Build exciting 2D/3D games and virtual reality applications with the help of hands-on examples Key Features Create five different types of games from scratch with Unity 2018 Import custom content into Unity from third-party tools such as Maya and Blender Learn to build NPCs with artificial intelligent behavior. Book DescriptionUnity is the most exciting and popular engine used for developing games. With its 2018 release, Unity has become the primary source of both game development and virtual reality content. In Unity 2018 By Example, you'll learn how to use Unity in order to make amazing games from popular genres - from action shooters to mind-bending puzzle games to adventure and Virtual Reality (VR) games. Even if you have no previous experience of using Unity, this book will help you understand the toolsets it provides in depth. In addition to this, you'll understand how to create time-critical collection games, twin-stick space shooters, platformers, and action-fest games with intelligent enemies. Finally, you'll get to grips with creating VR games with the new toolsets introduced by Unity to help you develop amazing VR experiences. To make things easier, you will be provided with step-by-step tutorials for making five great games in Unity 2018, along with a detailed explanation of all the fundamental concepts. By the end of this book, you'll have established a strong foundation in making games with Unity 2018. What you will learn Understand core Unity concepts, such as game objects, components, and scenes Study level-design techniques for building immersive and interesting worlds Make functional games with C# scripting Use the toolset creatively to build games with different themes and styles Handle player controls and input functionality Work with terrains and world-creation tools Get to grips with making both 2D and 3D games Who this book is forYou don't need to have any previous experience with Unity to enjoy Unity 2018 By Example, although you need to have basic knowledge of C#.

Build a high-end, multiplayer role-playing game (RPG) from scratch with C# and Unity 2018 Key Features Get insights into Unity's user interface (UI) system and and build UIs for your RPG Implement artificial intelligence (AI) to build intelligent entities that take your game to the next level Develop multiplayer features for an RPG using Unity 2018 Book DescriptionIn a role-playing game (RPG), users control a character, usually in the game's imaginary universe. Unity has become a top choice for developers looking to create these kinds of immersive RPGs. Building an RPG with Unity 2018, based on building some of the most common RPG features, teaches you tips, tricks, and techniques that can be applied to your own game. To start with, the book guides you through the fundamentals of role-playing games. You will learn the necessary aspects of building an RPG, such as structuring the game environment, customizing characters, controlling the camera, and designing other attributes such as inventory and weapons. You will also explore designing game levels by adding more features. Once you have understood the bigger picture, you will understand how to tackle the obstacles of networking in Unity and implement multiplayer mode for your RPG games. By the end of the book, you will be able to build upon the core RPG framework elements to create your own immersive games. What you will learn Construct a framework for inventory, equipment, characters, enemies, quests, and game events Understand how to load and unload scenes and assets Create multiplayer game settings for your RPG Design a UI for user input and feedback Implement AI for non-character players Customize your character at runtime Who this book is forBuilding an RPG with Unity 2018 is for you if you are a programmer interested in developing and further enhancing your skills when developing RPGs in Unity 2018. This book does not cover the basics of Unity, and so is for intermediate or more advanced users.

Create engaging Augmented Reality (AR) applications with Unity 3D that can be experienced with devices such as HoloLens and Daydream Key Features Learn the principles of AR application development Work with the most popular sensors used in AR games and applications across Android, Apple and Windows Build experiences with interactive objects, physics, UI, animations, and C# scripting Book DescriptionAugmented Reality allows for radical innovations in countless areas. It magically blends the physical and virtual worlds, bringing applications from a screen into your hands. Meanwhile, Unity has now become the leading platform to develop augmented reality experiences, as it provides a great pipeline for working with 3D assets. Using a practical and project-based approach, Unity 2018 Augmented Reality Projects educates you about the specifics of augmented reality development in Unity 2018. This book teaches you how to use Unity in order to develop AR applications which can be experienced with devices such as HoloLens and Daydream. You will learn to integrate, animate, and overlay 3D objects on your camera feed, before gradually moving on to implementing sensor-based AR applications. In addition to this, you will explore the technical considerations that are especially important and possibly unique to AR. The projects in the book demonstrate how you can build a variety of AR experiences, whilst also giving insights into C# programming as well as the Unity 3D game engine via the interactive Unity Editor. By the end of the book, you will be equipped to develop rich, interactive augmented reality experiences for a range of AR devices and platforms using Unity. What you will learn Build and run AR applications for specific headsets, including HoloLens and Daydream Create 3D scenes with Unity and other 3D tools while learning about world space and scale Move around your AR scenes using locomotion and teleportation Create filters or overlays that work in tandem with facial recognition software Use GPS, geolocation services, and the camera feed to create a fitness application Integrate AR and VR concepts together in a single application Who this book is forUnity 2018 Augmented Reality Projects is for you if you're a game developer familiar with 3D computer graphics and interested in building your own AR games or applications. Any experience in Unity and C# is an advantage.

Bring realism to your games by mastering post-processing effects and advanced shading techniques in Unity 2018 Key Features Learn the secrets of creating AAA quality shaders without writing long algorithms Master shader programming through easy-to-follow examples Create stunning visual effects that can be used in 3D games Book DescriptionSince their introduction to Unity, shaders have been seen as notoriously difficult to understand and implement in games. Complex mathematics has always stood in the way of creating your own shaders and attaining the level of realism you crave. Unity 2018 Shaders and Effects Cookbook changes that by giving you a recipe-based guide to creating shaders using Unity. It will show you everything you need to know about vectors, how lighting is constructed with them, and how textures are used to create complex effects without the heavy math. This book starts by teaching you how to use shaders without writing code with the post-processing stack. Then, you'll learn how to write shaders from scratch, build up essential lighting, and finish by creating stunning screen effects just like those in high-quality 3D and mobile games. You'll discover techniques, such as normal mapping, image-based lighting, and animating your models inside a shader. We'll explore how to use physically based rendering to treat light the way it behaves in the real world. At the end, we'll even look at Unity 2018's new Shader Graph system. With this book, what seems like a dark art today will be second nature by tomorrow. What you will learn Understand physically based rendering to fit the aesthetic of your game Write shaders from scratch in ShaderLab and HLSL/Cg Combine shader programming with interactive scripts to add life to your materials Design efficient shaders for mobile platforms without sacrificing their realism Use state-of-the-art techniques, such as volumetric explosions and fur shading Master the math and algorithms behind the most used lighting models Understand how shader models have evolved and how you can create your own Who this book is forUnity Shaders and Effects Cookbook is for developers who want to create their first shaders in Unity 2018 or wish to take their game to a whole new level by adding professional post-processing effects. A solid understanding of Unity is required to get the most from this book.

Transform games into environments using machine learning and Deep learning with Tensorflow, Keras, and Unity Key Features Learn how to apply core machine learning concepts to your games with Unity Learn the Fundamentals of Reinforcement Learning and Q-Learning and apply them to your games Learn How to build multiple asynchronous agents and run them in a training scenario Book DescriptionUnity Machine Learning agents allow researchers and developers to create games and simulations using the Unity Editor, which serves as an environment where intelligent agents can be trained with machine learning methods through a simple-to-use Python API. This book takes you from the basics of Reinforcement and Q Learning to building Deep Recurrent Q-Network agents that cooperate or compete in a multi-agent ecosystem. You will start with the basics of Reinforcement Learning and how to apply it to problems. Then you will learn how to build self-learning advanced neural networks with Python and Keras/TensorFlow. From there you move o n to more advanced training scenarios where you will learn further innovative ways to train your network with A3C, imitation, and curriculum learning models. By the end of the book, you will have learned how to build more complex environments by building a cooperative and competitive multi-agent ecosystem. What you will learn Develop Reinforcement and Deep Reinforcement Learning for games. Understand complex and advanced concepts of reinforcement learning and neural networks Explore various training strategies for cooperative and competitive agent development Adapt the basic script components of Academy, Agent, and Brain to be used with Q Learning. Enhance the Q Learning model with improved training strategies such as Greedy-Epsilon exploration Implement a simple NN with Keras and use it as an external brain in Unity Understand how to add LTSM blocks to an existing DQN Build multiple asynchronous agents and run them in a training scenario Who this book is forThis book is intended for developers with an interest in using Machine learning algorithms to develop better games and simulations with Unity. The reader will be required to have a working knowledge of C# and a basic understanding of Python.

A project based guides to learn animation, advanced shaders, environments, particle rendering, and networked games with Godot 3.0 Key Features Learn the art of developing cross-platform games Leverage Godot's node and scene system to design robust, reusable game objects Integrate Blender easily and efficiently with Godot to create powerful 3D games Book DescriptionGodot Engine Game Development Projects is an introduction to the Godot game engine and its new 3.0 version. Godot 3.0 brings a large number of new features and capabilities that make it a strong alternative to expensive commercial game engines. For beginners, Godot offers a friendly way to learn game development techniques, while for experienced developers it is a powerful, customizable tool that can bring your visions to life. This book consists of five projects that will help developers achieve a sound understanding of the engine when it comes to building games. Game development is complex and involves a wide spectrum of knowledge and skills. This book can help you build on your foundation level skills by showing you how to create a number of small-scale game projects. Along the way, you will learn how Godot works and discover important game development techniques that you can apply to your projects. Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach and practical examples, the book will take you from the absolute basics through to sophisticated game physics, animations, and other techniques. Upon completing the final project, you will have a strong foundation for future success with Godot 3.0. What you will learn Get started with the Godot game engine and editor Organize a game project Import graphical and audio assets Use Godot's node and scene system to design robust, reusable game objects Write code in GDScript to capture input and build complex behaviors Implement user interfaces to display information Create visual effects to spice up your game Learn techniques that you can apply to your own game projects Who this book is forGodot Engine Game Development Projects is for both new users and experienced developers, who want to learn to make games using a modern game engine. Some prior programming experience in C and C++ is recommended.

Explore the latest features of Unity 2018 to create immersive VR projects for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Daydream and Gear VR Key Features A project-based guide to teach you how to develop immersive and fun VR applications using Unity 3D Build experiences with interactable objects, physics, UI, animations, C# scripting, and other Unity features Explore the world of VR by building experiences such as diorama, first-person characters, 360-degree projections, social VR, audio fireball game, and VR storytelling Book DescriptionUnity has become the leading platform for building virtual reality games, applications, and experiences for this new generation of consumer VR devices. Unity Virtual Reality Projects walks you through a series of hands-on tutorials and in-depth discussions on using the Unity game engine to develop VR applications. With its practical and project-based approach, this book will get you up to speed with the specifics of VR development in Unity. You will learn how to use Unity to develop VR applications that can be experienced with devices such as Oculus, Daydream, and Vive. Among the many topics and projects, you will explore gaze-based versus hand-controller input, world space UI canvases, locomotion and teleportation, software design patterns, 360-degree media, timeline animation, and multiplayer networking. You will learn about the Unity 3D game engine via the interactive Unity Editor, and you will also learn about C# programming. By the end of the book, you will be fully equipped to develop rich, interactive VR experiences using Unity. What you will learn Create 3D scenes with Unity and other 3D tools while learning about world space and scale Build and run VR applications for specific headsets, including Oculus, Vive, and Daydream Interact with virtual objects using eye gaze, hand controllers, and user input events Move around your VR scenes using locomotion and teleportation Implement an audio fireball game using physics and particle systems Implement an art gallery tour with teleportation and data info Design and build a VR storytelling animation with a soundtrack and timelines Create social VR experiences with Unity networking Who this book is forIf you're a non-programmer unfamiliar with 3D computer graphics, or experienced in both but new to virtual reality, and are interested in building your own VR games or applications, then this book is for you. Any experience in Unity is an advantage.

Master Game UI system by creating captivating user interface components with Unity 5 through Unity 2018 and C#. Learn about UI texts, images, world space UI, mobile-specific UI and much more. Key Features Develop a game UI with both technical and aesthetic considerations Use all the UI elements provided by Unity's UI system Step-by-step examples of creating user interface components in the top game genres Book DescriptionA functional UI is an important component for player interaction in every type of video game. Along with imparting crucial statistical information to the player, the UI is also the window through which the player engages with the world established by the game. Unity's tools give you the opportunity to create complex and attractive UIs to make your game stand out. This book helps you realize the full potential of Unity's powerful tools to create the best UI for your games by walking you through the creation of myriad user interface components. Learn how to create visually engaging heads-up-displays, pause menus, health bars, circular progress bars, animated menus, and more. This book not only teaches how to lay out visual elements, but also how to program these features and implement them across multiple games of varying genres. While working through the examples provided, you will learn how to develop a UI that scales to multiple screen resolutions, so your game can be released on multiple platforms with minimal changes. What you will learn Design principles and patterns for laying out elements in your UI Techniques that allow your UI to scale appropriately in different resolutions How to use automatic layouts to streamline your UI building process Properties of the Event System and how to appropriately hook events to your UI elements Access the components and properties of UI elements via code Implement all of Unity's built-in UI elements as well as those provided by TextMeshPro Develop key UI components that are popularly used in multiple game genres Add visual flare to user interfaces with the use of animation and particle effects Create a UI that displays in the Screen Space as well as World Space Who this book is forThis book is for anyone keen to improve their games via a great user interface with Unity's UI system. If you're looking for a book that explains how to develop specific user interfaces or that thoroughly explains how each of the individual Unity components work, this book is for you.

A complete guide to designing and building fun games with Qt and Qt Quick using associated toolsets Key Features A step by step guide to learn Qt by building simple yet entertaining games Get acquainted with a small yet powerful addition-Qt Gamepad Module, that enables Qt applications to support the use of gamepad hardware Understand technologies such as QML, OpenGL, and Qt Creator to design intuitive games Book DescriptionQt is the leading cross-platform toolkit for all significant desktop, mobile, and embedded platforms and is becoming popular by the day, especially on mobile and embedded devices. It's a powerful tool that perfectly fits the needs of game developers. This book will help you learn the basics of Qt and will equip you with the necessary toolsets to build apps and games. The book begins by how to create an application and prepare a working environment for both desktop and mobile platforms. You will learn how to use built-in Qt widgets and Form Editor to create a GUI application and then learn the basics of creating graphical interfaces and Qt's core concepts. Further, you'll learn to enrich your games by implementing network connectivity and employing scripting. You will learn about Qt's capabilities for handling strings and files, data storage, and serialization. Moving on, you will learn about the new Qt Gamepad module and how to add it in your game and then delve into OpenGL and Vulcan, and how it can be used in Qt applications to implement hardware-accelerated 2D and 3D graphics. You will then explore various facets of Qt Quick: how it can be used in games to add game logic, add game physics, and build astonishing UIs for your games. By the end of this book, you will have developed the skillset to develop interesting games with Qt. What you will learn Install the latest version of Qt on your system Understand the basic concepts of every Qt game and application Develop 2D object-oriented graphics using Qt Graphics View Build multiplayer games or add a chat function to your games with Qt Network module Script your game with Qt QML Explore the Qt Gamepad module in order to integrate gamepad support in C++ and QML applications Program resolution-independent and fluid UIs using QML and Qt Quick Control your game flow in line with mobile device sensors Test and debug your game easily with Qt Creator and Qt Test Who this book is forIf you want to create great graphical user interfaces and astonishing games with Qt, this book is ideal for you. No previous knowledge of Qt is required; however knowledge of C++ is mandatory.

Design accessible and creative games across genres, platforms, and development realities Key Features Implement the skills and techniques required to work in a professional studio Ace the core principles and processes of level design, world building, and storytelling Design interactive characters that animate the gaming world Book DescriptionIf you are looking for an up-to-date and highly applicable guide to game design, then you have come to the right place! Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design with this book, written by two highly experienced industry professionals to share their profound insights as well as give valuable advice on creating games across genres and development platforms. Practical Game Design covers the basics of game design one piece at a time. Starting with learning how to conceptualize a game idea and present it to the development team, you will gradually move on to devising a design plan for the whole project and adapting solutions from other games. You will also discover how to produce original game mechanics without relying on existing reference material, and test and eliminate anticipated design risks. You will then design elements that compose the playtime of a game, followed by making game mechanics, content, and interface accessible to all players. You will also find out how to simultaneously ensure that the gameplay mechanics and content are working as intended. As the book reaches its final chapters, you will learn to wrap up a game ahead of its release date, work through the different challenges of designing free-to-play games, and understand how to significantly improve their quality through iteration, polishing and playtesting. What you will learn Define the scope and structure of a game project Conceptualize a game idea and present it to others Design gameplay systems and communicate them clearly and thoroughly Build and validate engaging game mechanics Design successful business models and prepare your games for live operations Master the principles behind level design, worldbuilding and storytelling Improve the quality of a game by playtesting and polishing it Who this book is forWhether you are a student eager to design a game or a junior game designer looking for your first role as a professional, this book will help you with the fundamentals of game design. By focusing on best practices and a pragmatic approach, Practical Game Design provides insights into the arts and crafts from two senior game designers that will interest more seasoned professionals in the game industry.