
The Assets folder contains all your assetsâart, code, audio every single file you bring into your project goes here. This is always the top-level folder in the Unity Editor. But make changes only in the Unity interface, never through the file system.
The Library folder is the local cache for imported assets it holds all metadata for assets. The ProjectSettings folder stores settings you configure from Edit | Project Settings. The Temp folder is used for temporary files from Mono and Unity during the build process.
I want to stress the importance of making changes only through the Unity interface and not the file system directly. This includes even simple copy and paste. Unity tracks metadata for your objects through the editor, so use the editor to make changes . You can drag and drop from your file system into Unity, though that works just fine.
Read Also: Sign For Help In Sign Language
Python As A Game Development Language
Although we didnt get to mention it, Python is yet another language thats popular among beginner developers. Just like Lua, its very easy to learn and unlike Lua, its a general-purpose language that can open doors beyond the game development industry, such as data science and artificial intelligence.
Its not quite as lightweight as Lua, but its still a good option for beginners who want to develop simple games. And aside from being a scripting language supported by many engines , Source), it also has some engines:
- Kivy (GUIs with which you would also write games
However, expect less functionality than with other fully-fledged game engines.
Check out The Python Apprentice book by Austin Bingham and Robert Smallshire to learn more.
What Languages Can You Use In Unity
A script must be attached to a GameObject in the scene in order to be called by Unity. Scripts are written in a special language that Unity can understand. And, its through this language that we can talk to the engine and give it our instructions.
The language thats used in Unity is called C# . All the languages that Unity operates with are object-oriented scripting languages. Like any language, scripting languages have syntax, or parts of speech, and the primary parts are called variables, functions, and classes.
If youre using a version of Unity until 2017.3, youll notice that it has a text editor called MonoDevelop: it can help us complete our code, itll let us know if were writing a wrong piece of code, and allows us to take shortcuts. Starting with 2018.1, you can also use Visual Studio for Unity Community, or other text editors such as Visual Studio, Notepad, or Sublime text.
Heres a script with some sample code in it :
As you can see, there are variables, functions, and classes.
Read Also: High Blood Pressure Slurred Speech
Unity Development With Vs Code
Visual Studio Code can be a great companion to Unity for editing C# files. All of the C# features are supported and more. In the screen below, you can see code colorization, bracket matching, IntelliSense, CodeLens and that’s just the start.
Read on to find out how to configure Unity and your project to get the best possible experience.
What Coding Language Does Unity Use
If you have basic knowledge of programming languages like C sharp C++ and JavaScript before creating video games in the Unity platform, they will be useful and interesting.
As the Integrated Development Editor of the Unity Engine supports C# and Unity Script and C/C++ programming languages, if you have more than just basic knowledge, you can make your video games more attractive with the help of new codes.
Unity engine uses C++, C# and JavaScript. Lets discuss this.
Also Check: What Languages Are The Bible Written In
Top 10 Game Programming Languages: The Beginners Guide
Its a fact that game designers, on occasion, may be asked to do a little video game programming.
This comes down to entry-level game designers often switching their positions in teams, and the nature of design teams being very fluid.
It is not unusual for designers to step in and code part of a game, freeing up the game programmers to work on something more complicated. Just as its not unusual for game programmers to be consulted during the design process.
That said, getting started with game programming languages can be a little daunting. Thats why were making the process of choosing what language to learn for game development easier with our top 10 list below.
But first, lets chat a bit about what game development languages even are and distinguish between some of the most common terminology.
What Is The Best Script Language For Unity3d
I am starting with game dev using Unity3d and I can see there’s 3 supported languages for creating scripts: C#, unityscript and Boo…
although, coming from a web-design past I am obviously used with javascript, but after few attempts I could notice Unity3d doesn’t really have full support to the script language and some elements like new Date.valueOf and some other statements within methods such as the attribute arguments and many other won’t work properly, also it seems my file can’t have a wrapper method that envolves all the other methods like:
...})
and when using something like new Date.valueOf which is valid in JS I get:
MissingMethodException: Method not found: ‘System.DateTime.valueOf’. Boo.Lang.Runtime.DynamicDispatching.MethodDispatcherFactory.ProduceExtensionDispatcher
So perhaps the compiler turns that initial ‘unityscript’ code into Boo language? so perhaps Boo is the right ‘native’ choice and maybe unityscript itself isn’t the best way to go when developing unity3d apps?
I was thinking on a language that has full support to all known native classes and methods which will work without problem?
Sorry for any errors mentioned above and please let me know what you think.
UnityScript is based on javascript 2.0. There are a few things missing , but they get half the speed of C++, which is way faster than Mozilla.
Recommended Reading: Most Important Language To Learn
Unity Site And Youtube
The official Unity 3D tutorials, from Unity itself, are divided into two sections. There are tutorials for learning the actual engine, then there are services and production tutorials, which teach you some extra features well talk about later.
The tutorials for learning the engine will walk you through building different games. For beginners, theres a Roll-a-ball tutorial. Its a nine-part tutorial that does a good job of holding your hand through the process.
When you have roll-a-ball down, you can move into the space shooter tutorial section, where youll build a game revolving around asteroid blasting. We could all use more asteroid blasting.
Amidst these game-building tutorials, youll find other useful gems. One of the standouts is the procedural cave generation tutorial. Its a tutorial thatyes, that teaches you how to procedurally generate caves. Its a 9 part tutorial, and its for advanced scripting designers only! Dont skip the basics and jump to procedural cave generation, you wild animals!
If you have questions, you can use the official forums. The different tutorials have their own forums, so its not complete and total mayhem over there.
Dont let our 3D focus distract you from the 2D love! If 2D is your thing, you can check out the Unity 2D game creation section, which is chock-full of walkthroughs covering all the relevant elements you need to get cooking.
Unity Game Development Languages To Learn: What To Use And What To Avoid
There are a few coding languages you can use for Unity coding. Lets examine what language is Unity best suited for.
Use: C#, the C-like Languages
The C-like languages, C# and C++, are the perfect coding languages for nearly every programming endeavor. That makes them a natural choice for coding with Unity. Unity is already built using C#, so its only natural that using this coding language is an excellent fit for Unity.
Its a pretty significant coding language in the grand scheme of things and is relatively easy to learn if youre just coming onto the scene. Its also worth learning because of how widespread and used it is.
Avoid: Python
This may come somewhat as a surprise, as Python is a rather well-used and straightforward language in computing and programming. However, for Unity, it might not be the best fit. It may seem like the futures language, and it very well may be, but for Unity? Not so much.
While this language used for web development and machine learning is undoubtedly attractive, it can be a roundabout process of actually coding a game. This involves a lot of work behind the scenes that you can simply avoid by using C#.
Use: Lua
Since the accessibility for Lua is found on Unitys asset store, its actually quite simple to get it started. Using Lua, specifically, its variation MoonSharp, allows for excellent mod and workshop customization. Its worth your time and isnt too difficult to pick up.
Recommended Reading: What Are The Main Love Languages
Choosing The Best Programming Language To Learn For Game Development
What coding language should I learn?
There are a few questions you should ask yourself before you start learning a programming language.
What kind of job are you looking for?
This is crucial to the question: Whats the best coding language to learn? Your profession or interest will have a direct impact on what language you choose to code in. Lets look at some examples: jobs that rely heavily on coding languages.
Where Can You Learn Scripting For C# And C++
There are lots of online resources available to speed up your learning process.
For learning C# and Unity:
- C# Scripting Fundamentals – 4-week live course delivered by Circuit Stream instructors. It is available for free as a part of the VR Starter Plus package)
- Intro to C# for Unity Workshop free on-demand webinar where you’ll learn about C# scripting under 90 minutes with Jerry Medeiros
You May Like: What Language Do Native Americans Speak
For Something A Little Different: Lua
One of the best implementations of an external language for Unity is MoonSharp, a Lua interpreter. This project isn’t designed to replace C# as a language, but rather to act as a bridge.
The perfect use case for MoonSharp is adding a way for players to create game modifications in the Lua language. You could also use it to describe objects and design levels separately from your core game code.
If you are already coding in C# and looking for an interesting way to interface with your code, MoonSharp is worth consideration. Since this Unity scripting language is available for free on Unity’s Asset store, you can import it directly into your projects.
Is Python Or Java Better For Game Development
If youre a complete coding beginner, Python is a great place to start. Its readable for non-programmers, and PyGame makes it easy to start developing simple games. Learning Python also makes it easier to transition to Godot, an increasingly popular game engine.
That said, Pythons functionality is limited for video games. Java is more versatile and supports more advanced functionality for mobile games, without adding much difficulty. Its still a very beginner-friendly language, and the learning curve is much smaller than the C-based languages . Its worth trying out Java to see if its a good fit.
Read Also: The Importance Of Freedom Of Speech
Different Ways Of Writing Shaders
There are different ways of writing shaders:
- The most common way is to write vertex and fragment shaders in HLSL. For more information, see Writing vertex and fragment shaders.
- In the Built-in Render PipelineA series of operations that take the contents of a Scene, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelines, or write your own. More infoSee in Glossary, you can also write Surface Shaders. They are a simplified way of writing shaders that interact with lighting. For more information, see Surface ShadersA streamlined way of writing shaders for the Built-in Render Pipeline. More infoSee in Glossary.
- For backwards compatibility reasons, Unity also supports fixed function style ShaderLab commands. These let you write shaders in ShaderLab, without using HLSL. This is no longer recommended, but it is documented on the page ShaderLab legacy functionality.
Reasons To Hire A Unity Developer
Ease of use is certainly an advantage to building in Unity but by no means does it suggest that you should build an entire game by yourself.
Game development typically takes much longer than mobile or web development. The most enriching games take at least three years to develop.
You can opt for a simple 2D game to save time. Unity even has the capacity to accommodate such a project. But your time wont be spent wisely either way. Professional developers are by definition qualified and efficient.
Remember, there are also many other uses of Unity as well. And hiring developers for those uses is just as important.
Recommended Reading: Speech-language Pathology Graduate Programs By State
Unreal Engine 4 Vs Unity: Which Game Engine Is Best For You
Unreal Engine 4 and Unity are arguably two of the most popular game engines available to the public today. While many game development studios use their own proprietary game engines, theres still a huge market for indie developers.
If you want to get into game design, your next step is choosing which game engine to learn for launching your game. While both Unreal Engine 4 and Unity are excellent game engines, one may be a better option over the other depending on the interface and programming language you prefer.
Lets break down each game engine and look at their strong areas so you can decide which one will work best for you. Plus, well also list some of the great new features included on the newly released versions of Unreal Engine 4.24 and Unity 2019.2.17.
Is Python Or C++ Better For Game Development
C++ is the clear winner here. Its harder to learn than Python, but its potential in game development is unmatched.
C++ is:
- Much faster than Python, which is prone to lag when faced with the heavy server load of a video game.
- Compatible with more engines and programming languages, so you can do more with your game.
- Ideal for developing your own game engine, which expands your creative potential.
- Rich with gaming-specific libraries of all kinds, to give you more options.
The downside is C++s steep learning curve, which can be a barrier for beginners.
Read Also: How To Write Language Skills In Resume