TGE vs TGEA for noobs
by Steven Cochran · in Torque Game Engine · 03/23/2007 (2:24 pm) · 4 replies
I am looking at learning a game engine and maybe putting together a small team, as a "second career". My "timeline" is a single player game first to learn the ins and outs, then a multiplayer game. Of course, I, like most everyone else, has an idea for a MMOG, but that's not a short-term goal. My question is whether I should start with TGE and then move to TGEA later (is there an upgrade path?) or just learn TGEA off the bat? Does the extra goodies included in TGEA make it worth twice the price of TGE to a cash-starved person?
A couple of friends in the business have suggested I learn UnrealEd3 as a "marketable" skill, but I'm still not sold on that idea, especially since UnrealEd is a subtractive editor, and I still don't even know if Torque is an additive or subtractive editor. I also don't want to be tied to a "shoebox" editor, needing some maps/levels larger than the standard FPS one to implement some future game ideas.
I plan on downloading the TGE demo and trying to puzzle it out this weekend.
Thanks for your help!
(Sorry about mentioning "MMOGs"- I know the regulars here are probably sick of those threads by now.)
A couple of friends in the business have suggested I learn UnrealEd3 as a "marketable" skill, but I'm still not sold on that idea, especially since UnrealEd is a subtractive editor, and I still don't even know if Torque is an additive or subtractive editor. I also don't want to be tied to a "shoebox" editor, needing some maps/levels larger than the standard FPS one to implement some future game ideas.
I plan on downloading the TGE demo and trying to puzzle it out this weekend.
Thanks for your help!
(Sorry about mentioning "MMOGs"- I know the regulars here are probably sick of those threads by now.)
About the author
#2
At this point if you don't care about any platform other then windows, then your best bet is TGEA. TGEA is longer dev time because of the art pipeline, shaders add work thus time.
Destructible buildings and burning trees are possible. To do the building thing right, they would have to be DTS objects and not Interiors.
03/23/2007 (2:53 pm)
Torque doesn't come with a geometry editor. You have to use third party apps for that. Like Blender and Quark, Gimp for texturing etc.At this point if you don't care about any platform other then windows, then your best bet is TGEA. TGEA is longer dev time because of the art pipeline, shaders add work thus time.
Destructible buildings and burning trees are possible. To do the building thing right, they would have to be DTS objects and not Interiors.
#3
I would recommend TGE to begin with. TGEA is much more advanced techwise, but it also assumes a large amount of knowledge. TGE has a large learning curve, but it's not as steep as TGEA. One of the caveats is that the mission size is significantly smaller in TGE than TGEA. Much, much smaller.
What it comes down to is how you see your project. Are you doing a mod to learn the development process or are you trying to make a commercial game on a shoestring budget? If it's a commercial title, then Unreal is out unless you have hundreds of thousands or more or are willing to give up your IP to a publisher to pay the licensing fees--at which time the publisher may move the project in-house and away from your team or cancel the project for something shinier. If you're cash-starved, then Unreal is not the way to go. If you are looking to get a job in the industry with a strongly licensed engine, making amazing levels, assets, and modification to Unreal can actually get you quite a foot in the door. But it depends on your focus.
As for destructible environments, you would have to construct the pieces that are destructible as DTS's or code a new destructible version of the DIF format to break ala Red Faction. There is a resource for terrain deformation. Burning trees are more of a trigger and texture and particle effects issue.
As to easy...digging through buildings ala Red Faction would require some hefty C++ programming prowess. Creating breakable DTS's would require some scripting and artistic coordination. Same with burning trees, but would require triggers and scheduling to burn out and swap textures.
03/23/2007 (3:09 pm)
Torque is an additive paradigm since you construct rather than carve, but that's more a matter of level editing preference unless you are creating visualization tools and dealing with programmatically dealing with leaks.I would recommend TGE to begin with. TGEA is much more advanced techwise, but it also assumes a large amount of knowledge. TGE has a large learning curve, but it's not as steep as TGEA. One of the caveats is that the mission size is significantly smaller in TGE than TGEA. Much, much smaller.
What it comes down to is how you see your project. Are you doing a mod to learn the development process or are you trying to make a commercial game on a shoestring budget? If it's a commercial title, then Unreal is out unless you have hundreds of thousands or more or are willing to give up your IP to a publisher to pay the licensing fees--at which time the publisher may move the project in-house and away from your team or cancel the project for something shinier. If you're cash-starved, then Unreal is not the way to go. If you are looking to get a job in the industry with a strongly licensed engine, making amazing levels, assets, and modification to Unreal can actually get you quite a foot in the door. But it depends on your focus.
As for destructible environments, you would have to construct the pieces that are destructible as DTS's or code a new destructible version of the DIF format to break ala Red Faction. There is a resource for terrain deformation. Burning trees are more of a trigger and texture and particle effects issue.
As to easy...digging through buildings ala Red Faction would require some hefty C++ programming prowess. Creating breakable DTS's would require some scripting and artistic coordination. Same with burning trees, but would require triggers and scheduling to burn out and swap textures.
#4
make addons and extesions for existing games?.. in the unreal engine enviroment..and then when you get experience get a job on some unreal licensed game with the time...
unreal engine is out of the question even for decently sized enterprises.. as the price for the unreal engine 3.. if you pass the verification and acceptance test by epic games..its aprox 700,000 to 1Million dollars depending on the project and the team and number of individual developers you have
even if you had the money to license it.. it would be impossible because they require you to be a well stablished game making company with several already released games in a very formal way..
so learning unreal engine would condemn you to an eternity of mod / addon making for unreal engine based games.. mostly unreal tournament and that doesnt guarantee that you will ever get a job with an unreal engine based game development company
or make your own game ?
tge is for way much more modest and humble people and projects hehehe that with limited cash are hoping to finish a game of its own
tge is only if you intend to make a game of your own.. you own story and gameplay and not something based on anyone else work
tge and tgea are amazing tools for indie level developers with limited resources and humble expectations..
of course tge and tgea are much more primitive than unreal engine.. but hey ..torque even the commercial license of the tgea costs aprox the 2% of the unreal engine license cost and no approval necesary
tgea is actually harder than tge.. but more graphically capable... allowing you to make jaw dropping graphics on a modest indie project .. and i think that rocks...the draw back is that all that eye candy comes with a cost.. only directx 9 compliant cards can run games made with tgea and is windows only ..and tge is more for lower end cards or multiplatform games
so.. download the demos and think about it..game making or mod making
cheers!
03/23/2007 (5:46 pm)
The question is.. what do you want to do ?make addons and extesions for existing games?.. in the unreal engine enviroment..and then when you get experience get a job on some unreal licensed game with the time...
unreal engine is out of the question even for decently sized enterprises.. as the price for the unreal engine 3.. if you pass the verification and acceptance test by epic games..its aprox 700,000 to 1Million dollars depending on the project and the team and number of individual developers you have
even if you had the money to license it.. it would be impossible because they require you to be a well stablished game making company with several already released games in a very formal way..
so learning unreal engine would condemn you to an eternity of mod / addon making for unreal engine based games.. mostly unreal tournament and that doesnt guarantee that you will ever get a job with an unreal engine based game development company
or make your own game ?
tge is for way much more modest and humble people and projects hehehe that with limited cash are hoping to finish a game of its own
tge is only if you intend to make a game of your own.. you own story and gameplay and not something based on anyone else work
tge and tgea are amazing tools for indie level developers with limited resources and humble expectations..
of course tge and tgea are much more primitive than unreal engine.. but hey ..torque even the commercial license of the tgea costs aprox the 2% of the unreal engine license cost and no approval necesary
tgea is actually harder than tge.. but more graphically capable... allowing you to make jaw dropping graphics on a modest indie project .. and i think that rocks...the draw back is that all that eye candy comes with a cost.. only directx 9 compliant cards can run games made with tgea and is windows only ..and tge is more for lower end cards or multiplatform games
so.. download the demos and think about it..game making or mod making
cheers!
Torque Owner Steven Cochran
Forgot to ask about destructible buildings, burning trees, etc. Is this possible in Torque? Is this *easily* possible in Torque?
Thanks!