Using Torque for Board Game
by Teem · in Torque Developer Network · 08/23/2006 (4:06 pm) · 9 replies
I have an idea for a board game that I'd like to create on the computer. I bought the Torque 3D Engine last year, and am curious if anyone has a sense on how well (or how easy) a board game would be to create in Torque.
I've seen one game similar to (but not identical to) my game concept on killerbeesoftware, but am hoping to get feedback on whether using Torque for such a venture would be prudent before embarking fully.
Thanks for any comments.
I've seen one game similar to (but not identical to) my game concept on killerbeesoftware, but am hoping to get feedback on whether using Torque for such a venture would be prudent before embarking fully.
Thanks for any comments.
#2
08/26/2006 (8:52 pm)
I can't comment on TGE but people have made board style games from the Quake 1/2 engines, so i imagine it's just as easy with TGE. Infact, probley easier because it supports scripting (easy is a relative term here). 
#3
I would assume that TGB would be easier to implement a simple board game, as it has the Tile Maps and Layers for you to drop your pieces into and move around (if your board has 'tiles' in it, that is) as well as an easy drag/drop 2D game surface to work with -- TGE might be more complicated as you'll need 3D objects to work with, but may add additional 'fun' or 'value' to the overall product.
Perhaps prototype the game in TGB and see if it's fun to play, and if you feel the need to make it 'more fun' by allowing rotating boards and special angles, etc, etc, then migrate the game to TGE -- if most of your game logic is implemented in TorqueScript, moving from TGB to TGE should not be too hard ... though, don't take my word for it.
08/26/2006 (9:15 pm)
Whether to use TGB or TGE is a decision for you to decide -- if you use TGE, you can allow more functionality -- such as angling the board the way you like (such as in Chess Master 3D, for example).I would assume that TGB would be easier to implement a simple board game, as it has the Tile Maps and Layers for you to drop your pieces into and move around (if your board has 'tiles' in it, that is) as well as an easy drag/drop 2D game surface to work with -- TGE might be more complicated as you'll need 3D objects to work with, but may add additional 'fun' or 'value' to the overall product.
Perhaps prototype the game in TGB and see if it's fun to play, and if you feel the need to make it 'more fun' by allowing rotating boards and special angles, etc, etc, then migrate the game to TGE -- if most of your game logic is implemented in TorqueScript, moving from TGB to TGE should not be too hard ... though, don't take my word for it.
#4
ahh... the wise words of Levar Burton on Reading Rainbow. :)
Download the demo's of both & give it a try. I'll say that TGB is REAL easy for a 2d board game though.
08/27/2006 (6:09 pm)
Quote:though, don't take my word for it.
ahh... the wise words of Levar Burton on Reading Rainbow. :)
Download the demo's of both & give it a try. I'll say that TGB is REAL easy for a 2d board game though.
#5
08/27/2006 (8:58 pm)
I translated the board game "Bridges of Shangri-La" into a game called "Land Bridges" using the TGE. Using a stripped down version of the Player class, I was able to create game board pieces. I used DIFs (interiors) to represent elements on the game board itself. It worked quite well. Eventually I ended up writing a custom render object for the pieces to get them to display exactly like I wanted them to. Other than that, it was quite simple.
#6
I hadn't thought of the advantage of being able to build in TGB and then migrate to TGE if the game is fun enough to merit the additional whistles and bells.
Bridges of Shangri-La? I looked at that on boardgamegeek, and it's eerily like one of my ideas. Darn, too late. :) Congrats on making a TGE version of it!
All things considered, I think I will download TGB.
Thanks again for your feedback and thoughts.
08/29/2006 (10:56 am)
Thank you ALL for your feedback, I very much appreciate it. One of the questions I'd had very specifically in my mind was whether the TGB would allow for the exact example David Higgins mentioned regarding board tilting and such. I hadn't thought of the advantage of being able to build in TGB and then migrate to TGE if the game is fun enough to merit the additional whistles and bells.
Bridges of Shangri-La? I looked at that on boardgamegeek, and it's eerily like one of my ideas. Darn, too late. :) Congrats on making a TGE version of it!
All things considered, I think I will download TGB.
Thanks again for your feedback and thoughts.
#7
Eventually, as I look at the game I want to build, there is almost certainty that I'd be wanting the 3D board. Or, at least a board that wasn't top down, but somewhat angled to look like it was on a tabletop with a perspective of someone at a chair looking at it down and slightly angled. Another important feature is the ability to zoom in and out to a degree.
Has anyone experimented with that sort of system in TGB? I think I can adjust size of the tiles (which aren't square tables, the board will be composed of six-sided pieces) as I render them close to far, but has anyone done a Zoomin/Zoomout kind of approach in TGB?
If someone has pulled it off, then I can most likely use TGB. If not, I better bite the bullet and just use TGE. Either way, my time spent with the TGB was invaluable.
Thanks for any insight.
09/05/2006 (11:29 am)
Ok, I'm back after getting a few hours into TGB regarding setting up a board game. It clearly looks like I can build the board game in it, sans 3D and such.Eventually, as I look at the game I want to build, there is almost certainty that I'd be wanting the 3D board. Or, at least a board that wasn't top down, but somewhat angled to look like it was on a tabletop with a perspective of someone at a chair looking at it down and slightly angled. Another important feature is the ability to zoom in and out to a degree.
Has anyone experimented with that sort of system in TGB? I think I can adjust size of the tiles (which aren't square tables, the board will be composed of six-sided pieces) as I render them close to far, but has anyone done a Zoomin/Zoomout kind of approach in TGB?
If someone has pulled it off, then I can most likely use TGB. If not, I better bite the bullet and just use TGE. Either way, my time spent with the TGB was invaluable.
Thanks for any insight.
#8
as for a perspective view, you could do an isometric-style board where your graphics are all drawn on a 3/4 view and still use a tilemap to display your board and help keep track of the pieces on it -- as for the zoom-in/zoom-out you could easily use the camera's zoom functionality to perform that.
for example -- refer to the TGB Reference for the exact details of that function -- found in the t2dSceneWindow -> Camera Methods section of the PDF's Index.
09/05/2006 (5:53 pm)
@Teem,as for a perspective view, you could do an isometric-style board where your graphics are all drawn on a 3/4 view and still use a tilemap to display your board and help keep track of the pieces on it -- as for the zoom-in/zoom-out you could easily use the camera's zoom functionality to perform that.
sceneWindow2D.setCurrentCameraZoom(-1);
for example -- refer to the TGB Reference for the exact details of that function -- found in the t2dSceneWindow -> Camera Methods section of the PDF's Index.
Torque Owner Teem
I do, though, covet feedback on if folks have used the Torque engine (not the game builder) for board games, and if the Game Builder would be vastly more suited (which seems the case), or whether I could use the engine I have.