Hello all, As a quick intro I am new to the site so hi! (This will be my only long post as it is introductory, Promise) I am a Canadian in Toronto Ontario and am about to execute a business idea which is going to require me to get back into coding to create a game world for my clients to interact. Here is my starting challenge. I have a comp-sci degree from 10 years ago and used to play around with some development mainly for fun. I used to work in C and started to get the oop stuff in C++ down then shelved my hobby for work. Bah!! I am a corp exec and hate every minute of it. Problem is, once I dusted off my compiler and then started to search around the boards and stuff I found a whole whack of new C''s. C, C++ 6.0, C#.net, C++.net, Whoah!!! Question - Which C do I want to buy for a new IDE and compiler, C++, C++.net or C#.net. Could someone please shead some light on this for me. My goal is to creat a 3D animated muti-user environment where clients can interact together as a game character in a 3D world and do business with one another. 2nd question would be, what is a good open source engine to use today for this application. I can anticipate up to 200 users online within the world at any one point in time. Any help would be great. Sorry for the long post, I will be looking for a network guru to help me out with the online phase if any out there have interest drop me an email to chat about it. I am about 6 months away before the online project starts development (With help anyway) Nomolos, Work hard...Play harder!

Quick run down of the Cs:

C# Microsoft''s new language for .NET
C++.NET C++ for .NET

.NET being Microsoft''s next attempt at world domination (sorry, sorry) new programming platform. Designed to make programming stuff for Windows easier than slapping yourself with a fish, or at least easier than it was. (Programming, not the fish slapping) Using .NET will limit you to Win2k or WinXP systems, but on the other hand, XP is now officially the most used desktop OS according to google.

The long and short of it is, there is still no standard successor to C++ so you may as well still use it. As to which IDE to get: Nothing wrong with Dev-C, the Windows port of gcc. The .NET compilers are mostly free (without IDE I think) to download.

Personally, I am staying clear of .NET as I object to Microsoft''s general attitude to people who use anything but their stuff, i.e. Linux, Java, Mac etc. I don''t know what it''s like to use, it may be quite gd.

Heya,

Big thanks for the help Nervo, Zoggo. I did check out the studio package and found that everything plus the kitchen sink was in it. Was just not sure if I would have use for all the crap but at the end of the day I guess having all will be most flexable so I guess I will drop the coin for the works. Thanks.

Any suggestion on a good 3D open source engine. I don''t want to recreate the wheel and man, there seams to be 100 of them out there now. Where to begin???? Any comments on the irrlicht (SP?) engine that''s out with .6 with 1.0 beta on the way? A point to a good engine for the app I am going to tackle would be cool. I don''t mind spending a couple of bucks on a real good one either. Any thoughts on the CALGARI stuff thats out? Could I use the OGRE to get done what I want?? All these engines are new to me with my time away. Thanks for the help.

Ya it is ambitious but I am one of those guys, ----

If Dream it - See it/do it, else shut up about it!!!!

1 year from today I will give you all the link - prepare to be amazed!!!! Bah!!!

Chuckle,
Nomolos.

Good for you! We''ll all sit here smirking cynically to ourselves, but good for you non the less.

Chuckle,

Thank you Zoggo

Smirk away!!!!!

Smirking is the catalyst to action - action is the fuel of ambition so smirk smirk smirk. I need the drive.

And don't forget ,-

The greatest things of man are only accomplished when we are told it can't be done

Nomolos


[edited by - Nomolos on May 19, 2004 1:03:19 PM]

but oen can do without an engine right? if you just make your own functions to draw your graphocs and models you''ve got the graphics part done already right?

Hey Guys,

Thanks again for the info and help.

Is there a good engine out there that is comprehensive in handling networking, physics, and AI etc...

I am not so concerned about the learning curve or even a little cost. I need something that I can dive right into without recreating the wheel.

It is not my goal to make the coolest game on earth but rather to merge a little business within a pleasing interactive environment within a virtual world.

Thanks again,
Nomolos.