Arcade games with TGE
by Paul Hoza · in General Discussion · 11/24/2003 (4:06 pm) · 3 replies
Hello folks,
In my quest to move away from Lurker status, I'm hoping for some solid feedback and suggestions...
I have been messing with Torque for about 9 months now, but mostly just tinkering with existing scripts and playing with audio integration into missions. I'm finally taking the further step to start actual development of a full game using this thing and I'm looking for feedback. I was originally going to use Macromedia Director's Shockwave 3D to make my games, but would rather learn a more flexible/powerful system (I loved the Shockwave possibilities, but oh well). I also had extensive troubles, but that's another story.
(Disclaimer: I'm not a Programmer, but can program. I'm learning fast, but I have to learn about almost everything I do on the code side of things (IE, no coding from scratch for me). I currently build missions and modify scripts in the TGE samples and have little trouble doing so.)
My first game designs are very minimal compared to what I've seen Torque used for, but it seemed like a good idea to just dig into the engine with future games and expansions in mind... learn something better instead of switching engines later, ya know?
Anyway (I realise I'm babbling), does it really make sense to many of you to strip Torque down to a level of no networking, no vehicles, no running around in the terrain engine, etc... down to a point where it's basically a stationary turret shooting at targets moving around within a big room??
Would you use this engine to create a very simple arcade shooter... something like a shooting range with targets sitting at different distances? (Just an overly-simplified example.)
Any guidance on this would be helpful. I'm currently trying to learn about making new scripts to control things like hittable targets and I'm having mixed success so far.
Okay.. I'll shut up now and see what I get. ;-)
Thanks a ton for any help.
In my quest to move away from Lurker status, I'm hoping for some solid feedback and suggestions...
I have been messing with Torque for about 9 months now, but mostly just tinkering with existing scripts and playing with audio integration into missions. I'm finally taking the further step to start actual development of a full game using this thing and I'm looking for feedback. I was originally going to use Macromedia Director's Shockwave 3D to make my games, but would rather learn a more flexible/powerful system (I loved the Shockwave possibilities, but oh well). I also had extensive troubles, but that's another story.
(Disclaimer: I'm not a Programmer, but can program. I'm learning fast, but I have to learn about almost everything I do on the code side of things (IE, no coding from scratch for me). I currently build missions and modify scripts in the TGE samples and have little trouble doing so.)
My first game designs are very minimal compared to what I've seen Torque used for, but it seemed like a good idea to just dig into the engine with future games and expansions in mind... learn something better instead of switching engines later, ya know?
Anyway (I realise I'm babbling), does it really make sense to many of you to strip Torque down to a level of no networking, no vehicles, no running around in the terrain engine, etc... down to a point where it's basically a stationary turret shooting at targets moving around within a big room??
Would you use this engine to create a very simple arcade shooter... something like a shooting range with targets sitting at different distances? (Just an overly-simplified example.)
Any guidance on this would be helpful. I'm currently trying to learn about making new scripts to control things like hittable targets and I'm having mixed success so far.
Okay.. I'll shut up now and see what I get. ;-)
Thanks a ton for any help.
About the author
#2
11/24/2003 (4:33 pm)
Marble Blast is an example of a single player game that still has the TGE networking code. The client-server model seems to work just fine for single player games, you just never actually open any connections to other computers.
#3
I think the value of just getting a whole game completed is huge for me right now, and my sense is that's more likely with "toning down Torque" than it is with me trying to build up something else. It's going to take some more schoolin', but I feel pretty good about pursuing TGE.
11/25/2003 (11:40 am)
I appreciate the feedback. I was thinking of the "strip unused features" as being better due to program size and such, but I'm not one to know much about optimization... trust me, the more I leave as-it-is, the better. :)I think the value of just getting a whole game completed is huge for me right now, and my sense is that's more likely with "toning down Torque" than it is with me trying to build up something else. It's going to take some more schoolin', but I feel pretty good about pursuing TGE.
Torque Owner Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr
Default Studio Name
After TZ is done, one of our slated development projects is a game just like you describe (or at least, it's one of our posibilities - we have a whole list to choose from at the moment.) So, I may be biased, but, yeah - I think it's worthwhile. Will you sell a ton of 'em? Probably not, but it's possible. It all depends on your expectations of "worth it" really ;-) Sounds like a great project to sink your teeth into Torque a bit deeper.