Learn to Program with C# – VARIABLES – Beginner Unity Tutorial

Hey there! I’m excited to dive into the world of C# programming with you, focusing on variables – a fundamental concept that’s crucial for any aspiring game developer. As someone who’s created countless first-person shooters, I can tell you that understanding variables is like learning to aim in an FPS game. It’s a basic skill, but mastering it opens up a whole new level of gameplay – or in our case, coding possibilities.

Variables are the building blocks of programming. They’re like the ammo in your virtual gun – you need them to make things happen in your code. Just as different guns in an FPS might use different types of ammo, C# uses different types of variables to store different kinds of information.

Let’s break down the anatomy of a variable:

1. Access Modifier: This is like choosing whether your weapon is available to all players (public) or just for your personal use (private). In C#, we use ‘public’ or ‘private’ to control who can access our variables.
2. Data Type: This is similar to selecting the type of ammo for your gun. In C#, we have several data types:

• int: For whole numbers (like your player’s health points)
• float: For decimal numbers (like your character’s movement speed)
• string: For text (like your player’s name)
• bool: For true/false values (like checking if your gun is loaded)

1. Variable Name: This is the unique identifier for your variable, like naming your favorite weapon.
2. Value (optional): This is what you’re storing in the variable, like how much ammo you have left.

Here’s how we’d create a variable for a player’s health in C#:

public int playerHealth = 100;

In this example, ‘public’ means other parts of our game can access and modify this health value. ‘int’ tells us we’re dealing with whole numbers. ‘playerHealth’ is the name we’ve chosen, and ‘100’ is the starting value.

Let’s create a few more variables that might be useful in an FPS game:

private float movementSpeed = 5.5f;
public string playerName = "Sharpshooter";
private bool isReloading = false;

Notice how we use ‘f’ after the float value? That’s to tell C# we’re using a float and not a double (another decimal type).

Variables can change during your game, just like your ammo count changes as you shoot. For example:

playerHealth = 75; // Player took damage
movementSpeed = 3.0f; // Player is slowed down
isReloading = true; // Player is reloading their weapon

One key thing to remember is the difference between public and private variables. Public variables are like weapons anyone on your team can pick up and use. Private variables are like your personal sidearm – only you can access it.

In Unity, public variables show up in the Inspector, which can be handy for tweaking values without diving into the code. Private variables stay hidden, which is useful for values you don’t want accidentally changed.

As you progress in your coding journey, you’ll find yourself using variables all the time. They’re essential for keeping track of game states, player stats, enemy behavior, and pretty much everything else in your game.

Remember, just like how you wouldn’t use a sniper rifle for close-quarters combat, choose the right variable type for the job. Use int for whole numbers, float for decimals, string for text, and bool for true/false scenarios.

Practice creating and using variables by making a simple character stats system. Create variables for health, ammo, player name, and whether the player has a weapon equipped. Play around with changing these values and see how they might affect your game logic.

As you get more comfortable with variables, you’ll start to see how they form the foundation of more complex programming concepts. They’re your first step towards creating engaging gameplay mechanics, intricate AI behaviors, and immersive game worlds.

So, load up your IDE (that’s your programming environment – think of it as your weapon loadout screen), and start experimenting with variables. The more you practice, the more natural it’ll become, just like how your aim improves the more you play an FPS.

Remember, every master coder started where you are now. Keep at it, and soon you’ll be slinging code as smoothly as you sling headshots in your favorite shooter. Happy coding, and I’ll see you in the next tutorial where we’ll level up our skills even further!