Worth upgrading to TSE?

#1 Here's my opinion:

* I'd wait till the TSE has advanced a little further in development. I wouldn't think it'll be all too useful at the moment unless; (1) you are an experienced programmer, (2) are in no rush to produce anything and just want to experiment, (3) have heaps of cash and time & don't mind waiting for updates.

* Remember that TSE is just (in essence) a revamped version of TGE. It is not a new engine or a complete rewrite. If you're happy with TGE then you'll be very happy with TSE. If you find TGE disappointing you'll find TSE very disappointing.

* If you want your game to have nice modern rendering & are happy with TGE then upgrading to TSE is a must. Bearing in mind it's not finished yet so i stress my first point again of waiting till it's a little further on in development

* Finally ask yourself what type of market you want your game to be attracting. If you use TGE the system requirements needed to run your game won't be very high. Obviously using TSE would require users to have a more modern video card, more memory, faster cpu etc.

Well that's my 2cents worth. In closing the last thing i'll say is that in my experience there are other engines out there i'd prefer to use over TSE. Simply for the fact that they are cheaper, easier to use and have more features. As far as TGE goes not much really beats it, so i use that engine for prototyping, experimentation, making small quick games, & fun.

#2 Thanks for the info Tim. I'll stick with TGE until Milestone 3's done.

#3 I'll agree with everything but the last part about Cheaper, easlier to use and more features...

I think it depends on your budget and future plans. TSE EA program is not expensive IMO.

It's an investment in the future. I have been working with it for over a year and am just
started to scratch the surface. Well also just got a 6800 GT so I can do SM3.0 experiments now.

I have found TSE a great learning tool and fun to work with. Already made my money's worth.

Tim you might be a little biased seeing as how your writing a game engine. Might want to let the lad know next time..

Fair and balanced reporting :)

#4

Quote:
Tim you might be a little biased seeing as how your writing a game engine. Might want to let the lad know next time..

News to me, i wish i could write my own engine :) I think you're mistaking me with someone else or have been misinformed.

I base my last comments on the following...

* I've spent $100 on TGE, $50 on Lighting kit, and to upgrade to TSE will cost me another $150 if i buy now, or $200 once it's finished. Also if one is serious about game making you'll want the Show Tool Pro & Constructor tool if it's ever finished (that's been going on since early march this year). So that's another $34.95 for the Show Tool Pro and i'm guessing about the same for the constructor. So to buy the early adopter release of TSE & other addons i would have to spend approx $370.

Now there are three other engines that come to mind but i'll focus on the one i prefer most. It offers lifetime free updates, has all the features of TSE & then some, in my experience is easier to use and far more stable, and updates are released on a very regular basis. Also it's advancing at a far faster pace & was only released to the public in about October this year. Since i've purchased i've had 7 updates. TGE has been around since 2001 & has only had what, about 4 or 5 updates and still serious bugs exist :( Now the better of these three engines is priced at $100, the 2nd $200 and the 3rd $150 so i think my comments were fair.

* I undersand it all comes down to individual preference but i look at it this way, TSE is NOT a new engine & has been in production since about june 04. It is at best only half way finished and one would have to assume a finshed product is a looooong time away.

* Re-enforcing i understand finding an engine you like comes down to personal preference but to back up my previous comments i'll say this. I've tinkered with TSE & found it very awkward to implement it's new features (bump mapping etc). I found one particular engine with all the features of TSE & more without the need to script in your desired rendering effects. Also the frame rate travels along very nicely. Oh, i'm going to be cheeky here, THE SOUND WORKS! ; P (I could bitch about the sound in Torque all day & my frustrations concerning... no, i'll refrain.)

Based on all of that i stand by my previous comments. I think if you look at it with an objective view you'll have to agree with what i've said, at least in part.

#5 Oh wait my bad on the C4 engine lol. I read it wrong.

#6 Double LOL

#7 Tim: I noticed you did not mention the name or provide a link to this "superior" engine. Might want to do that. Also, you seem to not own TSE... how can you give a decent opinion if you haven't even used the product(you're totaly limited if you're just tinkering with scripts)?

To answer the original post: Yes, I think it's worth upgrading to TSE now. The main reason I say that is because it's cheaper to get it now rather than later. It will also give you a major head-start on TSE dev and allow you to get comfortable with using shaders.

#8 I too think TSE will be worth alot more than the EA price, eventually.

But I don't think it's worth to upgrade right now if you're looking for a mature platform to build your game on, and expect the same quality as TGE (editors, stability - whatnot). TSE looks very beautiful, but it's a bit less functional than TGE.

#9 Hey Josh,

Firstly take a deep breath & learn not to take other peoples opinions so personally.
Not everyone will share a love for Torque on the same level that you do.

I DO like the Torque engine i just think there are other alternatives that are well worth considering. I reserve the right to inform my fellow game making community about any engine which i feel might be worth a look at.

I am glad i have an open mind and don't much care for this 'I Love Torque, Torque is No.1, if you don't share my opinion on this matter i will post my immature unhelpful comments cos Torque is the best' attitude. I have seen this a lot within this community which is why i deliberately made no mention or provided a link to the engines i talked about.

I have however posted information about the engine i talked about above in the past, only to encounter a large number of undeserved, unprovoked, unfounded, childish, remarks. If you're really interested here's the link.

Furthermore i resent your comment about me not mentioning this "superior engine". Why would you say that? Are you one of the people that fall into the category i describe above? I think 'x' engine is better than 'y' engine, big deal. Does it affect your outcome in life?

My only interest was to answer a fellow game makers question & provide an honest, useful opinion. I briefly outline my reasons and let people come to their own conclusion. You didn't give me a single reason as to why TSE is 'God of all engines' (not nice when people make false assumptions is it?).

Finally, no i don't own TSE but a collegue of mine does. I haven't gone into the source code but i know the basics & in my opinion simple tasks are quite long winded.

If i'm reading into your post too much and come off a little too abrasive and defensive for your liking i sincerly apologise.

edit:
P.S. If you look closely you'll see the engine i'm refering to is already mentioned

#10 "I am glad i have an open mind and don't much care for this 'I Love Torque, Torque is No.1"

dem's fightin words 'round these parts...

#11 TSE is gonna wipe the floor with that shiznat.

#12 Just bought a new 19" Widescreen TFT monitor, I'll upgrade my Video Card sometime soon.

#13 Nice. I use a Viewsonic 19 and love it. CRT's seemed to give me more eye strain.

#14 I'm never going back to a CRT.

whoops, First day - First dead pixel!