Author
Hi there!
I´m currently designing a PC game that is mostly text-based with some simple pictures during battle-time and so on. I want it to have an appealing interface, though, that really integrates into gameplay since there are no beautiful graphics to rely on.
I´ve already coded a simple 2D graphics lib using SDL and it took me almost a year to complete it. However, it hit me that I´ve spent most of my time coding base stuff instead of concentrating on designing a proper game. Because even after finishing the lib, all I could do was destroying my game ideas with my non-existent drawing skills! I like to code but now I want to see what making a deeper game without being limited by art dillemmas really is.
So, I´d appreciate some advice on (free)APIs that really make things easier for the programmer, specially on the GUI area. It may be C# or C/C++-based. I´m thinking about using XNA or Ogre3D, but haven´t done much with either of them yet.
Thanks in advance,
Carol
I've heard good things about XNA, but I haven't any experience using it. Ogre3D is a nice 3D API but it will only handle the 3D rendering aspects of your game - although it also has a rudimentary input system (keyboard and mouse). My experience with it is that it's easy to use if you're fairly familiar with C++, though the community are very helpful there too. As for a GUI, Ogre integrates fairly tightly with CEGUI (http://www.cegui.org.uk/wiki/index.php/Main_Page). I also have no experience in using that but it seems fairly simple to use - there are examples included with Ogre that use it. You seem to be more into the GUI side of things than any 3D though, so Ogre may well be overkill for you!
And my experience with producing any sort of code is that it's generally much faster to use existing libraries than trying to code your own. Although.. it can be fun to, and a good learning experience :)
And my experience with producing any sort of code is that it's generally much faster to use existing libraries than trying to code your own. Although.. it can be fun to, and a good learning experience :)
Author
Thanks =D I´ll read about wxWidgets and CEGUI then ^^
I tried some stuff using XNA, following tutorials. It seems easy to use but made me realize my computer is like, ancient. But it´s a very good initiative from Microsoft, at least it´s portable to XBox which made me think if I shoudn´t have bought it instead of the Wii. XD
Carol
I tried some stuff using XNA, following tutorials. It seems easy to use but made me realize my computer is like, ancient. But it´s a very good initiative from Microsoft, at least it´s portable to XBox which made me think if I shoudn´t have bought it instead of the Wii. XD
Carol
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