Well, in this unit we are going to talk on some aspects related to prototypes and our games' prototyping to begin checking design. As we have seen and talking about in the previous modules, design begins on the paper but ends in the engine and we must begin its implementation as soon as possible. On paper everything is fine but until it isn't at an interactive engine, we can't know exactly whether the design is right or not or if it works or not. So prototyping and creating prototypes is used to validate the conceptual design and discovering errors. Sometimes errors are simply because the implementation hasn't been properly done and sometimes the error is more conceptual, something has been created to work in a certain way and provoke a determined experience, but in the end it isn't as it was intended. Well, when prototypes are being created or implemented, the basic mechanics, the gameplay and all the level's design are implemented. They are used to test all these different elements. Usually basic mechanics make reference to the character's movement, if it jumps or if it shoots, for example, as gameplay and level design are already related to the other different elements and how they affect each other. Well, prototypes are created mostly at the beginning of the projects, in the beginning of the projects development, as prototypes are used to prevent and anticipate how the ideas being developed will be in the end, in the future, when the other elements begin being integrated. So, they are used to make the first initial tests and they are very useful to later direct the development and design process. Through these tests and validating and evaluating their results, we can see if the design follows the right path, and we can also know if we can go on with the development or, on the other hand, we must change something. To create prototypes we need a minimal and adapted technology, it isn't necessary to have an extremely developed technology, but it must be enough to test the different mechanics. Also, it is very important to have a basic provisional art. It isn't necessary to have an absolutely definitive art, as we want to save some time and making the definitive art would require a lot of time, so the tests are done with a very provisional art. Prototypes are created through the different engines used to make each project, and this depends on the development studio, it can also depend on other factors such as the kind of game or the kind of platform in which this game is going to be developed. We have many options in the market in the development studios, as they can use engines they have internally created and there are other studios that prefer using commercial engines. They are enterprises that have created these engines and sell them so that developers can use them to develop video games or even interactive applications. There are a lot of engines, probably the most known ones are Unity and Unreal, but in our course we will use Unity. Let's begin talking on some initial concepts about this tool. Unity is an integration tool. This means that it allows us to put art elements, that is, animation graphics with programming elements which are basically code, scripts and elements of the design that have been created through the art and through programming and allows us to quickly put them together. But beware, this doesn't mean creating art and programming and design is something fast, right? Once you have art and programming done, integration and testing and checking and evaluating the result is very easy, but we must understand that often, especially art but also programming, can take a lot of time and to create art and programming different programs are used: external programs both for graphics and animation, and for the code creation. So these contents are moved, exported, brought to Unity, and there they are integrated, capturing and implementing design to get the wished objective. Another important element is that this tool is meant so that it can be developed for many platforms, so that one makes implementation and integration in a single work process and then it allows us to export them to different platforms, from mobiles, to consoles, laptops or desktop computers. Although they are free to use, they have their limitations and there is a huge community of users. There are a lot of developers using this tool and this allows us to, through the different existent users webs, we can see already finished projects and share doubts and experiences on development examples. What we are going to talk about in this unit is basically the interface and how we work in the program. And here we want to point out that the objective is giving a sight on how this tool works and its capacities. Properly learning to use Unity requires a lot of time, dedication and working on specific projects that have their development time, so its learning isn't a fast process. Well, now we will go to the program and start explaining how the basic interface works and how to use Unity.
