What would you like to see addressed in Torque 2D?
by Phillip O'Shea · in Torque Game Builder · 11/06/2009 (9:22 pm) · 214 replies
Hi!
In the same spirit that Matt F. posted his thread "What would you like to see addressed in Torque 3D?", I've started one for us!
Use this thread to throw out ideas or suggestions, features or improvements that you would like to see happen in Torque 2D. This includes any bugs or issues that you have experienced during your time developing TGB that you feel haven't been addressed.
This is your chance to ensure that Torque 2D really is the product that you want to use, though we cannot promise that all requests will make it into the initial release.
There are a few rules to posting:
Edit: On a side note, Matt F's thread has 280 posts as of writing. Its not a competition, but I'm sure we can smash that!
In the same spirit that Matt F. posted his thread "What would you like to see addressed in Torque 3D?", I've started one for us!
Use this thread to throw out ideas or suggestions, features or improvements that you would like to see happen in Torque 2D. This includes any bugs or issues that you have experienced during your time developing TGB that you feel haven't been addressed.
This is your chance to ensure that Torque 2D really is the product that you want to use, though we cannot promise that all requests will make it into the initial release.
There are a few rules to posting:
- Please don't use this thread to ask questions about Torque 2D (or TGB mind you), start a new one!
- Be specific (if possible), comments like "improve physics" are not all that helpful.
- Point to sources or provide screenshots where appropriate. Chances are you've seen some cool ideas somewhere else on the interwebs, so throw out a link or a screeny so we can check it out too!
- Suggest any feature that you want, but try not to make it too outrageous (3D scenes instead of 2D, for example)
Edit: On a side note, Matt F's thread has 280 posts as of writing. Its not a competition, but I'm sure we can smash that!
About the author
Head of Violent Tulip, a small independent software development company working in Wollongong, Australia. Go to http://www.violent-tulip.com/ to see our latest offerings.
#2
This would be easier in a 3D engine by far!
With that said, using T2D and T3D together has had some thought gone into it. :)
11/08/2009 (10:27 am)
The effect is very cool but it's not the camera that makes it 3D, it's the fact that the scene above has 3D objects for the buildings etc. It's essentially a 3D scene with the camera facing down in a god-view.This would be easier in a 3D engine by far!
With that said, using T2D and T3D together has had some thought gone into it. :)
#3
-ability to specify UV coords and non-rectangular polygons (which would make it easy to do the fake 3D they did in that GTA)
-timeline animation subsystem and hierarchy so that we can animate sprites to produce new sprites with animation (think mechanical robot arms with an animation from -90 to 90 degrees involving moving parts - or just think Flash)
-post-processing support
-demos! I think that was a big flaw of TGB - even lots of the demos and docs I made were never released
-solid core - I think this is the biggest thing - just solid performance on every computer
-particle system that works with an editor that makes sense
Can't wait!
11/08/2009 (2:50 pm)
Haven't used TGB in the past year, so pardon me if I list something that can be done!-ability to specify UV coords and non-rectangular polygons (which would make it easy to do the fake 3D they did in that GTA)
-timeline animation subsystem and hierarchy so that we can animate sprites to produce new sprites with animation (think mechanical robot arms with an animation from -90 to 90 degrees involving moving parts - or just think Flash)
-post-processing support
-demos! I think that was a big flaw of TGB - even lots of the demos and docs I made were never released
-solid core - I think this is the biggest thing - just solid performance on every computer
-particle system that works with an editor that makes sense
Can't wait!
#4
- The plugin only has to be installed once only, then works for ALL games using T2D (if the C++ core of the engine was not modified).
- Any web-distributed game only has to load assets and scripts, but not the core engine.
- Fine-grained control over when what asset is loaded.
To make this really usable TorqueScript would have to be replaced with a language better suited to programming larger systems. Unity seems to do this quite well using Mono as sand-boxed script runtime.
11/08/2009 (3:03 pm)
A Flash-like browser plugin would be really great. That means:- The plugin only has to be installed once only, then works for ALL games using T2D (if the C++ core of the engine was not modified).
- Any web-distributed game only has to load assets and scripts, but not the core engine.
- Fine-grained control over when what asset is loaded.
To make this really usable TorqueScript would have to be replaced with a language better suited to programming larger systems. Unity seems to do this quite well using Mono as sand-boxed script runtime.
#5
11/08/2009 (3:08 pm)
Most of the above (especially post-processing) and Lua. Yes, I really like Lua. I can dream, can't I? 
#6
1. Improved tile editor (see tiled and mapeditor.de.vu as example) which manages layers and tile textures in a productive way. Optimally with tile presets for tile types (through script classes or tile mask)
2. Isometric tile support
both could be combined in an editor as the iso editor shown through blogs.
11/08/2009 (4:48 pm)
What I would like to see are basically two things:1. Improved tile editor (see tiled and mapeditor.de.vu as example) which manages layers and tile textures in a productive way. Optimally with tile presets for tile types (through script classes or tile mask)
2. Isometric tile support
both could be combined in an editor as the iso editor shown through blogs.
#7
2. Shaders... Lot's and lot's of shaders... Normal mapping especially!
3. Physics are already being implemented from Box2D.
4. Better GUI system. Not being specific here, but just something that doesn't screw up and crash.
5. More tools, and in the form of T3D.
6. Able to use IA technology.
7. A low enough price for hobbyists to buy it. I'm only 14 and I have no idea how I will be able to pay over $500 for T2D.
*8. This sort of goes for both T3D and T2D: Better Mac support... If you haven't noticed, you guys are sort of... bad at supporting it. It should be able to get all the same features as Windows within the same release date, not half a year later.
11/08/2009 (5:05 pm)
1. A new scripting layer for LUA.2. Shaders... Lot's and lot's of shaders... Normal mapping especially!
3. Physics are already being implemented from Box2D.
4. Better GUI system. Not being specific here, but just something that doesn't screw up and crash.
5. More tools, and in the form of T3D.
6. Able to use IA technology.
7. A low enough price for hobbyists to buy it. I'm only 14 and I have no idea how I will be able to pay over $500 for T2D.
*8. This sort of goes for both T3D and T2D: Better Mac support... If you haven't noticed, you guys are sort of... bad at supporting it. It should be able to get all the same features as Windows within the same release date, not half a year later.
#8
11/08/2009 (5:19 pm)
@Tyler: You're a bit off base on Mac support. We offer the best quality rendering available on Mac hardware. It's not for lack of trying or lack of skill, but doing Pre-pass Lighting with Apple's drivers is not yet possible. I doubt any of this will be an issue with Torque 2D, however.
#9
I was already told about the Pre-pass Lighting problem, but I am not upset about that.
11/08/2009 (11:18 pm)
I still stand by what I say, Mac didn't get a T3D beta until how long after the Windows one came out? And Mac didn't even get TGEA until about a year ago.I was already told about the Pre-pass Lighting problem, but I am not upset about that.
#10
I'm quite happy with a separate (and not free) bumper package of artwork.
11/09/2009 (1:56 am)
This isn't related to the engine at all, but I'd like to see a good selection of 2D artwork bundled with T2D for prototyping purposes etc. Usually, artwork forms part of samples or kits but it would be nice to have a whole bunch of backgrounds, effects, sprites, sound effects etc to play around with.I'm quite happy with a separate (and not free) bumper package of artwork.
#11
The particle editor could be MUCH better. It's so powerful, but it takes a long time to tweak it "just right". Specifically, I'd like to be able to edit all the graphs simultaneously and I'd like to be able to set "snap-to"s at certain time steps (like a snap-to one-tenth of a second).
Finally, I am always adding color and scale animation to t2dSceneObject with each new project. I also make my own position animation so that I can do things like Overshoot, Bounce, and Quadratic (with Ease Ins and Ease Outs). I'd love for these to be a part of the basic scene object.
11/09/2009 (2:50 am)
The base engine should handle Alt-Tab, Ctrl-Alt-Del, etc. for Windows XP, Vista, and 7.The particle editor could be MUCH better. It's so powerful, but it takes a long time to tweak it "just right". Specifically, I'd like to be able to edit all the graphs simultaneously and I'd like to be able to set "snap-to"s at certain time steps (like a snap-to one-tenth of a second).
Finally, I am always adding color and scale animation to t2dSceneObject with each new project. I also make my own position animation so that I can do things like Overshoot, Bounce, and Quadratic (with Ease Ins and Ease Outs). I'd love for these to be a part of the basic scene object.
#12
That will definitely be one huge factor in my choice to buy / use T2D.
11/09/2009 (6:03 am)
I think web deployment should be in the top of the list of features, what with flash and the like and the current web / facebook generation and success / eyeball volume of these platforms, it should be vital.That will definitely be one huge factor in my choice to buy / use T2D.
#13
Also, if anyone wants to go into detail on any requirements then please do so. Also, if there's any requests on smaller matters rather than the larger systems then those are welcome too.
11/09/2009 (6:05 am)
Thanks. Just wanted to pop-in and say that we're monitoring this thread so keep 'em coming.Also, if anyone wants to go into detail on any requirements then please do so. Also, if there's any requests on smaller matters rather than the larger systems then those are welcome too.
#14
11/09/2009 (10:26 am)
the ability to build and run a basic project without using an editor like TGB
#15
11/09/2009 (10:32 am)
@David: Could you elaborate on what you mean? You can already use the API to create a game without the builder. Is that what you mean? 
#16
2. I'd also like to be able to alt drag an object to copy it.
3. the ability to animate objects on a time line would be pretty cool.
11/09/2009 (11:23 am)
1. I'd like to be able to input values into the particle editor's graphs. 2. I'd also like to be able to alt drag an object to copy it.
3. the ability to animate objects on a time line would be pretty cool.
#17
So if you selected a group of scene-objects and all of them have a EnemyOneBehavior then the Behavior should be shown in the properties tab. If you then change a field in the tab then this field is set to the new value in all selected objects.
That way one can edit multiple objects at once.
11/09/2009 (2:02 pm)
Another useful feature for the editor would be the ability to edit properties of a group of objects. So if you selected a group of scene-objects and all of them have a EnemyOneBehavior then the Behavior should be shown in the properties tab. If you then change a field in the tab then this field is set to the new value in all selected objects.
That way one can edit multiple objects at once.
#18
11/09/2009 (2:14 pm)
Multithreaded gui support. When a gui specified as modal is displayed it should pause script execution and not return until it is closed. This will prevent having to write latent functions that wait for a gui to close. 
#19
Ability to create game without Mac.
Like Adobe Flash CS5: for testing they create .ipa file (which can you add to iTunes and then just synchronize your iphone), and for publishing they create .zip file witch you can easily upload to publish game.
So just want stand alone application which don't require Mac, Xcode.
11/09/2009 (8:34 pm)
Only one thing... for iT2D.Ability to create game without Mac.
Like Adobe Flash CS5: for testing they create .ipa file (which can you add to iTunes and then just synchronize your iphone), and for publishing they create .zip file witch you can easily upload to publish game.
So just want stand alone application which don't require Mac, Xcode.
Torque 3D Owner Michael K.
- Lighting
- More support for 2d/3d hybrid games (camera) (hope you understand what i mean here :-) )