I am using MSVC# 2005 Express, and there aren't a whole lot of engine options with a C# wrapper for a new project to choose from. I'd like the game to have at least a pseudo-3D engine, as realistic distance and height are important gameplay elements. With that said, there are a few powerful 3D engines available to .NET languages, but no isometric/axonometric engines. Is it going to be easier to write all the graphics code for a pseudo-3D engine in managed DirectX, or will using a well documented 3D engine save a lot of time?

really it depends on what you want to make,
though for most games even with a 3d engine putting together a decent 3d game will be a LOT more work than making a isometric game even if you have to code the engine yourself

Is the time for the 3D engine caused more by coding it all or by creating all the assets? I don't really even need animations, the 3D engine would just allow (I think) a cleaner and more robust UI, and I also think it would make certain features easier to implement (line of sight and partial LoS for a player's units could be a very important gameplay element).

Quote:Original post by Umlaut
Is the time for the 3D engine caused more by coding it all or by creating all the assets? I don't really even need animations, the 3D engine would just allow (I think) a cleaner and more robust UI, and I also think it would make certain features easier to implement (line of sight and partial LoS for a player's units could be a very important gameplay element).

The time is for both, a general purose engine can only go so far and making a 3d game is just more complex in almost every way.
As for if you would be better you need to decide if the results are worth the extra complexity
(though it would help if i knew what kind of game your making and what engine you plan on using)