Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Development Phase
Observing the time-honored maxim “If it ain't broke, don't fix it,” remember that the purpose of
optimization is to maintain the level of game performance you are targeting. When your game
performs at this level from start to finish, you are done!
The visual impact on the player is a significant contributor to the game experience, which is why the
tools for game graphics get down to the per-pixel level and require multiple renders to incorporate
every last detail of light, reflections, shadows, and so forth. Visual graphics aren't the only factors
that can impede game performance. Physics, animation, audio, and more can cause performance
bottlenecks, too.
As you construct the game and conduct iterative testing, bottlenecks may occur under noticeable
conditions of gameplay, such as when a complex model comes into view, during a particular
animation sequence, or with a high-emission-rate particle system, and they are best addressed
directly.
If the cause of a bottleneck isn't so obvious, Unity has a variety of tools to help you identify it. The
Editor Profiler is a fantastic tool for evaluating your game both in the Editor or on a test device, but it
is only available in the Pro version. Built-in profilers are available for iOS and Android. Nevertheless,
you can still obtain helpful information about your game from the Build Log.
Creating a Build Log
In the Unity editor top menu, select File ➤ Build Settings (Figure
12-3
). Drag the Obstacle Course
scene from Project panel and drop it into the Scenes in Build window. Make sure PC, Mac & Linux
Standalone is selected in the Platform window for Unity to build the correct file type for the platform
you are targeting. Click Build, then choose where you would like the file saved when prompted and
click Save.
