Creating a Game Using AI Code: A Journey with Chat GPT

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

• What is Chat GPT?
• The Limitations and Ground Rules

2. Setting Up the Unity Project

• Choosing a Game Idea
• Creating the Player Script
• Modifying the Code for 2D Projects
• Writing the Weapon Script

3. Making the Player and Enemies

• Adding Projectile Shooting and Knockback
• Fixing the Weapon Rotation Issue
• Creating the Projectile Script
• Implementing Enemy AI and Damage System

4. Spawning Enemies and Scoring

• Setting up the Enemy Spawner
• Managing the Score System
• Designing the Game UI

5. Polishing and Finalizing the Game

• Creating Camera Follow System
• Adding Sound Effects and Music
• Implementing Game Restart Function
• Tweaking Weapon Script for Continuous Firing

6. Conclusion

• Reflection on Chat GPT's Performance
• The Future of AI in Game Development

Creating a Full-Blown Video Game Using AI Code with Chat GPT

Hey, what's up guys? It's Ben Bonk here, and today I want to talk about the incredible abilities of Chat GPT, an AI Chatbot that has been taking the world by storm. It seems like Chat GPT is everywhere these days, able to answer any question or even write a recipe, a workout plan, or a full-fledged essay. But what really caught my Attention was its capability to write code, specifically C# code for Unity game engine.

Intrigued by this, I decided to push the boundaries and see if Chat GPT could actually Create an entire video game using only the code it generated. I set some ground rules for myself - no code written by me, only code generated by Chat GPT, and a limited timeframe of three hours to see if this ambitious task was even possible.

Setting Up the Unity Project

To begin, I created a new Unity project and brainstormed ideas for a simple game concept. I wanted something that an AI could eventually code. I settled on a game where the player controls a cube armed with a weapon that shoots projectiles upon mouse click. The player would be knocked back each time they shoot, making it the only way to move. The objective would be to defeat as many enemies as possible, earning points while avoiding getting hit.

Instead of immediately diving into coding, I started with Chat GPT, requesting it to write a player script that would handle the player's health and game over conditions. Surprisingly, the bot generated a script in Python, which Unity doesn't support. After some modifications, Chat GPT provided a working C# code. Although the code appeared to be written for a 3D game, with a small tweak, it was converted to work with 2D projects.

Making the Player and Enemies

With the player script in place, I moved on to developing the weapon script, which would allow the player to shoot projectiles and Apply knockback. Chat GPT swiftly provided me with a comprehensive script, which I then realized needed to be modified for a 2D environment. After requesting the changes, I had a functional weapon script.

Impressed by the readability and documentation inside the generated code, I proceeded to implement the shooting mechanics in the game. However, I encountered a minor issue where the weapon wouldn't rotate towards the player's mouse position. Chat GPT quickly resolved this by modifying the code to rotate the weapon solely on the z-axis.

To complete the gameplay mechanics, I needed a projectile script that would handle the destruction of projectiles upon collision with objects. Chat GPT accurately guessed my intent and generated a suitable script. I requested a small modification to use the "Compare Tag" function, which was promptly implemented.

Spawning Enemies and Scoring

Now that the player and weapon systems were functioning, I focused on implementing the enemies. Prompting Chat GPT for an enemy spawner script, I also requested that enemies spawn randomly within specified bounds. To my surprise, Chat GPT delivered an elegant solution, which I later had to modify slightly to prevent overlapping spawn positions. Thanks to the extensive documentation provided by Chat GPT, integrating the spawn system was seamless.

To enhance the gameplay experience, I wanted to introduce a scoring system. I requested Chat GPT to generate a score manager script to keep track of the player's points whenever an enemy was defeated. The bot even provided a separate function for updating the score text, highlighting its versatility. Using the instructions given by Chat GPT, I successfully implemented the scoring system and created a basic UI.

Polishing and Finalizing the Game

With most of the game mechanics in place, I turned my attention to polishing and adding finishing touches. I asked Chat GPT to create a smooth camera follow system to improve the player's experience. Once again, the bot delivered a functional script.

No game is complete without audio, so I requested Chat GPT to generate a shoot sound effect, but it couldn't fulfill this particular request. Instead, it provided me with resources to find 8-bit sound effects, which I located on freesound.org. I also found royalty-free music on opengamemart.org. Chat GPT then guided me through the process of setting up audio in the game, but I encountered a minor issue with blurry text. Although Chat GPT suggested a solution, I couldn't find the specific setting in Unity.

Following that, I focused on fine-tuning the gameplay by modifying the weapon script to allow continuous firing if the player held down the mouse button. Chat GPT generated the code, but there was a missing shot cooldown functionality. After identifying the issue, Chat GPT promptly provided the required line of code to rectify it.

To wrap up the game development process, I added a game restart function and incorporated a smooth transition back to the starting state. With these final changes implemented, I considered the game development phase completed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I am genuinely amazed by the capabilities of Chat GPT in aiding game development. Despite a few limitations and minor unexpected behaviors, Chat GPT demonstrated its ability to generate functional code for a complete video game within the set constraints. The extensive documentation and explanations provided by the bot were impressive, making the generated code highly readable even for those without programming experience.

Moving forward, I believe AI like Chat GPT will revolutionize game development, offering innovative approaches to programming challenges and accelerating the development process. There is much to learn from the interactions with Chat GPT, and I am excited to see how AI evolves in this field.

But what does Chat GPT think about the game it helped create? Well, it responded with an interesting and somewhat cryptic message - "oh, uh, okay then." Perhaps it's keeping its thoughts to itself!

You can play the game here. Enjoy!

Highlights

• Discover how Chat GPT, an AI chatbot, can write code for game development using Unity.
• Explore the process of creating a full-blown video game using code generated by Chat GPT.
• Witness the capabilities of Chat GPT in tackling programming challenges and providing functional scripts.
• Dive into the game development Journey, from implementing player mechanics to enemy AI and scoring systems.
• Reflect on the performance of Chat GPT and the potential impact of AI in the future of game development.

FAQ

Q: How did Chat GPT write code for Unity if it is primarily in Python? A: Chat GPT's code generation is versatile and can adapt to different programming languages. In this case, it generated code in Python, which was then modified to work with Unity's main programming language, C#.

Q: Was Chat GPT able to optimize the generated code? A: Chat GPT provided some suggestions for optimization, such as using the "Compare Tag" function for tag comparison. However, the effectiveness of these optimizations might vary, and it's always a good practice to review and optimize the code further as needed.

Q: Can Chat GPT handle more complex game development tasks? A: While Chat GPT demonstrated its capabilities in creating a simple video game, more complex game development tasks might require additional expertise and manual intervention. Chat GPT can still provide valuable insights and generate code snippets to assist in the development process.

Q: How do you import sounds and music into the game? A: Chat GPT can guide you in setting up audio in your game. If it doesn't provide a suitable sound effect, it can direct you to resources where you can find appropriate audio assets, which can be imported and utilized in your game.

Q: How do you ensure the readability of the generated code? A: Chat GPT excels in providing extensive documentation along with the generated code. This documentation explains the purpose of each line and how to implement it in your game. Even individuals with little programming experience can understand the code and its functionality.