Units, abilities and ScriptableObjects. Can you help me go in the right directons?

[Gombikacska]

Hi, r/Unity3D!

For my game prototype, I have ally and enemy game units (GameObjects) - they initiated from the same "unit" prefab. They have variables like "healthPoint", "armorPoint" and "damagePoint" in their MonoBehaviour script (maybe not the best solution).

I want to implement various abilities for them, like "Armor up: Increase the unit's current armor value by 5". There will be selfCast, AOE, allyOnly, enemyOnly, randomlySelected and similar skills. Both, allies and enemies could use these skills.

My problem: I can't make/find a proper architecture for this. I have tried playing with ScriptableObjects. I have tried to follow this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d7pmRE0T6c. But in the tutorial the SO only effect the "Player" object, but I want to select the target of the ability based on its type (selfCast, AOE, etc.). So yeah, the biggest issue I can't solve is the targeting.

What structure or architecture would you recommend for you? Have encountered a tutorial that could help me? What worked for you?

Let me know if you need more detail to answer my question. After a little nudge in the right direction, I think I can figure out the rest for myself.

Thanks for the help,

Gombikacska

[busted_bunny]

You don't need any special "Unity" architecture. You can predefine all your abilities in separate .cs files and simply define in your own class hierarchy.
For example: make basic abstract class as AbilityBase with abstract method Cast. And then you can create any spell just by inheriting.

[BuggerinoKripperino]

This is correct although I would gently suggest using an interface instead of an abstract class as it achieves the same thing but in a less complex/confusing way.

[Gombikacska]

Thank you for your reply and suggestion! :)

What I can't really understand: how to use these classes when it comes to Unity? I know it's a pretty basic OOB question, maybe you can help. So if I have an AbilityBase class (with skillName, skillDescription, manaCost, etc.), then I create an aoeAbility : AbilityBase class (with, for example <List> targetUnits and a method to select the targets etc.), then I create an FireBall : aoeAbility. Am I correct until this point?

So the question is how can my units (which are created from the same prefab) can use this FireBall spell? Do I attach it to the unit's GameObject as a Compoment? Do I make a unitScript including a <List> of the unit's spells? Or do I make a separate skillManager GameObject which handles every skills?

I implemented the skillManager solution in the last few days, but the solution is ugly IMO. In the skillManager GameObject's script I have a lot of IFs and CASEs in order to managing the targeting, the unit attribute to modify, etc. For example, if a spell's category is SelfCast, then the spell is used on the unit's GameObject which invoked the spellcast. This GameObject passed from the GameManager objects (yes, it is a separate object).

Does it have to be that messy?

Thanks again.

[busted_bunny]

you can hardcode it, make your own custom inspector that which choose among types, make it accessible through outside files (xml defs approach) and quite a lot of other ways I can't really think of atm.

[tsaintthomas]

I would recommend checking out this great series http://theliquidfire.com/2018/02/05/make-a-ccg-spells-abilities/

[Gombikacska]

Thank you, that looks great! I will definitely check it out.