Unity TPS Player Controller - Third Person Shooter Game Development Course - Add Sprinting to Player

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to add sprinting functionality to a third-person player controller in Unity. This feature enhances gameplay by allowing players to move faster during certain actions, adding excitement and dynamism to your game. Follow these steps closely to implement sprinting in your Unity project.

Step 1: Set Up Player Input

• Open your Unity project and navigate to the player controller script.
• Ensure your player movement input is set up, usually using the Input.GetAxis() method.
• To add sprinting, you will need to create a new input action for sprinting.

Practical Advice

• Use Unity’s Input System or the traditional Input.GetAxis for capturing input.
• Example setup for sprinting in the input settings:
  • Create a new action called "Sprint" and bind it to a key (like Left Shift).

Step 2: Modify the Player Movement Script

• Locate your player movement script, usually named something like PlayerMovement.cs.
• Find the section of the script where player speed is defined.

Code Example

public float walkSpeed = 5f;
public float sprintSpeed = 10f;
private float currentSpeed;

• Set the currentSpeed variable based on whether the sprint input is active.

Implementation Steps

1. At the beginning of the update loop, check if the sprint key is pressed:

   if (Input.GetButton("Sprint"))
   {
       currentSpeed = sprintSpeed;
   }
   else
   {
       currentSpeed = walkSpeed;
   }
   

2. Use currentSpeed to move the player:

   Vector3 movement = new Vector3(Input.GetAxis("Horizontal"), 0, Input.GetAxis("Vertical"));
   transform.Translate(movement * currentSpeed * Time.deltaTime);
   

Practical Tip

• Adjust the walkSpeed and sprintSpeed variables in the Unity Inspector to find a balance that feels right for your game.

Step 3: Add Animation for Sprinting

• If your player character has animations, you may want to add a sprinting animation.
• Open the Animator window and create a new transition from the walking animation to the sprinting animation.

Steps to Configure Animation

1. Create a parameter in the Animator (e.g., "isSprinting").
2. Set up conditions for the transition to the sprinting animation based on the "isSprinting" parameter.
3. Update the player movement script to set this parameter:

   animator.SetBool("isSprinting", Input.GetButton("Sprint"));
   

Step 4: Test the Sprint Functionality

• Save your script and return to the Unity editor.
• Play your game and test the sprinting feature.
• Make sure the character moves faster when the sprint key is held down and returns to normal speed when released.

Common Pitfalls

• Ensure that the input axis for sprinting is correctly set up in Unity.
• Verify that the Animator transitions are configured properly to avoid animation glitches.

Conclusion

You have successfully added sprinting functionality to your third-person player controller in Unity. This feature enhances player movement and contributes to a more engaging gameplay experience. As a next step, consider refining the sprinting mechanic, such as adding stamina or cooldowns for a more strategic approach. Happy game developing!