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Projects => Discussion => Topic started by: King Tetiro on December 17, 2011, 09:09:08 am

Title: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 17, 2011, 09:09:08 am
Ok folks, here's the thing. For my final year uni project, I'm developing a turn based rpg engine. But I need to research different development tools/kits to make it look like I haven't picked one already.

I already have 3
C++ and Allegro
Game Maker 8
RPG Maker (Only if it's free)

Can people chuck my way suggestions for development kits/tools which are free to use?
Thanks in advance
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: TheDarkJay on December 17, 2011, 01:02:53 pm
FreeBASIC
VisualBASIC
DarkBasic
Blitz
C#
Java
Construct (http://www.scirra.com/)

For Graphics if using a programming language:
OpenGL
DirectX
SDL
SFML (http://sfml-dev.org)

And Audio if using programming language:
OpenAL
FMOD
SFML
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 17, 2011, 01:07:49 pm
FreeBASIC
VisualBASIC
DarkBasic
Blitz
C#
Java
Construct (http://www.scirra.com/)

For Graphics if using a programming language:
OpenGL
DirectX
SDL
SFML (http://sfml-dev.org)

And Audio if using programming language:
OpenAL
FMOD
SFML

Could you tell me which of them are programming languages and which aren't?
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Cassyblanca on December 17, 2011, 06:24:39 pm
Could you tell me which of them are programming languages and which aren't?
Do you intend to do any of the work for this?

FreeBASIC, Visual Basic, DarkBASIC, Blitz, C#, and Java are all programming languages. Construct seems to be an engine. Everything below those is a library for C++ (a few having bindings for other languages).
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 17, 2011, 07:12:17 pm
Could you tell me which of them are programming languages and which aren't?
Do you intend to do any of the work for this?

FreeBASIC, Visual Basic, DarkBASIC, Blitz, C#, and Java are all programming languages. Construct seems to be an engine. Everything below those is a library for C++ (a few having bindings for other languages).

I do actually. This is my final year of uni after all lol. Ok I shall give some of these a go.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: TheDarkJay on December 19, 2011, 02:55:06 pm
Construct is basically an alternative to GameMaker. It's actually pretty neat with a built in event system, some reckon it to be better but I've not used either enough to say :P
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 19, 2011, 03:39:05 pm
Construct is basically an alternative to GameMaker. It's actually pretty neat with a built in event system, some reckon it to be better but I've not used either enough to say :P
That shall be the software I try tomorrow! Btw, out of the following

FreeBASIC, Visual Basic, DarkBASIC, Blitz, C#, and Java

Which do you think would be best to test and try out with the idea of developing a game in mind? (It's part of my project)
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Zaeranos on December 19, 2011, 04:18:41 pm
You should go with a language you feel confident in. If you are going to use a language you have never used before, than it is commended for learning something new. However it will require you to put a !@#$% load of work to get familiar with the syntax and supporting facilities.

I know you have worked with C# before, so I would suggest that. But it is your choice. But if it is a university final project, you probably are probably going to be mostly judged on the design of your engine.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 19, 2011, 04:50:29 pm
You should go with a language you feel confident in. If you are going to use a language you have never used before, than it is commended for learning something new. However it will require you to put a !@#$% load of work to get familiar with the syntax and supporting facilities.

I know you have worked with C# before, so I would suggest that. But it is your choice. But if it is a university final project, you probably are probably going to be mostly judged on the design of your engine.

Actually I used C++ :P Cheers for the advice. I'm currently doing a research phase and will be trying out a few development tools and such. So I'm trying new software and languages. However it is most likely I will be used C++ for my actual product I develop
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 21, 2011, 07:14:02 pm
Does anyone know which OpenGL I should use? I am so confused by OpenGL's website. Same goes for SDL and SMFL.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Cassyblanca on December 21, 2011, 08:13:11 pm
If you're going to go the route of OpenGL, there are really two suggestions, depending on what you're interested in. I'd personally go with OpenGL 3, because I'm cool like that, but OpenGL 2.x will still give you access to the fixed-function pipeline.

If you need a learning resource for it, I recommend Beginning OpenGLĀ® Game Programming, Second Edition (ISBN 978-1-59863-528-7) by Luke Benstead.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 21, 2011, 08:16:29 pm
If you're going to go the route of OpenGL, there are really two suggestions, depending on what you're interested in. I'd personally go with OpenGL 3, because I'm cool like that, but OpenGL 2.x will still give you access to the fixed-function pipeline.

If you need a learning resource for it, I recommend Beginning OpenGLĀ® Game Programming, Second Edition (ISBN 978-1-59863-528-7) by Luke Benstead.

Cheers man, I'll give it a shot tomorrow!

Any other suggestions guys?
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Zaeranos on December 21, 2011, 10:24:44 pm
Well, if you don't want to go to deep into how to set up a window in the operating system. Or just with OS dependent code in C++, I'll suggest you take a look at freeglut (http://freeglut.sourceforge.net/), which is a library on top of OpenGL. But you are limited to OpenGL 2.x and lower. It is very easy to leran though.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: TheDarkJay on December 21, 2011, 11:03:19 pm
Essentially with OpenGL each version is more modern than the last, with more features being required by cards to provide instead of being optional extensions (Frame-Buffer Objects were extension-only for far to long by any account) and the older implementations deprecated or even removed. As I remember it, by 3.x the fixed function pipeline was considered deprecated and by 4.0 it's not even guaranteed to be provided by hardware.

If you are comfortable with the concept of shaders or want to become comfortable with shaders (which since that's how modern video game graphics are supposed to be done nowadays, you'll want to be), I'd say 3.x (A window can be created with GLFW (http://www.glfw.org/), SFML or SDL 1.3 (http://www.opengl.org/wiki/Tutorial1:_Creating_a_Cross_Platform_OpenGL_3.2_Context_in_SDL_(C_/_SDL)) if you don't want to mess around with the OS-specific stuff). If not, 2.x.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 22, 2011, 10:16:51 am
Ok folks! I now need only one more game development software to research. So something like Game Maker, Construct or RPG Maker would be brilliant!
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Zaeranos on December 22, 2011, 12:16:14 pm
What is your assignment anyway? What is the scope of your assignment and what is the goal? Do you have to make something from scratch? What skills do you have to show? ANd how much time do you have?

If it is just making an RPG engine, then with RPG Maker you pretty much a long way done. With Game Maker also, but if you have to start from scratch and work in something like Visual Studio then you got a lot of work to do.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 22, 2011, 12:31:08 pm
What is your assignment anyway? What is the scope of your assignment and what is the goal? Do you have to make something from scratch? What skills do you have to show? ANd how much time do you have?

If it is just making an RPG engine, then with RPG Maker you pretty much a long way done. With Game Maker also, but if you have to start from scratch and work in something like Visual Studio then you got a lot of work to do.

Ok well this is my final year project. It's a big un. So I'm developing a turn based role playing game engine. But to decide what tools I'll be using (although I already choose Visual Studio C++ and Allegro OR Game Maker), I need to do research on development tools

THIS IS WHAT THE TOPIC IS FOR. To find development tools for me to research on. May sound lazy but Im constantly looking as well for development tools.

I have almost enough now. I just need a game development software like Game Maker, RPG Maker and Construct.

Please help folks
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: thestig on December 22, 2011, 04:39:48 pm
If you're going to go the route of OpenGL, there are really two suggestions, depending on what you're interested in. I'd personally go with OpenGL 3, because I'm cool like that, but OpenGL 2.x will still give you access to the fixed-function pipeline.

You have a misconception in regards to OpenGL3.x... what you said is VALID for the CORE profile, not the COMPATIBILITY profile, and it's highly unlikely that the graphics vendors are going to be dropping the fixed-function pipeline anytime soon due to bigtime softwares such as Maya, AutoCAD, etc.. all having codebases that will take awhile to get up to high speed with the core profiles.

That book is pretty good, though.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Zaeranos on December 22, 2011, 04:42:32 pm
Well, if it is a big Uni project I would not use Game Maker and the likes. A lot has already been done for you and they are often quiet limitting. Especially when the language and everything comes with its own development environment. Because you have chosen C++ as your language. Mainly because your most familiar with it. It is best to look at libraries and engines that can work with C++. This place is a good start to look at engines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engines

PS: just don't cite Wikipedia.org as a source in your report. That is an academic "no no!".
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on December 22, 2011, 05:00:34 pm
Well, if it is a big Uni project I would not use Game Maker and the likes. A lot has already been done for you and they are often quiet limitting. Especially when the language and everything comes with its own development environment. Because you have chosen C++ as your language. Mainly because your most familiar with it. It is best to look at libraries and engines that can work with C++. This place is a good start to look at engines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engines

PS: just don't cite Wikipedia.org as a source in your report. That is an academic "no no!".

Haha I know I know. I most liekly WONT be using GM. But I'll be using it to make a valid point in my research.

I haven't officially chosen it yet. I can only choose after the research. If that makes sense.

Haha I know not to use wikipedia.
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on January 02, 2012, 02:46:20 pm
Hey folks, need some more help. Could someone provide a weblink to a database which details many development tools/kits? I won't be testing them. I just need the list. And I can't use wikipedia
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Malon on January 02, 2012, 03:39:32 pm
Here's one that should be quite helpful: http://devmaster.net/devdb/engines
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: King Tetiro on January 02, 2012, 04:35:50 pm
Here's one that should be quite helpful: http://devmaster.net/devdb/engines

You are awesome man! You helped me out with music tracks and now this! Cheers man!
Title: Re: [Need help] Development tools for my university work
Post by: Malon on January 02, 2012, 04:41:54 pm
No problem! I'm always glad to help!

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