tools
Update...
The excellent development platform ”Unity” now have reached
version 2.1
If you are thinking about creating games on mac and want to reach Linux,
Windows AND Mac users - then look no further. This is as good as it gets
without going broke and investing in new gaming engines and such.
And better yet, if you can code you can create in Unity!
So go get a Mac and get cracking at it - what ARE you waiting for?!
If you are thinking about creating games on mac and want to reach Linux,
Windows AND Mac users - then look no further. This is as good as it gets
without going broke and investing in new gaming engines and such.
And better yet, if you can code you can create in Unity!
So go get a Mac and get cracking at it - what ARE you waiting for?!
Development...
2008-03-14 15:32 Filed in: About gaming
| Indie
During a couple of days now I have been testing and
trying different types
of software which you can use to develop games (software) on your own.
Some are geared towards games only, others software in general. Some can
be called "Rapid Development Environments" and some pure game engines.
Most however are mostly frameworks with big language support of some sort.
A few of them are very OS independent. Editors in at least both windows and
MacOSX systems. Compilation and final executables in Windows, Mac and
Linux.
In general the situation is much better compared to a few years back.
If you want to build your self a career as an Indy software developer you have
all the tools you could ever want.
We are talking of titles like:
Unity
Torque 3D/2D Game making engines
Real Basic
BlitzMax
So here comes a quick rundown of them all. Good and bad and general
impressions.
We start with Unity.
To begin with this package is Mac only. Or rather the development it
self at least. When you are done with your project you can deploy it
to what ever platform you want depending on what version of the
software you have. Only the Pro version offers windows deployment.
Since this is a pure MacOsX development tool is is very nice looking.
Clear GUI and easy to use. Actually I found it to be the most promising
development tool of them al. You can even test your 3D environment
directly in the editor. Works fantastically as long as your hardware can
handle the strain.
With a huge number of tools and function you can create nearly any
type of game you want. The engine as well as the script support is
very strong and in the end only your skill and imagination will set the
limit. The online support is big and inviting and the price to buy the
regular version is quite reasonable. The Pro version however is
somewhat expensive, but all that is relative to what you your goal is.
To make money you have to spend money and it's my
impression that Unity creates HUGE value and possibilities to the
right person/organisation.
Add to that the very engaged creators of the tool. They have made
a great foundation with the website, community and many other
things to promote and educate existing as well as future customers.
If you have the money, will and skill, look no further - this is it!
Torque 2D/3D game making Engines are the clear number two in
this list. Great options in both 2D as well as 3D. Equally generous
and engaged in their software tools. Big communities and what it
seems well made software tools.
They offer tools to both pro and semi pro. Even beginners have
their part to play. The prices reflect this well and beginners will
not have to shell out very much at all to get a good head start.
These game engines are geared toward both MacOsX and Windows,
both in deployment and creation. So you are really not locked down
in any significant way.
Even if the value is one step down from Unity the greater support
to OS'es in the development mode, in combination with more
diversity to different skill levels makes the Torque engines a big
contender.
The only less good thing I can come to think of is that both the
editors and script type is clearly not as well looking or easy to understand
as the Unity tool. But other than that they are nearly equals.
On the third place comes "Real Basic", a true rapid development environment.
If you have had any experience with .NET or Visual Basic you will be right
at home in Real Basic.
A true object oriented environment that works both in windows and Mac.
The final result can exported in form of a single executable to both these
platforms. Simple, nice looking and seemingly easy.
There are plenty of examples and help file. A fairly big community to ask
questions in. The tutorials are quite many and very detailed.
Even 3D support exist through a open software library, which has to be
installed separately but comes with the installment package of the main
software tool.
One irritating thing is that the program is separated. So if you have payed
the reasonable price to both develop and deploy to Mac, you soon discover
you have to buy one more license to deploy to the windows platform.
Ok, it's not bloody expensive (75 USD) but nevertheless one annoying way of
doing things. The licenses are the same. No normal or pro version but only
double the money to be able deploying onto two different OS'es.
Except from his and the obvious confusion created by true object oriented
languages, Real Basic is an excellent tool well worth the price.
On last place comes a true work horse. A wild card if you like. BlitzMax.
The reason to place this last is not due to poor quality. This is NOT a bad
product. In many ways it offers ways of doing things that is even stronger
compared to above mentioned tools. It cover both 2D/3D gaming as well
as productivity software development. You can do whatever you want
basically.
BlitzMax is the next generation Basic dialect which started with Blitz Basic
and Blitz Basic 3D (the latter one is still one of the biggest sources of
smaller windows indie games despite only directX 8.1 support).
It is a huge step up from earlier versions of the language.
It' module based so the possibility to expand in the future are very big.
The price is also very good. Fantastic value to be honest. Buy one
version of Windows, Mac and Linux packages and you own them all.
You can both develop and deploy in three major OS platforms.
Fantastic!
But here is where it starts to go wrong.
Despite all these good things BlitzMax has a number of real let downs.
First out is the poor Ide interface. It is so poor in function as well as look
that it feels like a beta software. Compared to the many GOOD Ide
interfaces to the older Blitz Basic 3D this feels really sad.
Next out comes the documentation. The Blitz Basic series has always
been plagued by this.
But with BlitzMax this is taken to a new low.
You do not get a physical book even. The included index and command
texts are extremely minimal. And while not incorrect they have much to
few examples showing how things are connected.
It is extremely hard to a beginner to get the full picture.
A thing very important since the language is less straight forward
compared to earlier versions. This is due to the object oriented direction
the language has been given.
Ok there are communities and online documents but this is simply not
enough. Not to such a strong, big and complicated language (in part).
These two things pushes this tool down to the bottom of the heap.
The strengths simply does not matter if they are overshadowed by the
weak points.
All this is a shame. The language has huge potential becoming one
of the biggest 3D:rd party development platform under 200 USD.
But as it stands it will simply never reach critical mass. Not to the
average user.
An honorable mention goes to Blitz Basic 3D which is very much
a viable and alive development tool many years after it's
conception.
As a Windows only software in all aspects it has it's limitations.
But with BB3D you can do all kinds of software as well as
2D/3D games which do NOT look bad at all.
See my earlier text of "Tank Universal" to get one proof of this.
And to make things even better: BB3D now, thanks to good
old age, has access to good documentation, many, many examples
and super nice Ide editors, which help development in so many way.
If price and user friendliness is the way to measure BB3D
would come first to the average small user. As least as long as
OS independence does not matter.
In many ways it is actually superior to BlitzMax.
You can find this software at the same place as BlitzMax.
So there you have it. The biggest development tools out there.
There are others. But these are the strongest candidates with
good OS independence at fair prices.
With these you can do nearly whatever you want.
So go forth and multiply and do not forget you compiler
of software which you can use to develop games (software) on your own.
Some are geared towards games only, others software in general. Some can
be called "Rapid Development Environments" and some pure game engines.
Most however are mostly frameworks with big language support of some sort.
A few of them are very OS independent. Editors in at least both windows and
MacOSX systems. Compilation and final executables in Windows, Mac and
Linux.
In general the situation is much better compared to a few years back.
If you want to build your self a career as an Indy software developer you have
all the tools you could ever want.
We are talking of titles like:
Unity
Torque 3D/2D Game making engines
Real Basic
BlitzMax
So here comes a quick rundown of them all. Good and bad and general
impressions.
We start with Unity.
To begin with this package is Mac only. Or rather the development it
self at least. When you are done with your project you can deploy it
to what ever platform you want depending on what version of the
software you have. Only the Pro version offers windows deployment.
Since this is a pure MacOsX development tool is is very nice looking.
Clear GUI and easy to use. Actually I found it to be the most promising
development tool of them al. You can even test your 3D environment
directly in the editor. Works fantastically as long as your hardware can
handle the strain.
With a huge number of tools and function you can create nearly any
type of game you want. The engine as well as the script support is
very strong and in the end only your skill and imagination will set the
limit. The online support is big and inviting and the price to buy the
regular version is quite reasonable. The Pro version however is
somewhat expensive, but all that is relative to what you your goal is.
To make money you have to spend money and it's my
impression that Unity creates HUGE value and possibilities to the
right person/organisation.
Add to that the very engaged creators of the tool. They have made
a great foundation with the website, community and many other
things to promote and educate existing as well as future customers.
If you have the money, will and skill, look no further - this is it!
Torque 2D/3D game making Engines are the clear number two in
this list. Great options in both 2D as well as 3D. Equally generous
and engaged in their software tools. Big communities and what it
seems well made software tools.
They offer tools to both pro and semi pro. Even beginners have
their part to play. The prices reflect this well and beginners will
not have to shell out very much at all to get a good head start.
These game engines are geared toward both MacOsX and Windows,
both in deployment and creation. So you are really not locked down
in any significant way.
Even if the value is one step down from Unity the greater support
to OS'es in the development mode, in combination with more
diversity to different skill levels makes the Torque engines a big
contender.
The only less good thing I can come to think of is that both the
editors and script type is clearly not as well looking or easy to understand
as the Unity tool. But other than that they are nearly equals.
On the third place comes "Real Basic", a true rapid development environment.
If you have had any experience with .NET or Visual Basic you will be right
at home in Real Basic.
A true object oriented environment that works both in windows and Mac.
The final result can exported in form of a single executable to both these
platforms. Simple, nice looking and seemingly easy.
There are plenty of examples and help file. A fairly big community to ask
questions in. The tutorials are quite many and very detailed.
Even 3D support exist through a open software library, which has to be
installed separately but comes with the installment package of the main
software tool.
One irritating thing is that the program is separated. So if you have payed
the reasonable price to both develop and deploy to Mac, you soon discover
you have to buy one more license to deploy to the windows platform.
Ok, it's not bloody expensive (75 USD) but nevertheless one annoying way of
doing things. The licenses are the same. No normal or pro version but only
double the money to be able deploying onto two different OS'es.
Except from his and the obvious confusion created by true object oriented
languages, Real Basic is an excellent tool well worth the price.
On last place comes a true work horse. A wild card if you like. BlitzMax.
The reason to place this last is not due to poor quality. This is NOT a bad
product. In many ways it offers ways of doing things that is even stronger
compared to above mentioned tools. It cover both 2D/3D gaming as well
as productivity software development. You can do whatever you want
basically.
BlitzMax is the next generation Basic dialect which started with Blitz Basic
and Blitz Basic 3D (the latter one is still one of the biggest sources of
smaller windows indie games despite only directX 8.1 support).
It is a huge step up from earlier versions of the language.
It' module based so the possibility to expand in the future are very big.
The price is also very good. Fantastic value to be honest. Buy one
version of Windows, Mac and Linux packages and you own them all.
You can both develop and deploy in three major OS platforms.
Fantastic!
But here is where it starts to go wrong.
Despite all these good things BlitzMax has a number of real let downs.
First out is the poor Ide interface. It is so poor in function as well as look
that it feels like a beta software. Compared to the many GOOD Ide
interfaces to the older Blitz Basic 3D this feels really sad.
Next out comes the documentation. The Blitz Basic series has always
been plagued by this.
But with BlitzMax this is taken to a new low.
You do not get a physical book even. The included index and command
texts are extremely minimal. And while not incorrect they have much to
few examples showing how things are connected.
It is extremely hard to a beginner to get the full picture.
A thing very important since the language is less straight forward
compared to earlier versions. This is due to the object oriented direction
the language has been given.
Ok there are communities and online documents but this is simply not
enough. Not to such a strong, big and complicated language (in part).
These two things pushes this tool down to the bottom of the heap.
The strengths simply does not matter if they are overshadowed by the
weak points.
All this is a shame. The language has huge potential becoming one
of the biggest 3D:rd party development platform under 200 USD.
But as it stands it will simply never reach critical mass. Not to the
average user.
An honorable mention goes to Blitz Basic 3D which is very much
a viable and alive development tool many years after it's
conception.
As a Windows only software in all aspects it has it's limitations.
But with BB3D you can do all kinds of software as well as
2D/3D games which do NOT look bad at all.
See my earlier text of "Tank Universal" to get one proof of this.
And to make things even better: BB3D now, thanks to good
old age, has access to good documentation, many, many examples
and super nice Ide editors, which help development in so many way.
If price and user friendliness is the way to measure BB3D
would come first to the average small user. As least as long as
OS independence does not matter.
In many ways it is actually superior to BlitzMax.
You can find this software at the same place as BlitzMax.
So there you have it. The biggest development tools out there.
There are others. But these are the strongest candidates with
good OS independence at fair prices.
With these you can do nearly whatever you want.
So go forth and multiply and do not forget you compiler