Features we need, TGEA has them?
by Jules Robichaud Gagnon · in Torque Game Engine · 12/10/2007 (11:30 am) · 24 replies
Hi everyone, we are thinking to move to TGEA from a in-house game engine constructed with Ogre3D and PhysX but i have several questions about the TGEA itself.
We are working on a Hillclimbing Snowmobile Game and we have specific needs.
1) The most important feature for us: Is it possible to create highly detailed terrains at specific spots to create bumps and curves like in those early prototype screenshots?
Bumps
Curves
2) Is the game engine multi-thread ? If it is, how do you split the pipeline? I read the scripts are not.
3) Does it support Impostors for forests? ( Technique replacing trees by different oriented billboards )
4) Is it possible to create clothes, fluids and deformable meshes?
5) Does it have a built-in game replays ?
6) Does it have code to access online databases?
7) Does it have realtime debugger/tools to know/modify the state of variables ?
8) How is the compatibility with Vista and DirectX 10?
9) Does it have kits to save the state of a game easily ?
10) How do you configure materials of graphic objects? We want to use XSI but is there a WYSIWYG torque plugin for XSI?
11) How is the documentation of TGEA? http://www.garagegames.com/docs/tse/general/ seems completely out of date and it is the one given on TGEA website. Felt like we had to use TGE and TGEA docs altogether.
12) Does it have physical/graphical particles emitters?
13) What is the game loop pipeline? Are the input, logic and media components properly separated?
14) Does it have tools to modify audio at runtime? To create motor sounds and such.
15) Does it have easy support for rag dolls?
16) Does it support physic based animations?
17) Does it have Inverse Kinematic solvers?
18) Does it support easily switchable joystick and other control schemes?
19) Does it support other language than English? Like Russian, German, Japanese, Finnish, etc.
20) Is it possible to create a "deep snow" effect where the physical representation is lower than the graphical one?
We are working on a Hillclimbing Snowmobile Game and we have specific needs.
1) The most important feature for us: Is it possible to create highly detailed terrains at specific spots to create bumps and curves like in those early prototype screenshots?
Bumps
Curves
2) Is the game engine multi-thread ? If it is, how do you split the pipeline? I read the scripts are not.
3) Does it support Impostors for forests? ( Technique replacing trees by different oriented billboards )
4) Is it possible to create clothes, fluids and deformable meshes?
5) Does it have a built-in game replays ?
6) Does it have code to access online databases?
7) Does it have realtime debugger/tools to know/modify the state of variables ?
8) How is the compatibility with Vista and DirectX 10?
9) Does it have kits to save the state of a game easily ?
10) How do you configure materials of graphic objects? We want to use XSI but is there a WYSIWYG torque plugin for XSI?
11) How is the documentation of TGEA? http://www.garagegames.com/docs/tse/general/ seems completely out of date and it is the one given on TGEA website. Felt like we had to use TGE and TGEA docs altogether.
12) Does it have physical/graphical particles emitters?
13) What is the game loop pipeline? Are the input, logic and media components properly separated?
14) Does it have tools to modify audio at runtime? To create motor sounds and such.
15) Does it have easy support for rag dolls?
16) Does it support physic based animations?
17) Does it have Inverse Kinematic solvers?
18) Does it support easily switchable joystick and other control schemes?
19) Does it support other language than English? Like Russian, German, Japanese, Finnish, etc.
20) Is it possible to create a "deep snow" effect where the physical representation is lower than the graphical one?
#22
12/13/2007 (2:06 pm)
Atlas indeed doesn't have in game editing, however as some people mentioned there is L3DT, which allows you to 3d edit the terrain in it, and painlessly export to TGEA. It's actually very nice. But as Stephen says, they're two very different terrain types and have different targets and requirements. If you need massive terrains, Atlas is the way to go, in game editing or not.
#23
A question remained unanswered if you have more time to spend on my case :)
27) If TGEA is not multithread by default, does it gain any advantage of the multi-core architectures being more and more common (including XBOX360)?
12/13/2007 (2:16 pm)
Thank you for your great support, i believe i have all the answers i needed. I will take time to do tests now.A question remained unanswered if you have more time to spend on my case :)
27) If TGEA is not multithread by default, does it gain any advantage of the multi-core architectures being more and more common (including XBOX360)?
#24
Inverse Kinematics .. you mean skeletal systems?
Yes, TGE/TGEA supports them.
What do you mean 'solver' is ?
To solve what?
04/30/2008 (2:28 am)
27) - NOInverse Kinematics .. you mean skeletal systems?
Yes, TGE/TGEA supports them.
What do you mean 'solver' is ?
To solve what?
Torque 3D Owner Stephen Zepp
It would certainly be possible to include additional passes in those shaders, but multi-pass shaders always increase performance requirements.
I wanted to make sure it was clear regarding terrains as well: There are two terrain models in TGE-A : legacy, and Atlas. Atlas has no in game editing ability whatsoever, while the legacy terrain does have in game editing and texture painting support.
As David's analogy states--you can consider Atlas as having a similar pipeline to other models (such as your players)--model/edit in your modeling application, export (or in this case, export + import prep), and then view n game.