Advice on purchasing TGE
by Scott Army · in General Discussion · 04/19/2005 (11:42 pm) · 9 replies
Hi all,
I need some advice on whether or not I should purchase Torque now, or wait until I have a full time dedicated programmer. I'm acting as the project and art lead for a small rts demo that I've been thinking about creating for a while. In prep for actually designing the complete game system I've begun to model a number of the essential assets for prototyping......since Torque requires each programmer to sign the EULA.....should I bother purchasing a copy of the engine if I won't be acting as the programming lead on the project?
I'd like each member to have access to the tools for the engine but don't want to purchase 6 or 7 copies.....can the resources and tools (excluding access to source code) be dl'ed and used by any member of a team as long as the license holder is the only one making changes to the source code? In particular, my scripter would need access to the engine but would not be changing the script library in the least. Any advice on how to approach this? I'd kind of like to get started and see what we can complete without the programmer based off of the rts kit as it stands....but I don't want to invest money into something that I won't be able to utilize as an artist or designer.
I need some advice on whether or not I should purchase Torque now, or wait until I have a full time dedicated programmer. I'm acting as the project and art lead for a small rts demo that I've been thinking about creating for a while. In prep for actually designing the complete game system I've begun to model a number of the essential assets for prototyping......since Torque requires each programmer to sign the EULA.....should I bother purchasing a copy of the engine if I won't be acting as the programming lead on the project?
I'd like each member to have access to the tools for the engine but don't want to purchase 6 or 7 copies.....can the resources and tools (excluding access to source code) be dl'ed and used by any member of a team as long as the license holder is the only one making changes to the source code? In particular, my scripter would need access to the engine but would not be changing the script library in the least. Any advice on how to approach this? I'd kind of like to get started and see what we can complete without the programmer based off of the rts kit as it stands....but I don't want to invest money into something that I won't be able to utilize as an artist or designer.
About the author
#2
Perhaps if they convince you that there is something better thatn Torque, or if they are more capable of dealing with a 3d set of their own, you would go from there.
04/20/2005 (11:23 pm)
Conduct interviews with your programmers first. Since there are other 3D engines available on the market, question them with what knowledge that they have and what experience that they have with engines.Perhaps if they convince you that there is something better thatn Torque, or if they are more capable of dealing with a 3d set of their own, you would go from there.
#3
I'll probably end up buying a license myself.....in the event the programmer we find decides to leave the project before it's completed. I thought the TGE would be ideal since it's got the rts pack as well as an AI solution on the way. If core technology was taken care of, we could focus more on implementing design and less on programming......if anything we could add some smaller bells and whistles to the graphic portion of the engine with the time saved. Thanks for the advice though.........we'll see if I can't get the ball rolling.
04/21/2005 (10:47 pm)
Unfortunately, I don't even have a small pool of applicants. It's tough getting someone on board to do something like AI when you only have a rough design and a few art assets. The only folks I got responses from wanted it to be a paying gig, and I can't even afford to pay myself let alone others.I'll probably end up buying a license myself.....in the event the programmer we find decides to leave the project before it's completed. I thought the TGE would be ideal since it's got the rts pack as well as an AI solution on the way. If core technology was taken care of, we could focus more on implementing design and less on programming......if anything we could add some smaller bells and whistles to the graphic portion of the engine with the time saved. Thanks for the advice though.........we'll see if I can't get the ball rolling.
#4
What I meant by conducting interviews, draw up a questionaire about what your game is about, (but don't give away the whole work, you don't want your idea stolen. I say maybe explain 10% of your project, and see how programmers react to what you're telling them. Compare your idea to games that are on the market, tell them about the similarities and the differences between those games and yours.
Besides the Torque, (which I myself plan to purchase, here is also Blitz3D over at www.Blitzbasic.com that I an using to develop my first 3D game, Asian Pounder, Bem Hunter!
04/21/2005 (11:08 pm)
I see that you're having similier thoughts same as me into licensing the Torque engine. YOu've also have come up across the same roadblock that I've come across. Programmers wanting to be paid for there work!What I meant by conducting interviews, draw up a questionaire about what your game is about, (but don't give away the whole work, you don't want your idea stolen. I say maybe explain 10% of your project, and see how programmers react to what you're telling them. Compare your idea to games that are on the market, tell them about the similarities and the differences between those games and yours.
Besides the Torque, (which I myself plan to purchase, here is also Blitz3D over at www.Blitzbasic.com that I an using to develop my first 3D game, Asian Pounder, Bem Hunter!
#5
Amanda...noticed from your profile that you're located near Orange County.....if you're ever bored and want to cut your teeth on some AI programming....hahahaha.....you can send me an email. I never refuse free labor. Good luck on your project, BTW.
04/22/2005 (12:36 am)
Yeah.....I need to finish some more of the design doc. And I have a few more models to make and texture...then I'll shift focus full time to finding a dedicated AI and systems programmer. Do you guys know if I can get Torque on CD still or if it's 100% download sales? I 'm a creature of habit but tend to like having a hard copy of anything I purchase. Also, can I install on multiple machines? So the rest of the team has access to the various tools like the gui and world editors?Amanda...noticed from your profile that you're located near Orange County.....if you're ever bored and want to cut your teeth on some AI programming....hahahaha.....you can send me an email. I never refuse free labor. Good luck on your project, BTW.
#6
If you aren't going to be the programmer I'd say hold off on buying the SDK. Most of the art assets can be developed just using the free demo and as Thomas Lund points out above the Indie SDK license is a Named Seat. The guy who buys it is the named licensee and no one else.
I'm the coder for my team's project and I'm the only one with a license. I just zip up new builds and FTP them to my artists, they don't need to see the source.
As for finding a coder for your project, try finding somebody who has worked on or wants to work on a mod and hit 'em with the GG tagline - "Why make a mod when you can make a game?"
Oh, BTW small world, I'm in Anaheim
04/22/2005 (1:17 am)
Hey Scott,If you aren't going to be the programmer I'd say hold off on buying the SDK. Most of the art assets can be developed just using the free demo and as Thomas Lund points out above the Indie SDK license is a Named Seat. The guy who buys it is the named licensee and no one else.
I'm the coder for my team's project and I'm the only one with a license. I just zip up new builds and FTP them to my artists, they don't need to see the source.
As for finding a coder for your project, try finding somebody who has worked on or wants to work on a mod and hit 'em with the GG tagline - "Why make a mod when you can make a game?"
Oh, BTW small world, I'm in Anaheim
#7
04/22/2005 (2:28 am)
I guess I'll hold off for a bit then. However, I'm still confused about how team members other than the programmer get access to tools like the world editor and gui editor....if the licensee is the only one that is allowed access to the engine (+ code). Is there a way for other members of the team to get their hands on the various dev tools so that they can import art, design maps, etc?
#8
The same applies for the exporter tools--your programmer compiles the tools, provides to the artist the executable portion, and the artist performs the configuration process for setting up, for example, their modelling program with the exporter provided by the programmer.
Keep in mind that TAP does not provide tools for modelling, making "maps" (interiors), etc...it provides exporters from many common modelling/map making tools.
04/22/2005 (3:19 am)
The two tools you mention (world editor and gui editor) are part of the executable itself. Just like in the demo, your artists would simply run the executable your programmer provides them and does their work.The same applies for the exporter tools--your programmer compiles the tools, provides to the artist the executable portion, and the artist performs the configuration process for setting up, for example, their modelling program with the exporter provided by the programmer.
Keep in mind that TAP does not provide tools for modelling, making "maps" (interiors), etc...it provides exporters from many common modelling/map making tools.
#9
What I meant by conducting interviews, draw up a questionaire about what your game is about, (but don't give away the whole work, you don't want your idea stolen. I say maybe explain 10% of your project, and see how programmers react to what you're telling them. Compare your idea to games that are on the market, tell them about the similarities and the differences between those games and yours.
Besides the Torque, (which I myself plan to purchase, here is also Blitz3D over at www.Blitzbasic.com that I an using to develop my first 3D game, Asian Pounder, Bem Hunter!
04/22/2005 (8:24 am)
I see that you're having similier thoughts same as me into licensing the Torque engine. YOu've also have come up across the same roadblock that I've come across. Programmers wanting to be paid for there work!What I meant by conducting interviews, draw up a questionaire about what your game is about, (but don't give away the whole work, you don't want your idea stolen. I say maybe explain 10% of your project, and see how programmers react to what you're telling them. Compare your idea to games that are on the market, tell them about the similarities and the differences between those games and yours.
Besides the Torque, (which I myself plan to purchase, here is also Blitz3D over at www.Blitzbasic.com that I an using to develop my first 3D game, Asian Pounder, Bem Hunter!
Torque Owner Thomas \"Man of Ice\" Lund
Only the people on your project who need to change the _engine_ sources will need a SDK license. This person then integrates RTS pack and the other nifty resources you need and then distributes the exe file to your other team members.
They can use the new engine exe + mission builder + script to they fall off the chair without a SDK license
Oh - and the SDK indie license is personal. So if you buy it, then you cannot give the source code to your programmer. You programmer needs to buy it himself.
If you want per seat licenses instead, then you got to buy a commercial license.
Hope that answers your question