What is the best OS and IDE for game dev?

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7 comments, last by rnlf_in_space 6 years, 5 months ago

Hi there, I am currently am using a Linux Deb on my laptop. Throughout my CS 1 course I was taught about nano (ran by bash) and  geany as for just a simple IDE for programs. I am only asking because I want to start learning one and gain experiences from it. I had recently downloaded VS Code for my Linux OS and it seems interesting, but I have the ability to download a free copy of VS Enterprise 2017 (one of the good things of doing a CS major at my college) and I do have a copy of Windows 10. My focus engine is UnReal 4. My instructor is a pro Linux user and dislikes using Windows. I chose linux because I have a thought of it being only used for developers.

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Some is driven by preferences, some is driven by necessity.

If you're developing for Windows or Linux or Mac OS X, you'll need that.  If you require tools that are only for one system, you'll need that.

You mention working on Unreal. That means you need either Windows or Mac. Linux is not a supported option.

 

In general the platforms you use are a reflection of the environments.  If you're going to be doing extensive server work and you typically work in headless environments (no computer screens) then you will be far more likely use a Unix-based environment.  Windows is the general "what everybody uses" environment. Apple's ecosystems are Unix-based for the programmers and technical folk, and they're beautiful and often used by visual folk, but it seems the rank-and-file people aren't comfortable with them.

In short, there is no "best".  If the systems are compatible for the task at hand, it becomes a matter of personal preference.

When working at large gamedev studios, the environment I've been given has always been Windows + Visual studio. Often one version behind the latest release of each... So I've got Stockholm Syndrome now and see them as the only option :D

Working by yourself, you can use whatever you're most experienced/comfortable with... except as above, when you want to use an existing project like Unreal and they have limitations on what's supported...

The best OS/IDE will depend on many factors, including what you're already comfortable with, whether you're collaborating with others who also have preferences, what tools you plan to use (other than the IDE), what platforms you're targeting, etc.

From the info you provided (Unreal engine, OS familiarities) I'd recommend you go with Win10 + VS.  Visual Studio is the best IDE out there IMO and you can develop for Windows, iOS, and Android from it, and Windows in general has the largest selection of tools.  

Whatever OS will let me iterate the fastest.  If I can run my game from the same OS that I'm using and it will be the same as the target platform or nearly so, that is the most ideal.  If I'm developing a game for a windows PC, developing on a windows PC is ideal, as I can compile and run the game right there, and it should look and feel like the final product.

I only ever saw one gamedev studio that used anything other than Windows + Visual Studio, and that was 12 years ago and they were developing for consoles. Windows is where the players are, so you're going to want to be testing on such a machine even if you don't want to develop on it for some reason.

Linux is still a joke when it comes to mass market adoption and hardware support and probably always will be, and most software that runs on Linux can be built using a very similar toolchain on a Mac, except there your hardware actually works and you don't have to drop out of the GUI every 5 minutes to get anything done. So I wouldn't recommend Linux for any developer now.

The others have mostly covered it. Imo for specific uses Mac and Linux are very viable options, particularly mobile / cross platform stuff. I'm currently using Linux Mint with QT creator, Blender, Gimp etc targeting OpenGL ES, and finding it very capable and luxurious after the 'windows experience' (*cough*). However, in your position, and given the interest in Unreal I would have no qualms about branching out and learning your way around a windows / mac, maybe a second physical machine or dual boot.

Unreal engine works fine on Linux. Epic even provides the build scripts and everything (IIRC, might have gotten them from a third party? But I don't think so).

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