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Documentation for Multiplayer Third-Person Game in

Unity
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Game Engine & Tools
Unity with Photon
Unity with Mirror
Unity with Netcode for GameObjects
3. Character Controller
Implementing a Third-Person Character Controller
Smooth Movement and Animations
Camera Controls
4. Networking & Syncing
Synchronization of Players
Animation Syncing
Physics Syncing
5. Map & Environment
Creating an Optimized 3D World
Tools and Techniques
6. Conclusion
7. Additional Insights and Data

1. Introduction
This document aims to provide a comprehensive guide for creating a multiplayer third-person game
using Unity. This includes setting up the game engine, implementing a character controller, ensuring
proper networking and synchronization, and optimizing the 3D world.

2. Game Engine & Tools

Unity with Photon
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Photon Engine offers solutions for developing and launching multiplayer games. Key features include:
Photon Unity Networking (PUN): Enables developers to create real-time multiplayer games
without punchthrough issues. It includes extensive documentation and support (Photon Unity
Networking for Unity Multiplayer Games | PUN2).
Photon Fusion: Supports high-performance and scalable multiplayer game development (Photon
Fusion 101).
Ease of Use: User-friendly with comprehensive support (Photon Engine).

Unity with Mirror

Mirror is an open-source networking library designed to simplify and accelerate networked game
development. Key features include:
Open Source and Free: MIT licensed with extensive test coverage (GitHub).
Ease of Use: High-level API optimized for ease of use (Mirror Networking).
Extensive Documentation and Tutorials: Available on the Mirror Networking GitBook and
YouTube (Mirror Networking GitBook).

Unity with Netcode for GameObjects

Netcode for GameObjects is a high-level networking library designed for Unity:
Overview: Abstracts networking logic and integrates with Unity's existing workflows (About
Netcode for GameObjects).
Getting Started: Provides practical steps to build and test a basic multiplayer game (Get started
with Netcode for GameObjects).
Manual: Explains the SDK and its capabilities (Manual: Netcode for GameObjects).

3. Character Controller
Implementing a Third-Person Character Controller
To create a third-person character controller, several resources and guides are available:
Unity Documentation: Provides a detailed guide on setting up a third-person character (Unity
Documentation).
Medium Article: Offers practical explanations and code examples (Create Third-Person Controller
in Unity).
Unity Asset Store: Includes a pre-built package from Unity Technologies (Starter Assets -
ThirdPerson).

Smooth Movement and Animations

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Smooth movement and animations are crucial for a third-person character controller. Utilize Unity's
animation system and blend trees to achieve fluid animations.

Camera Controls
Implementing responsive camera controls is essential for a third-person perspective. Resources are
available to guide you through this process:
YouTube Course: Covers first-person and third-person camera controls (Course).

4. Networking & Syncing

Synchronization of Players
Proper synchronization of players is critical to ensure a fair and smooth multiplayer experience.
Techniques include:
Client-Server Model: Central server maintains the authoritative game state.
Client-Side Prediction: Reduces perceived latency by predicting outcomes.
Latency Compensation: Adjusts the game state to account for network delays.

For more detailed insights, refer to:

Game Mechanics #1: Multiplayer Network Synchronization.

Animation Syncing
Animation syncing ensures that player animations are consistent across all clients. Utilize Unity's
animation system and network synchronization tools to achieve this.

Physics Syncing
Physics syncing involves ensuring that physical interactions are consistent across all clients.
Techniques include:
Interpolation and Extrapolation: Smooth out movement based on past and current data.
Lag Compensation: Adjusts the game state to account for delays in player inputs.

5. Map & Environment

Creating an Optimized 3D World
Creating an optimized 3D world involves using tools and techniques to ensure performance and visual
quality.

Tools and Techniques

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Unity Terrain and ProBuilder: Use these tools to create and modify 3D environments.
Level of Detail (LOD): Use different versions of a 3D model based on distance from the camera
(Unity Manual: Level of Detail).
Occlusion Culling: Render only visible parts of the scene (Unity Manual: Occlusion Culling).

Additional optimization techniques include:

Quality Settings: Disable unnecessary quality levels.
Texture Management: Use compressed textures and texture atlases.
Model Optimization: Remove unseen faces to reduce polygon count.

For more detailed guidance, visit Unity - Configuring your Unity project for stronger performance.

6. Conclusion
Creating a multiplayer third-person game in Unity involves several key components: using the right
game engine and networking tools, implementing a smooth and responsive character controller,
ensuring proper synchronization of players and animations, and optimizing the 3D world for
performance. By following the guidelines and utilizing the resources provided, you can develop a
robust and engaging multiplayer experience.

7. Additional Insights and Data

Industry Trends and Impact
The Unity Gaming Report 2023 highlights several key trends in the gaming industry:
1. Increased Focus on Multiplayer: Developers are increasingly concentrating on multiplayer game
experiences, utilizing more out-of-the-box templates and tools that facilitate multiplayer
functionality (Unity Gaming Report 2023).
2. Indie Developers Thriving: Indie studios are shipping games more rapidly while working fewer
hours, indicating a shift in how smaller teams are managing their development processes.
3. Diverse Multiplayer Setups: Studios are experimenting with various multiplayer configurations,
which reflects a broader trend of integrating multiplayer features into games of all types.
4. Generative AI Integration: There is a growing trend of incorporating generative AI in the game
development process, which aims to enhance productivity and streamline workflows.
5. Personalized Gaming Experiences: Game designs are increasingly adapting to user progress and
skill levels, indicating a move towards more personalized gaming experiences.

Challenges in Physics Synchronization

The synchronization of player physics in Unity multiplayer games presents several challenges:

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1. Determinism Issues: Unity's physics system is not deterministic, meaning that different clients
may produce different physics outcomes from the same inputs. This leads to difficulties in
ensuring that all players perceive the same movement and interactions in the game world
(source).
2. Latency and Lag: A common problem is the lag experienced in multiplayer settings, which can
cause players to see actions that are out of sync with one another. Objects may update on different
timelines, leading to discrepancies in gameplay experiences (source).
3. Network Bandwidth: High bandwidth usage can occur when trying to synchronize complex
physics interactions across multiple clients, which can exacerbate latency issues and result in
packet loss (source).
4. Collision Detection: Ensuring consistent collision detection across different clients is challenging,
as different clients may interpret physical interactions differently due to timing issues. This
inconsistency can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences (source).
5. Performance Costs: Synchronizing physics can also lead to increased CPU usage on servers, as
they need to manage and compute the physics for all players simultaneously. This can impact the
performance of the game (source).

Case Studies
Several case studies in multiplayer game development provide insights into successful projects:
Ramen VR: Utilized data-driven game development techniques to launch "Zenith: The Last City,"
achieving the status of the #1 bestselling game across all major VR platforms (GameAnalytics).
Bullieverse: Partnered with Revolgy to address challenges in multiplayer matchmaking and
analytics for their game Necrodemic (Revolgy's website).
Red Barrels: Launched "The Outlast Trials," marking their first venture into multiplayer gaming
despite having no prior experience (Amazon Web Services).
Valheim: Demonstrated how Microsoft's Azure PlayFab supports cross-platform multiplayer
experiences (Microsoft developer site).

Arguments Against Using Photon

Arguments against using Photon for Unity multiplayer include:
1. Large Overhead: Photon's binary protocol is considered inefficient compared to other networking
solutions, leading to potential performance issues (source).
2. Lobby Limitations: Players cannot see or communicate with each other while inside a lobby,
which could negatively affect the gaming experience (source).
3. Dedicated Servers: Photon uses dedicated servers, which may not be ideal for all game types
(source).

Additional Recommendations

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1. Networking Library Synergies: Explore hybrid networking solutions that combine strengths from
multiple libraries (e.g., Photon for matchmaking and Mirror for in-game networking) to leverage
their respective advantages while mitigating individual limitations.
2. Generative AI for NPCs: Integrate generative AI to create dynamic and adaptive NPC behaviors in
multiplayer environments, enhancing gameplay complexity and player engagement without
significantly increasing development workload.
3. Adaptive Physics Syncing: Implement a tiered synchronization strategy where critical physics
interactions (e.g., collisions) are prioritized for real-time sync, while less critical interactions use
interpolation and prediction to reduce network load and maintain game performance.
4. Real-Time Analytics: Utilize real-time analytics to monitor and adjust game parameters
dynamically, ensuring optimal performance and player experience.
5. Player Moderation Systems: Develop advanced player moderation systems using AI to detect and
mitigate disruptive behaviors in real-time.
6. Cross-Platform Development: Prioritize tools and techniques that facilitate cross-platform play,
ensuring seamless interactions between players on different devices and operating systems.

Level Of Detail (LOD) Rendering

LOD rendering is an optimization technique in Unity that reduces the number of triangles rendered
for objects as they move farther from the camera. This approach decreases the graphical load on
hardware, leading to improved rendering performance, especially in complex scenes where many
objects are present (Unity Manual: Level of Detail).

Photon Unity Networking Statistics

Photon Unity Networking provides tools for monitoring network performance and metrics, including:
1. PhotonStatsGui: A GUI component for tracking and showing network metrics at runtime (Photon
Stats Gui - Pun 2 - Fusion 2 Introduction).
2. Network Traffic: A typical 15-minute game using Photon can consume between 12 and 24 MB of
mobile data (Photon Networking (Photon Pun) Is 3GB of Pun = ...).
3. Fusion Statistics: UI components for monitoring useful telemetry in Fusion (Fusion Statistics |
Photon Engine).
4. App and Lobby Stats: Photon servers can broadcast application and lobby statistics for custom
matchmaking systems (Pun 2 App and Lobby Stats | Photon Engine - Fusion).

User Feedback on Netcode for GameObjects

User feedback on "Netcode for GameObjects" is generally positive:
1. Developer Experience: Developers appreciate its high-level networking capabilities and ease of
setup (Unity Forum Discussion).
2. Community Support: Users share tips and guides for implementing specific features, indicating a
supportive community (YouTube Video).
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3. Official Documentation: Comprehensive overview and practical steps to build multiplayer games
(Unity Documentation).

Performance of Third-Person Character Controllers

Performance considerations and best practices for third-person character controllers:
1. Performance Concerns: Avoiding performance-critical calls like FindObjectOfType and
GetComponent can enhance performance. Using entities (DOTS) rather than GameObjects can
significantly improve performance (Unity Discussions).
2. Development Resources: Unity offers starter assets that include third-person character
controllers (Unity Asset Store).
3. Community Insights: Notable third-person games like "Prince of Persia" and "Tomb Raider" are
often cited for their effective character controller designs (Unity Discussions).

Mirror Networking vs. Fish-Networking

Performance comparison indicates that Mirror Networking is approximately 5% more efficient in
bandwidth usage, while Fish-Networking operates at about 90-95% bandwidth efficiency (source:
performance metrics available as of August 26, 2023).

Advanced Networking and Syncing Techniques

Deterministic Lockstep
Deterministic lockstep is a synchronization method where all game clients process the same inputs at
the same time to maintain consistent game states. This technique:
Ensures all players experience identical gameplay
Reduces bandwidth requirements by only sending inputs, not state
Works best for games where precision timing is crucial

Hybrid Networking Architecture

A hybrid networking approach combines:

Authoritative Servers: Handle critical game elements like scoring, item spawning, and win
conditions
Peer-to-Peer Connections: Manage less critical interactions for reduced latency
Local Prediction: Implement client-side prediction with server reconciliation for responsive
gameplay

Enhanced Character Controller Features

Procedural Animation

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Procedural animation dynamically generates character movements based on environmental

conditions and player inputs:
Adaptive Movement: Characters naturally adjust to terrain changes
Realistic Physics Responses: Bodies react believably to forces and impacts
Varied Animations: Reduces repetitive movements for more natural-looking characters

Inverse Kinematics (IK)

IK systems allow characters to interact naturally with the environment:

Foot Placement: Characters' feet properly align with uneven terrain
Hand Interactions: Characters can realistically grasp objects
Body Positioning: Characters maintain natural postures when interacting with the world

Advanced Environment Optimization

Dynamic Level of Detail (DLOD)

DLOD systems adjust detail levels based on:

Player Focus: Higher detail for objects in the player's direct attention
Gameplay Context: Critical gameplay elements maintain higher detail regardless of distance
System Performance: Automatically adjusts based on current performance metrics

Procedural Generation Techniques

Procedural generation can create varied and expansive environments:
Runtime Generation: Dynamically create content as players explore
Seed-Based Systems: Generate consistent worlds from simple numeric seeds
Biome Blending: Create natural transitions between different environment types

AI Integration for Enhanced Gameplay

AI-Driven NPCs
Generative AI can create more engaging non-player characters:
Adaptive Behaviors: NPCs learn from and respond to player tactics
Natural Language Interaction: Enable more natural communication with NPCs
Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment: NPCs automatically scale challenge based on player skill

Dynamic Content Creation

AI tools can generate game content to enhance replayability:

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Procedural Quests: Generate unique missions based on player preferences

Adaptive Storytelling: Create narrative elements that respond to player choices
Custom Assets: Generate visual and audio assets that match the game's style

Real-Time Game Management

Analytics-Driven Game Balancing
Real-time analytics enable dynamic game adjustments:
Player Performance Monitoring: Track metrics to identify balance issues
Automatic Adjustments: Modify game parameters to maintain optimal challenge
A/B Testing: Compare different game configurations to optimize player engagement

Community Management Systems

AI-powered moderation tools help maintain positive player communities:

Behavior Pattern Recognition: Identify problematic players before issues escalate
Content Filtering: Automatically screen inappropriate content
Reward Systems: Encourage positive social interactions among players

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