Why I Chose Unity: A Process of Elimination

How a 15-Year Server Architect Selected a Game Engine

In July 2025, when I sat down to start this project, I was essentially starting from zero. I had the goal—"I will build an MMORPG"—but I had no knowledge of the tools required.

The first thing I did was research. Ironically, the first option I ruled out was Unity. At the time, the industry was in an uproar over the "Runtime Fee" controversy. As someone just starting out, there was no reason to embrace such unpredictable risk.

So, I began searching for alternatives through a process of elimination.

1. Unreal Engine: Unfamiliar Territory

Unreal was the most powerful alternative. The fact that it was based on C++ appealed to me. However, as soon as I launched it, I was met with disorientation.

I have spent over 15 years living in black screens (terminals) and text editors. But Unreal presented me with "Blueprints"—a flowchart-based system. Connecting nodes instead of writing logic felt incredibly alien to me. It lacked the directness and efficiency I was used to in a text editor.

I knew I could use C++, but the engine’s philosophy itself felt different from the "coding" I knew. I simply couldn't adapt.

2. Godot Engine: A Vessel Too Light

Next, I looked at Godot, an open-source engine. It was lightweight and intuitive. But for an MMORPG, the vessel seemed too small. Considering the complex network logic and massive data structures I intended to build, the engine felt too "simple" to handle the scale.

3. Back to Unity

The type of game I want to build is specific. It’s an Isometric (Quarter View) game with the sensibilities of the early 2000s, much like the Diablo series.

This is partly a matter of taste, but also a matter of necessity. Now that I’m in my 40s, I suffer from 3D motion sickness. I simply cannot play first-person or third-person 3D games for long periods. I can’t build a game that I can’t play myself.

With these criteria in mind, the answer became clear.

Isometric Implementation: Unity is overwhelmingly superior for 2D/2.5D development.

Code-Based Control: C# is as familiar and powerful tool to me as C++. I can control it by typing code into a "black screen."

Risk Resolved: The controversy surrounding the pricing policy had largely subsided.

In the end, I came full circle back to Unity. There was no grand philosophy behind the choice. It was simply the result of a realistic process of elimination to find the tool that fit me best.