So, you want to become a parkour ninja in your game, but you're not feeling the kicks? No problem! We can create an awesome movement system that focuses on fluidity, precision, and those gravity-defying leaps, all without a single kick in sight. Let's dive into how you can script a parkour system that makes you feel like a true urban explorer. We will explore the core elements, discuss the scripting approach, and fine-tune the mechanics for smooth and immersive gameplay. By the end of this guide, you'll have a solid foundation to build your non-kicking parkour ninja game!

Core Elements of a Non-Kicking Parkour System

Before we jump into the code, let's break down what makes a good parkour system, especially one that avoids kicks. Think about the essential movements and interactions that will define your ninja's abilities. We need to consider elements like vaulting, wall running, climbing, and sliding to design an engaging movement. To build such a system, it is important to consider the environment, which is an important aspect of the parkour. Therefore, the environment must contain objects that can allow the player to explore and traverse within the game.

• Vaulting: Vaulting is a core element of parkour. Your ninja should be able to gracefully overcome obstacles of varying heights. This involves detecting the obstacle, determining if it's vault-able, and then playing the appropriate animation while moving the character over it. Different vault heights can add variety and challenge.
• Wall Running: What's a parkour ninja without some wall running? This mechanic lets players run horizontally along walls for a limited time. The system needs to detect a wall, check if the player is moving in the right direction, and then apply a force that keeps them glued to the wall while the animation plays. Stamina management can be added for realism, limiting how long they can run.
• Climbing: Climbing allows your ninja to ascend walls and other vertical structures. This can range from simple ledge grabs to more complex scaling maneuvers. You'll need collision detection to find climbable surfaces and animations to match the climbing action. Consider different climb types, like shimmying along a ledge or scaling a pipe.
• Sliding: Sliding is perfect for quickly moving under low obstacles or gaining speed. Detecting low clearances and triggering a slide animation can add a dynamic feel to the movement. The slide can also incorporate momentum, allowing the player to maintain speed after the slide ends.
• Environmental Interaction: Parkour is all about interacting with the environment. Design your levels with plenty of opportunities for these moves. Create paths that encourage players to chain moves together fluidly. Think about adding interactive elements like ropes to swing on or pipes to slide down to expand the range of movement options.

Scripting Approach: Movement and Animation

Alright, let's get into the scripting side of things. The basic approach involves using a character controller or rigid body for movement, along with animation states to bring your ninja to life. Here's a breakdown of the key components and how they work together.

• Character Controller/Rigidbody: Decide whether to use a character controller or a rigid body for movement. Character controllers are great for simple movement and collision detection, while rigid bodies offer more realistic physics interactions. Choose the one that best fits the feel you're going for.
• Input Handling: Capture player input to determine the direction and speed of movement. Use input axes for horizontal and vertical movement, and buttons for actions like jumping, sliding, and vaulting. Proper input handling is crucial for responsive controls.
• Movement Script: Write a script that takes the input and translates it into movement. This script will handle basic movement like walking, running, and jumping. It should also include logic for transitioning between different movement states, such as from running to sliding.
• Animation States: Use an animation controller to manage the different animations. Create states for idle, walking, running, jumping, vaulting, wall running, climbing, and sliding. Trigger transitions between these states based on player input and game conditions. Proper animation syncing is key for a smooth and believable parkour experience.
• Collision Detection: Implement collision detection to identify obstacles and surfaces for parkour moves. Use raycasts, sphere casts, or collision boxes to detect walls, ledges, and other interactive elements. This information will be used to determine if the player can perform a specific move.

Fine-Tuning the Mechanics for Smooth Gameplay

Getting the core mechanics down is only half the battle. To truly make your parkour system shine, you need to fine-tune the details. This involves adjusting movement parameters, tweaking animations, and adding visual feedback to create a polished and immersive experience.

• Adjust Movement Parameters: Experiment with different movement parameters like speed, acceleration, jump height, and gravity. Find the values that feel right for your game. Consider adding different movement modes, such as a sprint mode that increases speed but drains stamina.
• Tweak Animations: Fine-tune the animations to match the movement. Adjust animation speeds, blend times, and transitions to create smooth and natural-looking movements. Use inverse kinematics (IK) to make the character's feet adapt to uneven surfaces.
• Add Visual Feedback: Add visual effects to enhance the player's experience. Use particle effects for dust when sliding, screen shake when landing, and motion blur to convey speed. Visual feedback makes the movement feel more impactful and satisfying.
• Camera Movement: Camera movement plays a huge role in how the parkour feels. A dynamic camera that follows the action closely can enhance the sense of speed and momentum. Experiment with different camera angles and movement patterns to find what works best for your game.
• Contextual Actions: Contextual actions are context-sensitive moves that adapt to the environment. For example, your character might automatically grab a ledge when falling near one, or perform a wall jump when running towards a wall at an angle. Contextual actions make the movement feel more fluid and intuitive.

Example Script Snippets (Conceptual)

Here are some conceptual script snippets to give you an idea of how to implement these mechanics.

Vaulting:

// C# example

public class ParkourController : MonoBehaviour
{
    public float vaultHeight = 2f;
    public float vaultDuration = 0.5f;
    public AnimationCurve vaultCurve;

    private bool isVaulting = false;

    void Update()
    {
        if (Input.GetButtonDown("Jump") && CanVault() && !isVaulting)
        {
            StartCoroutine(Vault());
        }
    }

    bool CanVault()
    {
        // Raycast to detect vaultable obstacle
        RaycastHit hit;
        if (Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.forward, out hit, 2f))
        {
            if (hit.collider.CompareTag("Vaultable"))
            {
                return true;
            }
        }
        return false;
    }

    IEnumerator Vault()
    {
        isVaulting = true;
        float time = 0f;
        Vector3 startPosition = transform.position;
        Vector3 endPosition = transform.position + transform.forward * 2f + Vector3.up * vaultHeight;

        while (time < vaultDuration)
        {
            time += Time.deltaTime;
            float normalizedTime = time / vaultDuration;
            float curveValue = vaultCurve.Evaluate(normalizedTime);
            transform.position = Vector3.Lerp(startPosition, endPosition, curveValue);
            yield return null;
        }

        isVaulting = false;
    }
}

Wall Running:

// C# example

public class ParkourController : MonoBehaviour
{
    public float wallRunSpeed = 5f;
    public float wallRunDuration = 3f;
    public float wallCheckDistance = 1f;
    public float gravity = -9.81f;

    private bool isWallRunning = false;
    private float wallRunTimer = 0f;

    void Update()
    {
        if (CanWallRun() && Input.GetAxis("Horizontal") != 0)
        {
            isWallRunning = true;
            wallRunTimer += Time.deltaTime;
            if (wallRunTimer > wallRunDuration)
            {
                StopWallRun();
            }
            WallRun();
        }
        else
        {
            StopWallRun();
        }

        if (!isWallRunning)
        {
            // Apply gravity when not wall running
            // (Assuming you're using CharacterController)
            CharacterController controller = GetComponent<CharacterController>();
            if (!controller.isGrounded)
            {
                Vector3 velocity = new Vector3(0, gravity, 0);
                controller.Move(velocity * Time.deltaTime);
            }
        }
    }

    bool CanWallRun()
    {
        // Raycast to detect wall
        RaycastHit hit;
        if (Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.right * Mathf.Sign(Input.GetAxis("Horizontal")), out hit, wallCheckDistance))
        {
            if (hit.collider.CompareTag("Wall"))
            {
                return true;
            }
        }
        return false;
    }

    void WallRun()
    {
        // Apply force to keep player on the wall
        // (Assuming you're using CharacterController)
        CharacterController controller = GetComponent<CharacterController>();
        Vector3 wallRunDirection = new Vector3(0, wallRunSpeed, 0);
        controller.Move(wallRunDirection * Time.deltaTime);
    }

    void StopWallRun()
    {
        isWallRunning = false;
        wallRunTimer = 0f;
    }
}

Climbing:

// C# example

public class ParkourController : MonoBehaviour
{
    public float climbSpeed = 2f;
    public float climbCheckDistance = 1f;

    private bool isClimbing = false;

    void Update()
    {
        if (CanClimb() && Input.GetButton("Climb"))
        {
            isClimbing = true;
            Climb();
        }
        else
        {
            isClimbing = false;
        }
    }

    bool CanClimb()
    {
        // Raycast to detect climbable surface
        RaycastHit hit;
        if (Physics.Raycast(transform.position, transform.forward, out hit, climbCheckDistance))
        {
            if (hit.collider.CompareTag("Climbable"))
            {
                return true;
            }
        }
        return false;
    }

    void Climb()
    {
        // Move player upwards
        transform.position += Vector3.up * climbSpeed * Time.deltaTime;
    }
}

Sliding:

// C# example

public class ParkourController : MonoBehaviour
{
    public float slideSpeed = 8f;
    public float slideDuration = 1f;
    public float slideHeight = 0.5f;

    private bool isSliding = false;
    private float slideTimer = 0f;
    private Vector3 originalCenter;
    private float originalHeight;

    void Start()
    {
        // Store the original height and center of the character controller
        CharacterController controller = GetComponent<CharacterController>();
        originalCenter = controller.center;
        originalHeight = controller.height;
    }

    void Update()
    {
        if (Input.GetButtonDown("Slide") && CanSlide() && !isSliding)
        {
            StartCoroutine(Slide());
        }

        // Automatically stand up after slide duration
        if (isSliding)
        {
            slideTimer += Time.deltaTime;
            if (slideTimer > slideDuration)
            {
                StopSlide();
            }
        }
    }

    bool CanSlide()
    {
        // Check for low clearance above the player
        RaycastHit hit;
        if (Physics.Raycast(transform.position, Vector3.up, out hit, 1f))
        {
            return true; // Can slide if there's low clearance
        }
        return false;
    }

    IEnumerator Slide()
    {
        isSliding = true;
        slideTimer = 0f;

        // Reduce character controller height and center
        CharacterController controller = GetComponent<CharacterController>();
        controller.height = slideHeight;
        controller.center = new Vector3(originalCenter.x, originalCenter.y - (originalHeight - slideHeight) / 2f, originalCenter.z);

        while (isSliding && slideTimer < slideDuration)
        {
            // Move player forward while sliding
            Vector3 slideDirection = transform.forward * slideSpeed;
            controller.Move(slideDirection * Time.deltaTime);
            yield return null;
        }

        StopSlide(); // Ensure slide stops after duration
    }

    void StopSlide()
    {
        if (isSliding)
        {
            isSliding = false;

            // Restore original character controller height and center
            CharacterController controller = GetComponent<CharacterController>();
            controller.height = originalHeight;
            controller.center = originalCenter;
        }
    }
}

These snippets are just starting points. You'll need to adapt them to your specific game and character controller.

Level Design Considerations

Finally, let's talk about level design. A good parkour system is only as good as the levels it's used in. Design your levels with parkour in mind, creating paths and challenges that encourage players to use their full range of movement options.

• Verticality: Embrace verticality in your level design. Use varying heights and vertical paths to encourage climbing, vaulting, and wall running.
• Choke Points: Create choke points that require players to use specific parkour moves to overcome obstacles.
• Hidden Paths: Add hidden paths and shortcuts that reward players for exploring and mastering the movement system.
• Flow: Design levels that allow players to maintain momentum and flow. Avoid sudden stops and starts, and create paths that chain moves together smoothly.
• Visual Cues: Use visual cues to guide players and indicate potential parkour opportunities. Highlight climbable surfaces, vaultable obstacles, and wall run paths.

By following these tips, you can create a parkour system that feels fluid, responsive, and fun to play, even without kicks! Now go out there and create some awesome urban ninja action! Have fun experimenting and iterating on these mechanics to create something truly unique.