Post by egalor on Jun 23, 2007 9:36:39 GMT 1
Lets discuss game engine we're going to use in the project. Here is my point of view, to begin with.
As for the engine, we have a few choices, obviously (these were already discussed a little bit among us).
1. Fo2mapper - the ready editor introduced by Black Isle, was used to build both FO1&2, distributed freely.
Advantages:
- ready tool, just launch it and start building the game right away;
- saves A LOT of programmers effort;
- makes the release date of our project much closer;
- has the classic Fallout feeling we strive to preserve;
Disadvantages:
- obsolete 640x480 resolution, 2D;
- sets limits for us regarding the improvements we want to introduce (such as mildly re-worked SPECIAL, new diseases and other things that are not supported by the original engine).
2. FIFE - stands for Flexible Isometric Fallout-like Engine, please check fifengine.de. This engine was used to create Fallout Tactics.
Advantages:
- has the classic Fallout feeling we strive to preserve;
- better resolution and graphics;
- we have less limits regarding our own improvements to the gameplay.
Disadvantages:
- there is NO ready tool nor utility to begin work with;
- a lot of programmers effort is needed to tailor the engine to our needs (for example, to create the comprehensive map/NPC/etc editor);
- the release date is quite far away from here.
3. Develop our own engine (almost) from a scratch, defiantly as it sounds.
Advantages:
- we could implement any and all our ideas, plans, improvements and absolutely anything we deem appropriate;
- modern graphics technologies could be taken advantage of.
Disadvantages:
- A lot (I mean really LOT) of programmers effort is needed;
- A lot of time is definitely needed;
- release date becomes a theoretcal and immaterial thing;
- we are risking to loose the classic Fallout feeling;
- there is a risk of too many bugs.
I would also add to the 3rd item, that it is the craziest idea we might think of. I can't imagine people working for free, building a new engine for a legendary game, debugging it, etc. Of course it might be, but it will take MANY YEARS to have the finished product, and even then there is no guarantee it will be working.
Concering my choice, I'm somewhere in between 1st and 2nd choices. It actually depends on how many willing coders we might attract. OF course I like FIFE more, but if we cannot get enough serious programmers, I think we are limited to fo2mapper only, at least for the current project.
Your thoughts?
EDIT:
I've spent the first part of the day, researching, what has been done by fans already in the internet. It seems, that a lot of fan-made projects actually exist; and there are (as you are aware) a lot of nice mods. One thing unites them - they are all made on FO2 engine, and there's no project using FIFE or any other engines.
I also stress it: making a mod would not mean just modifying a game in some part. Modding might also mean creating actually a new full-scale game on the same engine. Maybe it's what we're after.
I think, if we are ever to have something accomplished, we should begin with fo2mapper, and see how we can improve it.
As for the engine, we have a few choices, obviously (these were already discussed a little bit among us).
1. Fo2mapper - the ready editor introduced by Black Isle, was used to build both FO1&2, distributed freely.
Advantages:
- ready tool, just launch it and start building the game right away;
- saves A LOT of programmers effort;
- makes the release date of our project much closer;
- has the classic Fallout feeling we strive to preserve;
Disadvantages:
- obsolete 640x480 resolution, 2D;
- sets limits for us regarding the improvements we want to introduce (such as mildly re-worked SPECIAL, new diseases and other things that are not supported by the original engine).
2. FIFE - stands for Flexible Isometric Fallout-like Engine, please check fifengine.de. This engine was used to create Fallout Tactics.
Advantages:
- has the classic Fallout feeling we strive to preserve;
- better resolution and graphics;
- we have less limits regarding our own improvements to the gameplay.
Disadvantages:
- there is NO ready tool nor utility to begin work with;
- a lot of programmers effort is needed to tailor the engine to our needs (for example, to create the comprehensive map/NPC/etc editor);
- the release date is quite far away from here.
3. Develop our own engine (almost) from a scratch, defiantly as it sounds.
Advantages:
- we could implement any and all our ideas, plans, improvements and absolutely anything we deem appropriate;
- modern graphics technologies could be taken advantage of.
Disadvantages:
- A lot (I mean really LOT) of programmers effort is needed;
- A lot of time is definitely needed;
- release date becomes a theoretcal and immaterial thing;
- we are risking to loose the classic Fallout feeling;
- there is a risk of too many bugs.
I would also add to the 3rd item, that it is the craziest idea we might think of. I can't imagine people working for free, building a new engine for a legendary game, debugging it, etc. Of course it might be, but it will take MANY YEARS to have the finished product, and even then there is no guarantee it will be working.
Concering my choice, I'm somewhere in between 1st and 2nd choices. It actually depends on how many willing coders we might attract. OF course I like FIFE more, but if we cannot get enough serious programmers, I think we are limited to fo2mapper only, at least for the current project.
Your thoughts?
EDIT:
I've spent the first part of the day, researching, what has been done by fans already in the internet. It seems, that a lot of fan-made projects actually exist; and there are (as you are aware) a lot of nice mods. One thing unites them - they are all made on FO2 engine, and there's no project using FIFE or any other engines.
I also stress it: making a mod would not mean just modifying a game in some part. Modding might also mean creating actually a new full-scale game on the same engine. Maybe it's what we're after.
I think, if we are ever to have something accomplished, we should begin with fo2mapper, and see how we can improve it.