Questions about available game engines?
Author
I've read through a beginners books on basic game creation and used examples to create their proprietary engines and now I feel confident enough to start hybridizing and creating my own engine, but lo and behold, there are engines already out there that I can use? Wow.
So far the name Torque seems to be held in high regard, and I guess there's some others out there that people are quite fond of, but my questions are: can I customize these engines to meet my designs or are they fairly static in nature? How much of the development cycle to they account for (not sure if I'm saying that right), i.e. rendering, input, networking, game logic, scripting, etc? And lastly, what are some recommendations for me to look at for a game based on a 3rd person fantasy rpg model, sort of a cross in playability style between Fable and GTA?
Thank ya!
I would suggest making your own, if only for experience. However, if you really don't want to I would look at Ogre3D. I've heard good things about, although I've never used it myself.
Author
It's not that I don't want to create my own engine, it's just that I have a very advanced project in mind that, in all likelyhood, will take years to complete, even with help. If I can modify an existing engine to suit my needs, rather than build one entirely from scratch, then so much the better. Right now I'm just trying to determine if that's a feasible option to research or if I should not waste my time on it.
Quote:Original post by Duck Jones
It's not that I don't want to create my own engine, it's just that I have a very advanced project in mind that, in all likelyhood, will take years to complete, even with help. If I can modify an existing engine to suit my needs, rather than build one entirely from scratch, then so much the better. Right now I'm just trying to determine if that's a feasible option to research or if I should not waste my time on it.
EDIT: Read CTar's post below.
At any rate, there are many engines out there. What language will you be using? If C++ then my vote for Ogre3D still stands.
PS: Here is a discussion about Torque that may be of use to you.
I think it is a good idea to use a third-party engine. It sounds like your goal is to create a game not a game engine so unless you plan to do something really unique there is no reason to code an engine.
I don't have much experience with existing game engines, but Torque sounds like a good choice for an indie. Another engine which looks promising is the C4 Engine. Also there is engines like Nebula and Crystal Space which you might look into before choosing.
I don't have much experience with existing game engines, but Torque sounds like a good choice for an indie. Another engine which looks promising is the C4 Engine. Also there is engines like Nebula and Crystal Space which you might look into before choosing.
Take a look at devmaster.net's list of game engines.
The list is quite extensive, and would definitely give you some ideas as to where you want to start. Personally, I'd rather take pre-existing components, like Ogre or Irrlicht for rendering engines, and build an engine suited to my needs. The problem with using a full engine is that you'll be limited to the types of games it was built for... unless your idea was to use one of those types, in which case, you're all set.
The list is quite extensive, and would definitely give you some ideas as to where you want to start. Personally, I'd rather take pre-existing components, like Ogre or Irrlicht for rendering engines, and build an engine suited to my needs. The problem with using a full engine is that you'll be limited to the types of games it was built for... unless your idea was to use one of those types, in which case, you're all set.
Quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
The problem with using a full engine is that you'll be limited to the types of games it was built for... unless your idea was to use one of those types, in which case, you're all set.
There are many types of engines, some engines like Torque is very flexible and can be used to create different types of games. Other engines is created for one single game. Often the engines you can find available on the Internet can be used for many types of games because they were created to suit the needs of many users. Many engines developed in-house by companies are restricted to a specifc engine mostly because the developers know the engine won't be used for anything else.
EDIT:
Quote:From the Torque Game Engine website
you can own everything you need to create a complete, full-featured game--everything from a casual puzzle game, military shooter or a massive online role-playing adventure.
Author
Well, I believe that answers my question! I'll start looking into 3rd party engines to begin working with. Thank you all for your input :)
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