View Full Version : Game Engines
ShadowMaster
12-01-2008, 08:56 PM
Okay this is a thread where we can talk about game engines and tell other people about your experiences with them. In a lot of languages, like C++, it is impossible (or very near to it anyway) to write games directly and thus you need to use an engine.
But not all engines are the same and some work better than others in some causes. That's why I created this thread so people can find out about engines that might be perfect for the game they want to create.
And as FuzzYspo0N pointed out we are only discussing 2D and/or 3D engines. You can also post extensions to engines(for instance library that adds a map engine to an existing engine) and wrappers of existing engines.
For posting a new engine, I suggest everyone should use this form to ease comparability:
Name: <Engine name>
Link: <Link to engine homepage>
Price: <The cost of using the engine>
Source Availability: <Is the source open or not or do you have to pay to get it>
Language: <The language(s) the engine is in>
OS: <The OS's the engine works in>
Suggested Uses: <The type of games it is perfect for, i.e. 2d, etc.>
Description: <A short description of the engine and your experience thereof>
Note:
-Please keep to one engine per post.
-If you want to discuss a certain engine put its name in the top of the post and only discuss one engine per post.
This will help making searching and reading easier.
Please don't mention DirectX and OpenGl.
FuzzYspo0N
12-01-2008, 09:38 PM
Before i post a few, define game engine. what limits and bounds are there in the definition, cos to me a game engine is an engine that runs your game. If i had no graphics just a console i can EASILY make a game engine in c++ (or other language) , but what aspects of an engine make it qualify :)
ShadowMaster
12-01-2008, 09:40 PM
Name: Popcap Framework or Sexy App Framework
Link: http://developer.popcap.com/forums/pop_index.php
Price: Free - although you need free registration to download the engine
Source Availability: Open Source
Language: C++
OS: Windows
Suggested Uses: 2D games, like the type found on Popcap's site
Description: The engine uses widgets and event driven architecture. Event driven just means instead of asking if a key was pressed, you get told it was. Widgets are just things like buttons and screens that can receive input. If you aren't used to the type of architecture then it will take some getting used to, but it really speeds up developing simple games when you do, since creating on screen buttons become easy.
The engine lacks proper documentation, which is a bit annoying as you have to trawl through the headers, but makes up for it by having a helpful forum(However try searching for your question first before asking, as no one likes getting asked the same question hundreds of times) and examples(or demos as they are called) to set you on your way.
The engine has a build in XML reader so you use it to speed up tweaking dramatically. But, unfortunately, the engine doesn't have a map engine, so you have to code your own. So I'd suggest you to look elsewhere if you want to make a map based game.
The engine also lacks built in networking(as far as I know), but you can probably easily use a external library.
All and all it's a useful engine for certain types of 2D games and it's widgets and event driven architecture makes it really easy to get your first prototype up and running within a few hours. That is when you get used to working with them
ShadowMaster
12-01-2008, 09:44 PM
Before i post a few, define game engine. what limits and bounds are there in the definition, cos to me a game engine is an engine that runs your game. If i had no graphics just a console i can EASILY make a game engine in c++ (or other language) , but what aspects of an engine make it qualify :)
Hadn't though about console (as in command prompt) games ;) , but no I mean 2D and/or 3D game engines, extensions to engines(for instance adding a map engine to an existing engine) or wrappers(for instance like most engine run on top of DirectX or OpenGL)
FuzzYspo0N
12-01-2008, 10:01 PM
noted :) will post in a while. (editting this one)
xyber
24-01-2008, 12:34 PM
Name: Torque Game Engine (TGE)
Link: http://www.garagegames.com/products/torque/tge/
Price: Indie license $150. (Free demo which you could use to create free games)
Source Availability: Yes, with Indie license and Commercial license.
Language: TorqueScript (C++ if you want to make changes in engine)
OS: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X.
Suggested Uses: 3D games, from Arcade to FPS and MMORPGs.
Description:
TGE is a game engine with pretty much everything you need to develop 3D games.
It is not just a 3D rendering engine. It includes rendering, network support,
sound, tools to edit the GUI and Maps (missions), exporters for your favourite
modelling tool and various other supporting tools and its own scritping language
Torque script which is used to craete the game logic.
Some of the supporting tools include,
Constructor (free) - which you use to craete BSP based maps (buildings),
Torsion - a TorqueScript editor (though you could use notepad or any other text editor),
Showtool Pro - to preview your exported models before placing them in engine.
Pros
* There is a huge community behind the engine creating free resources.
For example, if you wanted to add the ability to your game for players to create a
customised character (like in many MMORPGs) you could use two of the free resources
that show you how to do mesh hiding and blending textures.
* Everything you need to build your game (rendering, sound, network, input, script,
GUI editor, and Mission editor (used to shape the terrain and place models and other
stuff like special efefcts, particles, rain, etc etc), and support for free/cheap tools,
for example export plugins for Milkshape and Blender if you don't use Maya or 3D Studio.
* Indie license is not too bad for such an engine.
* Community - friendly and experienced developers who could help you with pretty much
any problem you encounter in the engine.
* Extensions/Kits for the engine, like
** Lighting kit - inclduded in the latest 1.5 version of TGE - add better lighting.
** AFX Core - a special effects addition which allows you to create complex effects.
http://www.garagegames.com/products/102/
** MMO Kit - makes it easier to get started on developing a persistent world or MMORPG.
used to develop the indie MMOG (Minions of Mirth)
http://www.mmoworkshop.com/trac/mom
Cons
* Documentation!!!! Not the best there is
* and it can be pretty hard to get started with the engine causeing people to
give up and try something else.
xyber
24-01-2008, 12:35 PM
Name: Torque Game Engine Advanced (TGEA)
Link: http://www.garagegames.com/products/torque/tgea/
Price: Indie license $295
Source Availability: Yes, with Indie license and Commercial license.
Language: TorqueScript (C++ if you want to make changes in engine)
OS: Windows (for now only Direct3D layer, but GG is working on OpenGL support)
Suggested Uses: 3D games, from Arcade to FPS and MMORPGs (with shaders support)
Description:
everything in TGE, though, TGEA is much more than TGE with support for modern shaders.
The entire rendering code has been rewritten for vastly improved efficiency and
expanded capability.
There's some major updates on the way for this engine. Check out this
http://www.garagegames.com/blogs/985/14177 for more information.
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