In this case, I’ve been dedicating time to the course Make Online Games Using Unity's NEW Multiplayer Framework, offered by GameDevTV on the Udemy platform. They also offer it on their own GameDevTV platform, but I got it during a sale on Udemy.
The course starts with the development of a simple shooting game where each player’s tank moves around a top-down arena, shooting at other players' tanks. As in other GameDevTV courses, beyond the core multiplayer focus, it also covers various typical game mechanics, such as movement, player input, shooting, health management, collectibles, GUI, and particle systems (I especially liked how they implemented the tank tracks). All of these mechanics are explained in detail, and the code provided for implementing them is high quality. Overall, I felt that the instructor is experienced and adheres to best coding practices.
In terms of the networking section, it’s a vast topic, and it’s well explained. I would have liked a bit more focus on the fundamental concepts of RPC, as even after finishing the course, I still feel I haven’t fully grasped some nuances. My impression is that the RPC section explains the how but could benefit from more emphasis on the why behind certain approaches in RPC. That said, I found the RPC part to be similar to what’s in Godot, so if you're already familiar with it in Godot, the Unity approach should come easily. I have to admit that I’m not quite there yet.
Where the course does go into extensive, valuable detail is in integrating Unity Game Services (UGS) multiplayer functionalities. This is great because UGS provides numerous services ready to use, saving us the trouble of implementing and maintaining them from scratch. When analyzing all that UGS offers, it’s clear that Godot is still quite underdeveloped in this area. Even comparing what W4 Games provides to UGS, the former comes up short, offering only a subset of what the latter has already developed.
Overall, my impression of the course is very positive. I think it covers the most important aspects for a game with up to several dozen players. If you’re looking to create an MMORPG with Unity, this course probably won’t suit your needs, but it’s also unclear if Unity and UGS are the best options for a game of that type.
In summary, it’s a highly recommended course for anyone interested in making multiplayer games. However, I would suggest not taking it until you’re truly comfortable with the engine. It’s at a medium-advanced level.
