Build Your First Game: Deathmatch!

Overview

Jump in and build a game using Core’s Deathmatch framework. Customize as much or as little as you want to build this multiplayer arena shooter.

Start a New Project

To get started, use the Create menu to make a new project

Click Create New

  1. With Core open, click the Create Tab on the top menu.
  2. Click Create New button.

Select the Deathmatch framework

  1. Click Deathmatch under the Gameplay Frameworks section.
  2. Name your project. MyFirstGame works well, but choose any name.
  3. Click Create.

Explore the Project

The Deathmatch framework gives you a complete game arena and shooter functionality out of the box.

Test Shooter Mechanics

Besides player movement, Deathmatch also gives each player a gun to shoot, and the ability to open and close doors.

  • Shoot the default gun with the left mouse button.
  • Open and close a door with F.

Test Multiplayer Gameplay

Core projects also include multiplayer networking by default. Because this is a crucial component of this game, it is important to test using Multiplayer Preview Mode as much as possible.

  1. Click Multiplayer Preview Mode switch the Preview Mode to Multiplayer.
  2. Press Play to start the preview. This will open a separate game

You can use Alt + Enter to toggle between fullscreen and windowed mode. You can also use Win + Arrow to dock the screens side by side.

Customize the Arena

Explore Core Content

  1. Click Core Content.
  2. Drop down the 3D Objects menu to see the props and objects that can be added to the scene.
  3. Click on the Nature subcategory.
  4. Choose a bush and some other props to drag into the scene.

Create Hiding Places

You can move, turn, and resize objects.

  1. Click on the bush and press W to move it.
  2. Use the arrows to move it into a good hiding place for a player.
  3. Press R to change the size of the bush.
  4. Click and drag the white box at the center of the bush to resize it proportionately.
  5. Move, rotate, and scale the rest of the objects to enhance the scene.

Turn Off Collision

By default, Core objects have collision, so players can’t just walk into bushes yet.

  1. Test this by pressing Play to preview the game.
  2. Look at your props from a player perspective. You should be able to walk up to a bush, but collide with it once you touch it.
  3. Click on the bush to select it, and open the Properties window.
  4. Find the Collision property and change it to Force Off

You should now be able to walk into the bush. Test this in Multiplayer Preview Mode to see how well it works for concealment.

You can reopen the Properties or Core Content windows by going to View > Properties in the top menu bar.

Finishing the Arena

Add a Material to an Object

Materials allow you to add colors and textures to the objects in the scene, by dragging and dropping them onto objects.

  1. In the Core Content window, drop down the Materials menu to see the options.
  2. Pick a material, and drag it onto one of the objects in the scene.

Cover the Walls

You can apply a material to multiple objects by selecting them.

  • Use Ctrl+ left click to select more objects.
  • Left click and drag to select objects in an area.
  1. Use Ctrl + left click to select all the Whitebox Wall 01 objects that you want to decorate.
  2. Double click the Material selector and apply the material of your choosing.

You can also select the entire list by clicking the first object in the list, then holding Shift and scroll down to click the last.

Give Everything a Material

You can continue using these techniques to complete the appearance of your Deathmatch arena. Try searching for each of these labels to apply materials in groups:

  • stairs
  • window insert
  • floor

You can customize materials and how they apply to objects. Learn more in the Custom Material Tutorial.

Customizing Gameplay

In this final section, you will find different ways to change the gameplay itself.

Add Double Jumping

  1. Find Player Settings by searching for it in the Hierarchy.
  2. Open the Properties window to see all the settings that can be changed for each player
  3. In the Jump section, change Jump Max Count to 2,
  4. Press Play to test out double-jumping with Space.

Change The Round Kill Limit

In the top left corner of the screen in game, you can see that you win the Deathmatch by killing 10 opponents. This can be changed in Game Settings.

  1. Search for Round Kill Limit in the Hierarchy.
  2. Open the Properties window.
  3. Find the KillLimit property and change it to 2.
  4. Start a Multiplayer Preview of your game, and see if you win by shooting an opponent twice.

Change the UI Instructions

Although the game now ends after two kills, the instructions shown on the screen still tell players to shoot for ten.

  1. Search for UI Text Box under Game Instructions in the Hierarchy.
  2. Open the Properties window.
  3. Change the Text property to match your game’s win condition.

Move the Player Start

Let’s move the “Player Start” where players spawn to be further apart. Press V to toggle gizmo visibility– you can now see the camera, spawn points, and trigger boxes.

  1. Search for Spawn Point in the Hierarchy.
  2. Move the spawn points around the map the same way you would any object.

Press 0 to create a spawn point at your cursor’s location.

Publishing a Game

You now have a complete and unique deathmatch-style game. If you are ready to test it with real human players, then publish your game

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