Is Torque Game Engine Advanced Right for Me?

The Torque Game Engine Advanced (TGEA) tagline is the "Advanced Technology for Advanced Games," but it could easily read "Advanced Technology for Advanced Developers." TGEA comes equipped with all the tools of TGE, but harnessing the power of TGEA requires that you are willing to take the core engine code and expand on and modify it as the needs of your game dictate. You should have a good deal of coding experience in C++ or similar language. On top of that, skills in art design and general game design go a long way toward hitting the ground running with TGEA. If you're an advanced developer, there are no limits to what you can do.

Not sure if that's you? Remember that you can take use the full-featured 30-day free trial of Torque Game Engine Advanced and get a feel for how your skills match with TGEA. If you're pretty sure you're not yet an advanced developer, have a look at Torque Game Builder, our 2D game engine, which has a much gentler learning curve. If you have your heart set on 3D and cutting edge effects, read on...

I have no programming experience, but I have tons of cool game ideas and really want to make a game!

To reiterate the above, learning TorqueScript, TGEA, and 3D game programming from the ground up is a bit like learning to drive a Formula One racer in your first race. This is an advanced engine designed for people who know how to use it. If you think you can jump in and overcome a lack of experience or a deficit in skill, we wish you luck, but you'll probably be better off prototyping your game in 2D using our Torque Game Builder. With TGB you can get started using TorqueScript and learn some of the basics of game programming.

However, if you are properly motivated and determined, there are over 700 pages of documentation for TGEA and you can bridge some gaps with perseverance. Community members and GG staff are always working to produce new and better tutorials to help you get on your feet using TGEA. You can go through something as simple as making a character throw a ball that bounces off a wall to making an entire level of a first-person-shooter step-by-step, from scratch. Once you have a basic idea of how TGEA works, you can head over to the Torque Developer's Network, a massive online archive of helpful documentation, or to the Forums, where you can have your every question answered by experienced Torque users.

I am a "Modder" that uses level design tools in games such as Quake, Half-Life, Tribes, etc.

This is great. You already understand the amount of work it takes to make a 3D game and have probably been exposed to scripting. TGEA makes extensive use of level building tools connected with TorqueScript to create games.

I know Flash, Visual Basic, or some other scripting language.

You are already programming, and should be able to pick up TorqueScript without a problem. TorqueScript is a "curly bracket" language that looks much like C++, Javascript, or Actionscript. Once you know one of these languages, it is much easier to learn another one, so it might as well be TorqueScript. You also receive the full source code with TGEA, and will want to pick up a compiler as well. If you don't know how to set up and use a compiler, we have extensive tutorials on TDN explaining the process.

I am a beginner in C++.

Great. You already know how to set up your compiler and will have no trouble modifying the C++ code behind the engine. TorqueScript looks much like a "typeless" version of C++. You will have no problem using TorqueScript the first time you try it.

I am proficient in C++.

Fantastic. Talk to GarageGames about helping to make the engine better.

I am a Torque Game Builder user.

You will find everything very familiar. TGB sits on "top" of TGEA, so you will have a good idea of TorqueScript, datablocks, call-backs, .cs files, etc. Making 3D games can be quite a bit more challenging than making 2D games, but with your experience you will have a leg up on the average Joe.