Creating simple "escape the room" or "first person point&click adventures"
by Romuald Finet · in Torque Game Builder · 01/02/2010 (6:05 am) · 14 replies
Hi all,
I am looking for a game engine to build 2D "escape the room" or "first person point&click adventures" games.
The idea is to create a standard gameplay/feeling reusable for a lot of quick games. Those games will be based on other entertainment licences (books, tabletop rpg, ...). I thus need something really reusable as those games will be quickly played (max 2 hours) and thus can not require specific development for each title.
I also want the engine to be able to compile games for several platform, especially smartphones as iPhone, using the same source project.
I have read some of the documentation regarding TGB (or incoming T2D) but did not managed to find any clue on the product usability to produce the kind of games i intend to do.
Do you have any info or doc regarding the use of TGB to build such kind of games ?
Regards,
R.
I am looking for a game engine to build 2D "escape the room" or "first person point&click adventures" games.
The idea is to create a standard gameplay/feeling reusable for a lot of quick games. Those games will be based on other entertainment licences (books, tabletop rpg, ...). I thus need something really reusable as those games will be quickly played (max 2 hours) and thus can not require specific development for each title.
I also want the engine to be able to compile games for several platform, especially smartphones as iPhone, using the same source project.
I have read some of the documentation regarding TGB (or incoming T2D) but did not managed to find any clue on the product usability to produce the kind of games i intend to do.
Do you have any info or doc regarding the use of TGB to build such kind of games ?
Regards,
R.
#2
With intermediate to advanced knowledge of TorqueScript, you can easily recycle your script files or take advantage of TGB's behavior system to make reusable game logic templates.
01/03/2010 (7:32 am)
There isn't a specific tutorial for building point and click games in TGB. The whack-a-mole tutorial does show how to make a simple game with mouse input. The reference documentation (reference->input interaction->mouse event callbacks) also details all available mouse events.With intermediate to advanced knowledge of TorqueScript, you can easily recycle your script files or take advantage of TGB's behavior system to make reusable game logic templates.
#3
I started using the TGB demo and I became fan of scripting behaviour and such kind of AI.
Just an additionnal question before I make the jump in, do the "source code" version of the licence that usefull ?
Does the basic one (without source code) restrict funtionnalities such as scripting ?
Rgds,
R.
01/04/2010 (12:21 pm)
Hi all,I started using the TGB demo and I became fan of scripting behaviour and such kind of AI.
Just an additionnal question before I make the jump in, do the "source code" version of the licence that usefull ?
Does the basic one (without source code) restrict funtionnalities such as scripting ?
Rgds,
R.
#4
We've built a Point and Click game in TGB, and it is somewhat suitable, but we've found engine bugs to be a big source of frustration. I would recommend another engine.
01/04/2010 (1:12 pm)
Romuald, You'll find that the engine bugs that exist in TGB will not be fixable without the source code.We've built a Point and Click game in TGB, and it is somewhat suitable, but we've found engine bugs to be a big source of frustration. I would recommend another engine.
#5
Which other engine would you for if you will have to build another point and click game ?
R.
01/04/2010 (1:28 pm)
hi Devin,Which other engine would you for if you will have to build another point and click game ?
R.
#6
I would either do it in Flash if it is web based only (which costs more that TGB) or stick with TGB.
01/04/2010 (4:11 pm)
I find it hard to believe that someone could not build a point and click adventure like you're describing with TGB (non-Pro even)... What bugs in particular would be show-stoppers?I would either do it in Flash if it is web based only (which costs more that TGB) or stick with TGB.
#7
I also can not see what are the issues Devin have faced during his point'n'click development based on TGB bugs.
R.
01/04/2010 (5:24 pm)
The idea behind my project is clearly "do one, build multiple" thus flash is too limited.I also can not see what are the issues Devin have faced during his point'n'click development based on TGB bugs.
R.
#8
Then I resize all my images and build for the iPhone... Barring any code changes that are required for the iPhone due to performance limitations. Which are often numerous but for a point and click like you're talking about should be nil.
As for web deployment. I haven't seen any good options but am hoping for the best with T2D.
01/04/2010 (5:45 pm)
I routinely build for PC and Mac from the same codebase. However, I can't seem to get solid results building to a Mac from a PC (and vice versa). I build on my PC, then copy to a Mac, build for the Mac.Then I resize all my images and build for the iPhone... Barring any code changes that are required for the iPhone due to performance limitations. Which are often numerous but for a point and click like you're talking about should be nil.
As for web deployment. I haven't seen any good options but am hoping for the best with T2D.
#9
-Poor DirectX support and poor openGL support on cheap consumer hardware.
-Audio memory leaks
-Huge memory requirements for images without engine source fixes (big killer of first person adventure game)
-Bugs in the Torquescript language and poor debugging features
-Bugs in the basic workings of the engine (persistent objects, addToLevel, behaviours).
-Poor support of newer OS's (Vista and Win7)that won't pass testing in any of the casual games channels.
All seem to be surmountable with the source code license and careful fixing, but will cost you quite a bit of time or money, except the DirectX support.
01/05/2010 (3:54 pm)
The big showstoppers seem to be:-Poor DirectX support and poor openGL support on cheap consumer hardware.
-Audio memory leaks
-Huge memory requirements for images without engine source fixes (big killer of first person adventure game)
-Bugs in the Torquescript language and poor debugging features
-Bugs in the basic workings of the engine (persistent objects, addToLevel, behaviours).
-Poor support of newer OS's (Vista and Win7)that won't pass testing in any of the casual games channels.
All seem to be surmountable with the source code license and careful fixing, but will cost you quite a bit of time or money, except the DirectX support.
#10
What you tell me scare me about buying this product, especially as I haven't seen any "low complexity" project using the same gameplay that the one I intend to set up.
Do someone else counter this review of the product or does it only fit teams able to handle source code debugging ?
Rgds,
R.
01/12/2010 (4:43 pm)
Devin,What you tell me scare me about buying this product, especially as I haven't seen any "low complexity" project using the same gameplay that the one I intend to set up.
Do someone else counter this review of the product or does it only fit teams able to handle source code debugging ?
Rgds,
R.
#11
Anyways, for what you're doing, why would you go to TGB\2D? If it's a simple point and click adventure game system, then Adventure Game Studio has you covered more or less. If you want to do something in first person, why would you use TGB? Why not get something like Unity which not only is a very slick 3D engine, but ports to multiple systems flawlessly?
You need to nail down the exact requirements of your games and then do your own legwork. I don't regret getting TGB because as far as 2D engines go, there really is no better option in terms of flexibility and power. Though doing 2.5D in Unity is very tempting. . .
01/12/2010 (10:59 pm)
Personally my feeling is that Devin is overselling the downsides of TGB. For many of the issues that he lists, people have compiled logs of how to do the fixes in the engine. However, if you aren't comfortable with making changes to the source and rebuilding the engine, you might have issues making your games commercially ready.Anyways, for what you're doing, why would you go to TGB\2D? If it's a simple point and click adventure game system, then Adventure Game Studio has you covered more or less. If you want to do something in first person, why would you use TGB? Why not get something like Unity which not only is a very slick 3D engine, but ports to multiple systems flawlessly?
You need to nail down the exact requirements of your games and then do your own legwork. I don't regret getting TGB because as far as 2D engines go, there really is no better option in terms of flexibility and power. Though doing 2.5D in Unity is very tempting. . .
#12
There are more bugs and non-intended behavior in the engine than what I've listed there, and source code will pop up frequently in the course of your development if you are trying to release commercially.
This is not to say that you can't work around it with the source and some pointers from the community.
01/13/2010 (8:54 am)
Romuald, check out Flux Family Secrets (thats made in TGB). That should have similar gameplay.There are more bugs and non-intended behavior in the engine than what I've listed there, and source code will pop up frequently in the course of your development if you are trying to release commercially.
This is not to say that you can't work around it with the source and some pointers from the community.
#13
FFS is a 2D game ? I was believing that it was a 3D modeling result.
Btw, the gameplay is different.
Mine is closer to "secrets of the mysterious island" or "1112".
The issue is that I do not intend to do more coding that what is needed, especially to fix a product that I have paid ...
R.
01/13/2010 (5:03 pm)
Devin,FFS is a 2D game ? I was believing that it was a 3D modeling result.
Btw, the gameplay is different.
Mine is closer to "secrets of the mysterious island" or "1112".
The issue is that I do not intend to do more coding that what is needed, especially to fix a product that I have paid ...
R.
#14
Now one thing to keep in mind is that when you are ready to publish your game you will have to deal with the same things all game developers have to deal with, which is compatibility with you and your games specific target market and hardware, handling a portals specific needs (like implementing their DRM etc), and various other things.
This is true for any technology out there. Most of this involves things needing done when you are at the final stages of development and you should expect these things as a game developer no matter the technologies you use. At this point you could easily upgrade to a source license of TGB and tackle anything you need.
01/14/2010 (6:06 pm)
Internally a couple years ago we did a Game in a Day and split up into teams of 3-4, we all used TGB. One team did a point and click game in a day that was actually pretty decent and I am nearly 100% sure it was all in script. So it is definitely feasible and in fact is feasible to get a quick prototype up of that sort of game.Now one thing to keep in mind is that when you are ready to publish your game you will have to deal with the same things all game developers have to deal with, which is compatibility with you and your games specific target market and hardware, handling a portals specific needs (like implementing their DRM etc), and various other things.
This is true for any technology out there. Most of this involves things needing done when you are at the final stages of development and you should expect these things as a game developer no matter the technologies you use. At this point you could easily upgrade to a source license of TGB and tackle anything you need.
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