Hello, Orks. First, I want to thank Keldryn for his excellent post advising caution in regards to asset dependency, located here: http://forum.orkframework.com/discussion/2672/released-playmaker-and-behavior-designer-integration-for-ork-famework/p13

I am seeking advice for new users like myself who are just beginning a (large) new project. Obviously we want to keep up to date with the latest Ork releases which bring great new features, but eventually this probably means we must also upgrade Unity versions (let's say I'm working on a project that I expect to still be working on 3 years from now).

The problem is, each time you upgrade Unity, things might break. The more assets you are using, the more likely things will break. Has this been a problem for you? What advice would you offer to new users who are just getting started? What hidden traps and pitfalls are out there waiting to get a poor Level 1 Ork?
  • I'm not really a coder myself so I am actually pretty asset-heavy with anything I do. However, I can "fix" things to some degree and deconstruct scripts to get them working like I want sometimes.

    Most of the assets I use with ORK tend to be cosmetic add-ons, FX packages and art assets. ORK is extremely flexible in that it allows you to build on top of it mostly transparently and can control things or not control things depending on how you want those things implemented. I do try to keep in mind some things whenever I add a new feature.

    - Get a good feel of how ORK works, what it handles and any limitations it might have in contrast to whatever you might want to add on top of it. From there, you'll have a working grasp of whether there might be conflicts.

    - When considering an asset, if it might be a particularly crucial feature to your game, make sure it seems like it has a good user base and an active, responsive developer. If it's going to be a gamble, assess the impact it would have and consider a backup asset solution in case things don't work as planned.

    For example, in my own case, I use Dialogue System and Love/Hate which are part of my quest system, so they're obviously important. The developer is superb, responds within minutes actually and constantly works on fixes and integrations for all of his products. So, I'm not worried really with anything he produces.

    On the other hand, I just implemented a footstep audio system asset which happened to cause some problems with ORK cameras. There are workarounds but I suspected prior to trying it that it might not play well since it interacted directly with ORK's control system setup.

    Also, as your project grows, make backups! Unity itself has been known to hose entire folders without warning. Make copies of your ORK game files and stash them away safe somewhere. I also make copies of any config files for assets since tweaking settings for add-ons can take hours itself. A versioning system like Plastic SCM can be a good idea.
  • Generally, ORK is only updated to new Unity versions if it's required due to code changes on Unity's side, or shiny new features :D
    However, I also try to support older versions as long as feasible, e.g. due to popular demand, ORK is currently supporting Unity 5.6.x and Unity 2017.x.
    Please consider rating/reviewing my products on the Asset Store (hopefully positively), as that helps tremendously with getting found.
    If you're enjoying my products, updates and support, please consider supporting me on patreon.com!
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