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How hard is unreal engine to learn compared to unity

Mikey_fresh
Explorer
Gonna invest time learning to develop but which system
Should I learn
15 REPLIES 15

Mikey_fresh
Explorer
Can anyone help

cybereality
Grand Champion
I think either can be learned if you spend some time with it.

Unity is fairly easy to pick up, especially if you have done any coding before (even web coding, as Unity can use Javascript). Unreal Engine 4 has a visual scripting language (Blueprint) which may actually make it easier for non-programmers to do basic stuff. For the heavy lifting, UE4 uses C++, so that may be a bit more complex than the Javascript/C# used in Unity.

The price and license may make a difference to you. Unity has a free version (which now works with the Rift) but some of the cooler features are paid only (it's $1,500 for the Pro version). Unreal 4 is only $19/month (plus royalties if you sell your game) but you get the full source (which you don't with Unity). As a beginner, you probably won't have use for the source code, but this can be important if you are building a serious project and need to customize things for your purpose.

In addition, UE4 is fairly new, so there are not as many books/tutorials/assets/etc. surrounding it as Unity. So, regardless of how difficult each engine is, it may be more welcoming for a beginner to start with Unity.

I wouldn't say that one is necessarily better than the other in all cases. Try them out and see what works for you.
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andrewtek
Expert Protege
"cybereality" wrote:
In addition, UE4 is fairly new, so there are not as many books/tutorials/assets/etc. surrounding it as Unity.

I do not know how many tutorials there are for Unity, but Unreal Engine 4 has a good amount of video training materials:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZlv_N0_O1gaCL2XjKluO7N2Pmmw9pvhE

On top of that, once you install Unreal Engine, there is a "Learn" tab which has quite a few training projects covering the gamut from particle effects and stylized rendering all the way to blueprints.

If you are new to UE4, you might want to check out the following videos from the link above:
- Introduction to UE4 Editor (11 videos)
- Introduction to Blueprints (9 videos)
- Introduction to Third Person Blueprint Game (22 videos)

To get the benefit of these videos, don't just watch them. Instead, play the video while you have the editor open and follow along. Try to do things slightly differently than the videos show to see what happens.

The first two sets of videos will get you familiar with the environment and blueprints system. The third will have you creating a "real game" with a playable character.

Once you are done with these, follow along with this video from eVRyday. It will show the basics of creating a scene for the DK2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdmBBBd20f4



For extra credit, modify the "Introduction to Third Person Blueprint Game" project so your DK2 follows the character, but turning your head does not rotate the DK2's view around that character.

cybereality
Grand Champion
OK, maybe I was wrong. I stand corrected. I was basing this more on the book selection. There are quite a few books for Unity on Amazon (for example) but only a couple dealing with Unreal 4. However, it does appear the Unreal has a good amount of video tutorials, so that is a plus.

I also have more experience playing with Unity than I have with UE4, so maybe that biases my opinion. Though I am looking to beef up my Unreal skills. That is a goal of mine for this year.
AMD Ryzen 7 1800X | MSI X370 Titanium | G.Skill 16GB DDR4 3200 | EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 | Corsair Hydro H110i Gigabyte RX Vega 64 x2 | Samsung 960 Evo M.2 500GB | Seagate FireCuda SSHD 2TB | Phanteks ENTHOO EVOLV

andrewtek
Expert Protege
Oh, if you enjoy the third person tutorial, here is a product/tool that will help you create a unique 3d model and bring it into UE4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH_LMyJIepw



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_JjBK8ikIk



I haven not used it, but it looks pretty neat. This other product has some interesting dynamic animations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm0IxOUxkDY



I would like to experiment with both when I have a few free hours. Although, the Mixamo product is probably more in-line with my needs as they have their animations pre-created.

Then again, this is pretty amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWmdH9sXd3I

Mikey_fresh
Explorer
Thanks guys

Mikey_fresh
Explorer
Am I right in thinking unity would probably
Be a little easier to pick up but unreal although
Possibly a steeper learning curve looks the superior
Engine considering an above average iq how
Quickly could one have a basic 3d game running in
Both engines using pre drawn asset also do you
Have to be good at art and maths to make stuff in say
Alias maya cheers

andrewtek
Expert Protege
In Unreal, you can use a template and have a "game" up in 5 minutes. I would expect Unuty has similar templates. However, a template is unlikely the game you want to make. You need to learn the engine and be comfortable with it to get there.

As far as which is better, I am not sure that question will lead to a definitive answer. Anyone who invests time in one or the other will tend to defend their investment. Why not download both and do some tutorials in each. What could be more fun on a Saturday morning? Then you can choose based on your personal comfort with each rather than any bias we might have.

Mikey_fresh
Explorer
Thank for the info everyone lots of good feedback
Will try both and see what gels with me but lots of
Interesting stuff to enlighten me so once again
Thanks 🙂