Various questions
by Beta Code · in Torque Game Engine · 05/25/2005 (10:11 pm) · 8 replies
Hi, I've been considering purchasing this game engine for quite some time. Being a relatively strict do-it-yourself coder, I've been working on small scale projects that use Direct3D and such. However, there just comes a time where I dont want to write every bit of engine code, and get to the thing that really draws me into programming. The game itself.
I have a few questions I was wondering if someone could help me understand. I've looked around and never found a real definitive answer.
1) The scripting interface; am I required to use that at all? I'd much prefer have everything hard coded into the game itself and not deal with things on the outside, with the exception of using a different scripting engine, for example, Lua. I have ported this into quite a few game engines I've worked with in the past and I'm most comfortable with it.
Actually, apon review, that's the only real question I'm interested in at this time. I dont want to feel restricted in some way or required to use something specific. For example. I would love to be able to design my own user interfaces, opposed to using the dialog editor thing. I'm sure many can understand my position here. I'm just trying to get a better view of how Torque works.
Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.
I have a few questions I was wondering if someone could help me understand. I've looked around and never found a real definitive answer.
1) The scripting interface; am I required to use that at all? I'd much prefer have everything hard coded into the game itself and not deal with things on the outside, with the exception of using a different scripting engine, for example, Lua. I have ported this into quite a few game engines I've worked with in the past and I'm most comfortable with it.
Actually, apon review, that's the only real question I'm interested in at this time. I dont want to feel restricted in some way or required to use something specific. For example. I would love to be able to design my own user interfaces, opposed to using the dialog editor thing. I'm sure many can understand my position here. I'm just trying to get a better view of how Torque works.
Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.
#2
Why would you prefer to have everything hard coded into the game? Scripting has a ton of advantages, which you seem to know since it sounds like you have done some work with LUA.
05/25/2005 (10:24 pm)
The scripting interface is tied pretty tightly to the engine, it would be pretty tough to divorce the two.Why would you prefer to have everything hard coded into the game? Scripting has a ton of advantages, which you seem to know since it sounds like you have done some work with LUA.
#3
05/25/2005 (10:43 pm)
I dont think I explained that part well enough. The concept I was trying to explain was that I want to use what I want to use. Example as such, rather than using the engine's built in scripting engine, I could disreguard it and port something in like Lua. I'm not quite sure why I said I preferred everything to be hard coded into the program itself. Very large typo I suppose. Hehe.
#4
05/25/2005 (10:54 pm)
I thought it seemed odd :). As OneST8 stated people have gotten python working with Torque. But if that works alongside TorqueScript or in place of I am not sure. 
#5
Personally I dislike Python though I will admit that it's a prime candidate for use within TGE. While I love the syntax of Perl I do realize that it's not suitable for use with TGE as it cannot produce bytecode in quite the same way. Honestly, I'm interested in seeing things like Ruby, Lua and/or any other scripting language embeded into TGE.
Overall, the more options the better off we all are.
Yay for Free Software!
05/25/2005 (11:03 pm)
@Todd: TGEPython works along side and even from within TorqueScript though I think you need at minimum one TorqueScript to call the PyInit() from and PyExec() to your hearts content from there.Personally I dislike Python though I will admit that it's a prime candidate for use within TGE. While I love the syntax of Perl I do realize that it's not suitable for use with TGE as it cannot produce bytecode in quite the same way. Honestly, I'm interested in seeing things like Ruby, Lua and/or any other scripting language embeded into TGE.
Overall, the more options the better off we all are.
Yay for Free Software!
#6
"I dont want to write every bit of engine code, and get to the thing that really draws me into programming. The game itself. "
Extend that idea to the other tools in the platform. After you buy a license it's all an open book. Sure you *could* rip out torquescript and drop in a lisp or perl interpreter instead but why bother? Torquescript is just as easy to learn like any scripting language.
Similarly you could write your own GUI editor, mission editor, etc. But why bother? These tools are part of the platform and just give you more leverage to focus on creating your game instead of creating tools you need to create your game.
Check out this site for some info about torquescript and what kind of power it has, out of the box: http://www.codesampler.com/torque.htm
05/25/2005 (11:09 pm)
Think about what you said:"I dont want to write every bit of engine code, and get to the thing that really draws me into programming. The game itself. "
Extend that idea to the other tools in the platform. After you buy a license it's all an open book. Sure you *could* rip out torquescript and drop in a lisp or perl interpreter instead but why bother? Torquescript is just as easy to learn like any scripting language.
Similarly you could write your own GUI editor, mission editor, etc. But why bother? These tools are part of the platform and just give you more leverage to focus on creating your game instead of creating tools you need to create your game.
Check out this site for some info about torquescript and what kind of power it has, out of the box: http://www.codesampler.com/torque.htm
#7
As I started I've been a rather do it yourself coder for quite some time, and one of the things I've grown accustomed to is making my own way to do things. Sure I could use the built in editors, the built in scripting, etc.
Although my methods may seem somewhat trivial, it's just my look on programming. I've been programming since I was 13 years old. I've developed my own style. Using something right outta the box seems somewhat like cheating :) Odd mentality, I'm sure.
05/25/2005 (11:24 pm)
It's not so much I want to replace everything in the engine with my own stuff. That would defeat the purpose of buying an engine opposed to writing my own. The factor I'm trying to achieve, is personalization. IE. I'm not wrapping a game around something that's handed for me on a silver platter. I've never been too fond of the idea writing a whole game with scripts. As I started I've been a rather do it yourself coder for quite some time, and one of the things I've grown accustomed to is making my own way to do things. Sure I could use the built in editors, the built in scripting, etc.
Although my methods may seem somewhat trivial, it's just my look on programming. I've been programming since I was 13 years old. I've developed my own style. Using something right outta the box seems somewhat like cheating :) Odd mentality, I'm sure.
#8
05/25/2005 (11:40 pm)
"out of the box" isn't really the right message. The whole point with Torque is that you get all the source code. It's common for folks to write custom C++ code to give their game that extra pizazz. There is no end to the ways you can personalize and hack on torque, because it's not really a "boxed" experience. It's a load of source code, a couple of demos with source code (a first person shooter and a driving game), and a bunch of useful platform tools and editors. 
Torque Owner OneST8