Game using scripting only?

#1 Ps. Book recommendations would be appreciated too, I'm not afraid to spend money from my day gig to learn! ;-p

#2 I think you can make a game with just script, but it would be very limited and basic.

All depends on what you want to make.

Making engine changes isn't as hard as it sounds...

As for books:
The Game Programmer's Guide to Torque
3D Game Programming All in One
Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One

#3

Quote:I want to make a simple environmental exploration game, and I believe it's possible using scripting only. I own TGE 1.5, Torsion, etc. and am good to go, but I'd rather not have to dig into the engine to do what is basically a childrens game.

Depends on exactly what this had in mind. Are you talking about basically just walking around exploring a map? That's easy. Are you wanting to have NPCs or character interaction with objects? If so, then it depends on what you're trying to do. You can accomplish much without any alterations of the engine, a child's game should be fairly simple to do without engine modification.

#4 You might also want to investigate PyTorque. It allows you to script Torque with Python and its vast cross-platform libraries.

#5 I'm mainly looking at things like nice effects and environments, no real NPC interaction except maybe some limited AI NPCs that just walk paths and appear/vanish on triggers, and scoring based on what items are discovered and how long it took to find each one. Along with background music that changes based on what area the player is in, and doors/areas that become accessible based on the discovery of certain things or certain actions performed.

Nothing fancy at all, as far as I can tell.

I'd use TGB but I want real 3D for these little games.

#6 You can probably do it. Unless you can't.

Like other posters have said--it depends upon precisely what it is you mean to do. When you find something you can't do in script, well, that'll be something that requires an engine change.

Odds are, however, that there is already a read-made, well documented resource for any engine changes you need, unless you're being highly original. And it is usually remarkably easy to do, since so many developers have gone to pains to document/package things up so nicely.

I mean seriously...if you can script, you can implement source resources.

#7

Quote:
I'm mainly looking at things like nice effects and environments, no real NPC interaction except maybe some limited AI NPCs that just walk paths and appear/vanish on triggers, and scoring based on what items are discovered and how long it took to find each one. Along with background music that changes based on what area the player is in, and doors/areas that become accessible based on the discovery of certain things or certain actions performed.

Except for actual doors, everything you list can be done in script. I'm not a programmer, so I thoroughly dislike engine changes. My 'game' has all the things you list, and all done with script.

Edit: Even doors can be done in script. Look for Mark Holcomb's resource www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=6780 scripted doors. End Edit.

Effects can be created using particle emitters, and environments can be done with particle emitters and folliage replicators.

There are two AI resources I'd recommend;

RPGDialog www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=3531

and

Killer Kork, an ai bot www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=10278
which can be reduced to a simple (non-combat) walking NPC.

Also, the Stronghold mission has an Orc running a simple circular path.

Basic scoring can be learned following the gettingStarted.pdf

Background music has a tutorial by Desmond Fletcher holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/vrc_t/tutorials/sound/ which does triggered effects.

IMHO, Torque can do anything with script, depending on how long and hard you want to work. Engine changes can make the program faster/more efficient than script. Again, not a programmer.

And the previously mentioned three books are standard required reading for Torque :)

Good luck!

Tony

ps. I'm very interested in non-combat children's games. Any help/collaboration you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

#8 Wow, thanks for that post and all those wonderful links! :-) You rock!

Now I'm off to read up on it all. :-)