Minimum Requirement For Game Dev?
by Michael Hense · in Technical Issues · 05/20/2002 (8:59 am) · 7 replies
Hi There Guys/Gals...
A Torgue newbee here... actually, I am looking at the possibility of using the Torque game engine for a project I'm working on.
Just a few questions about Torque and Garage Games in general (I hope its in the right forum)...
(1) Can I set up a development environment on a G3 350 mHz iMac? Actually, I will probably be doing most of the dev work on a PC, but I definitely want to produce a Mac version of the sim. Can I just do a recompile on the Mac?
The Realm Wars demo runs just fine on my iMac so I am assuming that I could use it to do some of the dev work.
(2) How difficult/easy are you guys/gals finding coding for the Torque engine to be?
(3) Torque's been out for a while, but the software titles page is blank... no projects completed yet... how come?
Thanks in advance for any and all info... lemme go look around see what I can find...
--Mike
A Torgue newbee here... actually, I am looking at the possibility of using the Torque game engine for a project I'm working on.
Just a few questions about Torque and Garage Games in general (I hope its in the right forum)...
(1) Can I set up a development environment on a G3 350 mHz iMac? Actually, I will probably be doing most of the dev work on a PC, but I definitely want to produce a Mac version of the sim. Can I just do a recompile on the Mac?
The Realm Wars demo runs just fine on my iMac so I am assuming that I could use it to do some of the dev work.
(2) How difficult/easy are you guys/gals finding coding for the Torque engine to be?
(3) Torque's been out for a while, but the software titles page is blank... no projects completed yet... how come?
Thanks in advance for any and all info... lemme go look around see what I can find...
--Mike
#2
2) You can write simple "mod" type games with the demo application game that is included just using scripts. But to do anything advanced you need to have a really good grip on Object Oriented programming as it applies to C++. You could hack around the C++ without really understanding the OO aspects of the code but you will eventually code yourself into a corner.
There are some Torque specific idioms that need to be understood as well, especially the way the scripting language ties into tht engine is quite elegant and powerful, which means complex!
3)I don't consider that the length of time it has been out enough time for anyone to do anything substantial with it. There is lots of functionality that needs to be implemented to do anything more specialized than what the basic functionality that RW and the demo application include. It is 300k+ lines of code, that is a lot of code to get your head around. Putting out commerical retail titles is a lot more time and resource intensive than you would think!
Also the type of code, network, graphics and threading are probably the most complicated and intense areas of computer programming.
But the code base to TGE is solid and is a GREAT base to start working on a real commerical title from.
05/20/2002 (11:46 am)
1) Don't have a modern enough Mac to comment on this.2) You can write simple "mod" type games with the demo application game that is included just using scripts. But to do anything advanced you need to have a really good grip on Object Oriented programming as it applies to C++. You could hack around the C++ without really understanding the OO aspects of the code but you will eventually code yourself into a corner.
There are some Torque specific idioms that need to be understood as well, especially the way the scripting language ties into tht engine is quite elegant and powerful, which means complex!
3)I don't consider that the length of time it has been out enough time for anyone to do anything substantial with it. There is lots of functionality that needs to be implemented to do anything more specialized than what the basic functionality that RW and the demo application include. It is 300k+ lines of code, that is a lot of code to get your head around. Putting out commerical retail titles is a lot more time and resource intensive than you would think!
Also the type of code, network, graphics and threading are probably the most complicated and intense areas of computer programming.
But the code base to TGE is solid and is a GREAT base to start working on a real commerical title from.
#3
Check out the resources and code snipits, tons of new features you can use.
05/20/2002 (11:48 am)
Not to be a mooch, but there's lots of talented individuals around here who give code away :)Check out the resources and code snipits, tons of new features you can use.
#4
It's slow, but you can use it for a first step.
- sorry for my english, frenchy frog... -
05/20/2002 (1:15 pm)
I'm working on a B&W G3/350...It's slow, but you can use it for a first step.
- sorry for my english, frenchy frog... -
#5
I'm using a low-end pc (my brand new super-PC is in the shop! Oh woe is me) and I can compile just fine, but if I want to see the advanced features (like shadows! lol) I have to send it to someone else to take a look at it.
Heh, I'm amazed that my first feature added to the game was a cloaking system and my old PC can't even handle the fading and shadow changes.
05/20/2002 (3:45 pm)
Those specs are fine for coding, just will be tough to test it.I'm using a low-end pc (my brand new super-PC is in the shop! Oh woe is me) and I can compile just fine, but if I want to see the advanced features (like shadows! lol) I have to send it to someone else to take a look at it.
Heh, I'm amazed that my first feature added to the game was a cloaking system and my old PC can't even handle the fading and shadow changes.
#6
Torque, and the Garage Game Team setup looks very promising so far... especially when compared to a lot of other stuff out there.
I looked at Realm Wars... very impressive... except for the networking. I could never get connected to another machine... but I attribute that to something I did wrong or didn't understand.
Thanks again for the help...
--Mike
05/20/2002 (7:38 pm)
Thanks for all the insights people... Torque, and the Garage Game Team setup looks very promising so far... especially when compared to a lot of other stuff out there.
I looked at Realm Wars... very impressive... except for the networking. I could never get connected to another machine... but I attribute that to something I did wrong or didn't understand.
Thanks again for the help...
--Mike
#7
d
05/21/2002 (6:38 am)
Note: I started on a G3/233. HOWEVER, I was also using a 32MB Radeon card. It is possible that the vram in your iMac will not be sufficient to actually drive the engine (i.e., 2MB or 4MB or something). My guess is that 8MB is really a bottom-end requirement, but I've never pushed too hard on that.d
Torque Owner Mike Nelson
I’m not familiar with iMac’s so I can’t help you there. But I think I can help you out with the other two questions.
2) I’ve found the Torque engine very easy to work with. Most things have been a breeze to work with and when run into questions the resources on GarageGames and people in these forums have been very helpful. The only thing that I wish for is more documentation. There is a bunch of people working on writing up more documentation so it looks like I’ll get my wish soon. But even without the extra documentation, if you have a solid understanding of C++ and have purchased the SDK I don’t think you won’t have any big problems. IMO, the code is well organized and once you get a feel for it it’s fairly easy to find where things are.
3) The Torque engine really hasn’t been out for that long. I believe GarageGames is expecting the first games to be released around the fall of this year. Check out the Realm Wars demo if you haven’t already. It really is a game in it’s own right and it is growing into a more full-featured game thanks to the many people in this community that are donating their time to it.