Countless Worlds, One Editor - GeoWorld Game Engine
by ZepaDev · in General Discussion · 08/21/2008 (3:10 pm) · 20 replies
GeoWorld is a complete Game Engine System.
GeoWorld combines ALL the different aspects of game development into one robust package including audio and video. The package includes an impressive world builder called Geonardo with unprecedented set features not seen in many of modern game development tools. With just a few mouse clicks you can auto-generate terrian, build lakes and rivers, splat and paint your terrain, easily place and manipulate meshes, use the latest shader technology, create cool particle effects, drop in volumetric fog, and much, much more!
In addition to the excellent world building tools, the package includes a powerful set of programming API calls specially designed for making the programming aspects of your game much easier to impliment. Using the well designed API calls, you can quickly load up your worlds and control virtually any aspect for your game. Sample source code and demo is included to help you get started quickly!
Unlike other game engine systems, GeoWorld doesn't limit or restrict what you can do. GeoWorld is built on top TrueVision3D graphic engine which is powered by DirectX. GeoWorld is designed to open up all levels of access to the TrueVision3D graphic engine and DirectX itself so creating custom solutions to fit your projects needs is very easy to do!
So whether you're an indie gamer just starting out or an avid coder, GeoWorld will suit your needs, save game development time, and make developing games fun and rewarding experience! If you would like to learn more please visit our web site at http://www.zepadev.com/ where you can also download the fully functioning SDK. You can also visit us on IRC at irc.truevision3d.com in the #GeoWorld channel.
Sample video of a demo world:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OHA6r1fmsw
One of our user's demo shot:
GeoWorld combines ALL the different aspects of game development into one robust package including audio and video. The package includes an impressive world builder called Geonardo with unprecedented set features not seen in many of modern game development tools. With just a few mouse clicks you can auto-generate terrian, build lakes and rivers, splat and paint your terrain, easily place and manipulate meshes, use the latest shader technology, create cool particle effects, drop in volumetric fog, and much, much more!
In addition to the excellent world building tools, the package includes a powerful set of programming API calls specially designed for making the programming aspects of your game much easier to impliment. Using the well designed API calls, you can quickly load up your worlds and control virtually any aspect for your game. Sample source code and demo is included to help you get started quickly!
Unlike other game engine systems, GeoWorld doesn't limit or restrict what you can do. GeoWorld is built on top TrueVision3D graphic engine which is powered by DirectX. GeoWorld is designed to open up all levels of access to the TrueVision3D graphic engine and DirectX itself so creating custom solutions to fit your projects needs is very easy to do!
So whether you're an indie gamer just starting out or an avid coder, GeoWorld will suit your needs, save game development time, and make developing games fun and rewarding experience! If you would like to learn more please visit our web site at http://www.zepadev.com/ where you can also download the fully functioning SDK. You can also visit us on IRC at irc.truevision3d.com in the #GeoWorld channel.
Sample video of a demo world:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OHA6r1fmsw
One of our user's demo shot:
#2
08/22/2008 (7:40 am)
Looks like an interesting product! Good luck!
#3
And actually the TV3D SDK is free and totally uncrippled other then a small watermark in the corner. I tried Torque and it's too limiting. GeoWorld is a complete out of the box solution. You install the thing and you are ready to go right out of the box. There isn't much the world editor can't do and what it can't do in the editor you can do in your own code.
If you're an indie gamer looking to have a real shot at producing a successful game, you really should check out GeoWorld. We our using it with our game and had nothing but great success with it. If you're really thinking about making a successful game, the cost of the licensing is a drop in the bucket for what the entire system does.
08/22/2008 (12:16 pm)
I have bought the engine and we are considered "indie", but it doesn't mean our work is "idie" quality. I know a couple other people which are using it as well.And actually the TV3D SDK is free and totally uncrippled other then a small watermark in the corner. I tried Torque and it's too limiting. GeoWorld is a complete out of the box solution. You install the thing and you are ready to go right out of the box. There isn't much the world editor can't do and what it can't do in the editor you can do in your own code.
If you're an indie gamer looking to have a real shot at producing a successful game, you really should check out GeoWorld. We our using it with our game and had nothing but great success with it. If you're really thinking about making a successful game, the cost of the licensing is a drop in the bucket for what the entire system does.
#4
You make it sound like no indie games have been made with TGE/A. Well, look at the products list, you will see a ton of real released games by indies. (Not "in production, never released", but real games).
To be fair, I gave it a chance and checked out the video. If you want to impress folks, you should do something about it - It looks amateurish, the lighting is poor and the graphics suffer because of it. The buildings have shadows, but many other things do not, and it looks wierd when the shadows on the building move, but the trees and other items don't cast any (it could have been a good effect). The torches have flames, but the lighting doesn't affect the corridor at all. And don't get me going on the dragon. Now maybe this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the video doesn't show that.
I understand if you want to drum up sales for your buddy, but this looks too primitive for a modern game. if you don't like Torque (Personally, I was so-so on it until the new TGEA came out. Now the new TGEA rocks hard!), you may want to check into something else, like irrlicht, or NeoEngine, or perhaps rolling your own using OGRE.
08/22/2008 (12:46 pm)
Hmm - one post, the only post, from"Chad Wegner". It's like somebody asked you to come over here and talk up this engine. Well, good luck on your game. But there are plenty of us who like Torque, and are happy with our purchase, and do not wish to use TV3D (is it still written in VB?)You make it sound like no indie games have been made with TGE/A. Well, look at the products list, you will see a ton of real released games by indies. (Not "in production, never released", but real games).
To be fair, I gave it a chance and checked out the video. If you want to impress folks, you should do something about it - It looks amateurish, the lighting is poor and the graphics suffer because of it. The buildings have shadows, but many other things do not, and it looks wierd when the shadows on the building move, but the trees and other items don't cast any (it could have been a good effect). The torches have flames, but the lighting doesn't affect the corridor at all. And don't get me going on the dragon. Now maybe this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the video doesn't show that.
I understand if you want to drum up sales for your buddy, but this looks too primitive for a modern game. if you don't like Torque (Personally, I was so-so on it until the new TGEA came out. Now the new TGEA rocks hard!), you may want to check into something else, like irrlicht, or NeoEngine, or perhaps rolling your own using OGRE.
#5
Lets say your an indie developer just doing it for kicks or maybe as a demo to get into a real game dev company. So thats 199 for the GeoWorld a single license plus 150 for to license the graphic engine. To me that adds up to only $349 dollars and if you understood what the system can do (which you can use it completely uncripled) it is total chump change. If you can't afford that you should write your own graphic/game engine from scratch or pick up a new hobby.
If you're a legit studio trying to actually create a successfull game, complaing about a stuidio license for 600 dollars shows you obviously don't know what you're doing since paying for artists and modelers makes 600 dollars looking like a McDonalds happy meal.
08/22/2008 (12:57 pm)
Oh yeah, 3000 dollars? This guy can't do math? Probably why he is using Torque instead of a real engine. Lets say your an indie developer just doing it for kicks or maybe as a demo to get into a real game dev company. So thats 199 for the GeoWorld a single license plus 150 for to license the graphic engine. To me that adds up to only $349 dollars and if you understood what the system can do (which you can use it completely uncripled) it is total chump change. If you can't afford that you should write your own graphic/game engine from scratch or pick up a new hobby.
If you're a legit studio trying to actually create a successfull game, complaing about a stuidio license for 600 dollars shows you obviously don't know what you're doing since paying for artists and modelers makes 600 dollars looking like a McDonalds happy meal.
#6
You sold me on your credibility ;)
08/22/2008 (1:16 pm)
Quote:Oh yeah, 3000 dollars? This guy can't do math? Probably why he is using Torque instead of a real engine.
You sold me on your credibility ;)
#7
TrueVision3D was never written in VB6 it just provided extensions to the languge if you wanted to use it, but that was ages ago. Everyone uses .NET now? Can Torque do SSAO depth rendering with just two clicks? Hmm doesn't look like it, bummer for Torque users.
If you want to see some better examples, check out these ones below. Some of them are a bit amature since I just started using the tools not too long ago:
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/volumetric_fog.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/tree_scene.png
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset1.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset2.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset3.jpg
08/22/2008 (1:17 pm)
Nah, that video is totally out of date and was just tossed together in like 30 minutes on one of the first versions release. Something you CAN'T do with Torque, but I do agree they need to make a better video because it totally doesn't showcase it's capability at all.TrueVision3D was never written in VB6 it just provided extensions to the languge if you wanted to use it, but that was ages ago. Everyone uses .NET now? Can Torque do SSAO depth rendering with just two clicks? Hmm doesn't look like it, bummer for Torque users.
If you want to see some better examples, check out these ones below. Some of them are a bit amature since I just started using the tools not too long ago:
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/volumetric_fog.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/tree_scene.png
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset1.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset2.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset3.jpg
#8
Keep it nice please.
08/22/2008 (1:19 pm)
Chad, you're not going to win any friends over here (if that is your intent?) by insulting peoples intelligence or our engines. Keep it nice please.
#9
08/22/2008 (1:20 pm)
No need to be insulting, Chad. Plenty of us feel that Torque is a real engine - especially since it's been used to create many real games - That includes games on Consoles like the Wii and the Xbox 360, as well as Windows and Mac. Maybe TV3D will work for you, that's fine. But personally, I need more than TV3D can give - I need Vista compatibility, DirectX 9 features, and of course I'm eyeballing the new iPhone version...
#10
TrueVision3D was never written in VB6 it just provided extensions to the languge if you wanted to use it, but that was ages ago. Everyone uses .NET now? Can Torque do SSAO depth rendering with just two clicks? Hmm doesn't look like it, bummer for Torque users.
If you want to see some better examples, check out these ones below. Some of them are a bit amature since I just started using the tools not too long ago:
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/volumetric_fog.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/tree_scene.png
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset1.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset2.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset3.jpg
08/22/2008 (1:25 pm)
Nah, that video is totally out of date and was just tossed together in like 30 minutes on one of the first versions release. Something you CAN'T do with Torque, but I do agree they need to make a better video because it totally doesn't showcase it's capability at all.TrueVision3D was never written in VB6 it just provided extensions to the languge if you wanted to use it, but that was ages ago. Everyone uses .NET now? Can Torque do SSAO depth rendering with just two clicks? Hmm doesn't look like it, bummer for Torque users.
If you want to see some better examples, check out these ones below. Some of them are a bit amature since I just started using the tools not too long ago:
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/volumetric_fog.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/tree_scene.png
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset1.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset2.jpg
http://www.jempulestudios.com/cwegner/screenshots/sunset3.jpg
#11
Check out some of the newer TGEA videos, like these:
vimeo.com/847225
vimeo.com/982596 (I love this one, it's so over the top!)
08/22/2008 (1:30 pm)
Chad - Check out some of the newer TGEA videos, like these:
vimeo.com/847225
vimeo.com/982596 (I love this one, it's so over the top!)
#12
08/22/2008 (1:30 pm)
It works on Vista and gives you fill access to everything with DirectX. Looks like the licensing for indies is $295 for the advanced version and commercial $1495 for commercial? If you pay for it shouldn't it automatically be for commercial purposes? It is more expensive and you can only download a demo?
#14
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truevision3d
As for TGEA, The $295 does give you commercial usage rights - it's the indie license. You can sell it wherever you want for whatever you want, with no royalties. Plus - they give you all of the source code!
Make the switch - you won't be sorry. We'll be here to help you along too. And get AFX for TGEA, too! It gives you a complete magic system. A real one - it's fantastic!
PS - The $1495 license is for big software companies like EA or whoever. If you make more than 250K in a year, you have to buy that license instead.
08/22/2008 (1:40 pm)
I'm just going with what the wikipedia page says - can't use the release version on vista due to some licensing problem with the DX8 libraries. Maybe the page is wrong? It still lists TV3d as being written in VB6 as well.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truevision3d
As for TGEA, The $295 does give you commercial usage rights - it's the indie license. You can sell it wherever you want for whatever you want, with no royalties. Plus - they give you all of the source code!
Make the switch - you won't be sorry. We'll be here to help you along too. And get AFX for TGEA, too! It gives you a complete magic system. A real one - it's fantastic!
PS - The $1495 license is for big software companies like EA or whoever. If you make more than 250K in a year, you have to buy that license instead.
#15
www.garagegames.com/products/torque/powered
As well, check out these videos of AFX:
www.vimeo.com/1510928
www.vimeo.com/1510913
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gq4aWvNNjw&fmt=6
Afx is cool stuff!
08/22/2008 (1:50 pm)
Here's the list of games made with Torque that I was talking about earlier:www.garagegames.com/products/torque/powered
As well, check out these videos of AFX:
www.vimeo.com/1510928
www.vimeo.com/1510913
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gq4aWvNNjw&fmt=6
Afx is cool stuff!
#16
Haha, clown. It's blatantly obvious he was comparing what you get with TGEA for $295 to what it would cost to get all the same features for Geoworld, which is quite obviously over $3000 when the source weighs in at $2499...
But I guess the price isn't out there and it isn't the only consideration when choosing an indie friendly engine, the community counts for alot too... ah snap, you needa work on that sales pitch there, Chad. :)
You'd do well to research the commercial and indie licenses for Torque before trying to criticize them too, you're just making yourself look silly.
08/22/2008 (2:03 pm)
Quote:Oh yeah, 3000 dollars? This guy can't do math? Probably why he is using Torque instead of a real engine.
Haha, clown. It's blatantly obvious he was comparing what you get with TGEA for $295 to what it would cost to get all the same features for Geoworld, which is quite obviously over $3000 when the source weighs in at $2499...
But I guess the price isn't out there and it isn't the only consideration when choosing an indie friendly engine, the community counts for alot too... ah snap, you needa work on that sales pitch there, Chad. :)
You'd do well to research the commercial and indie licenses for Torque before trying to criticize them too, you're just making yourself look silly.
#17
Since I love engine tech and love to see new things come about (and am often inundated with e-mails from people who were unhappy with TV3D because they didn't have an easy world-building solution like this available to them). I think Zepa has done a great job at giving a large number of the TV3D community something that looks to be of great value.
TV3D is a great engine API. I've watched them for quite a while and have been really impressed with 6.5's jumps. It's definitely a programmer's engine, but projects like GeoWorld help bring it to the hands of everyone. I just created an account over there because I love watching burgeoning communities and love indie game development.
@Chad
Please don't troll our community. I can understand that you're excited by GeoWorld and that your company has invested in it, but it's no reason to start trolling other communities. Especially when these two pieces of info don't add up:
If you had done your research in your evaluation period, as any business-minded person looking to ease their development time should do, you would have known that the commercial license is for companies that make over $250,000 annually. The indie license is for companies who make under that. They can sell their games, give them away, put them on advertising portals, etc.
You seem so intent on extolling the virtues of GeoWorld that you are inconsistent with your claims of evaluating the Torque engine on a realistic basis.
I can't really see anything in the screenshots that seems any more exciting than most projects in Torque or Unity or BeyondVirtual or A7 or Irrlicht or Blitz3D, et al. I've seen a lot of trees and skyboxes/sky domes in my time in a lot of engines. It's a nice start. I like the tones on the sunsets. I'm not sure how you created them, but I really enjoyed working with Vue and doing post-work in PS. Not as big of a fan of the interface for Bryce for some reason, though I know people who love it.
Good luck with your project. I'm sure I'll see you around the GeoWorld forums as you release new screenshots showing the power of the engine and your artists. You're one of the only ones posting there now, but I'm sure there will be others soon. Zepa seems to have a nice product and I'm sure it will grab people in much the same way GameCore and DX Studio have.
08/22/2008 (2:14 pm)
As I noted before, it looks like a promissing product. Kudos to Zepa for adding another good-looking, usability-oriented engine to the ranks of DX Studio, Unity, GameCore, and other very nice engines.Since I love engine tech and love to see new things come about (and am often inundated with e-mails from people who were unhappy with TV3D because they didn't have an easy world-building solution like this available to them). I think Zepa has done a great job at giving a large number of the TV3D community something that looks to be of great value.
TV3D is a great engine API. I've watched them for quite a while and have been really impressed with 6.5's jumps. It's definitely a programmer's engine, but projects like GeoWorld help bring it to the hands of everyone. I just created an account over there because I love watching burgeoning communities and love indie game development.
@Chad
Please don't troll our community. I can understand that you're excited by GeoWorld and that your company has invested in it, but it's no reason to start trolling other communities. Especially when these two pieces of info don't add up:
Quote:I tried Torque and it's too limiting.
Quote:Looks like the licensing for indies is $295 for the advanced version and commercial $1495 for commercial? If you pay for it shouldn't it automatically be for commercial purposes? It is more expensive and you can only download a demo?
If you had done your research in your evaluation period, as any business-minded person looking to ease their development time should do, you would have known that the commercial license is for companies that make over $250,000 annually. The indie license is for companies who make under that. They can sell their games, give them away, put them on advertising portals, etc.
You seem so intent on extolling the virtues of GeoWorld that you are inconsistent with your claims of evaluating the Torque engine on a realistic basis.
I can't really see anything in the screenshots that seems any more exciting than most projects in Torque or Unity or BeyondVirtual or A7 or Irrlicht or Blitz3D, et al. I've seen a lot of trees and skyboxes/sky domes in my time in a lot of engines. It's a nice start. I like the tones on the sunsets. I'm not sure how you created them, but I really enjoyed working with Vue and doing post-work in PS. Not as big of a fan of the interface for Bryce for some reason, though I know people who love it.
Good luck with your project. I'm sure I'll see you around the GeoWorld forums as you release new screenshots showing the power of the engine and your artists. You're one of the only ones posting there now, but I'm sure there will be others soon. Zepa seems to have a nice product and I'm sure it will grab people in much the same way GameCore and DX Studio have.
#18
08/22/2008 (2:56 pm)
Sorry for some of my posts. I get over emotional and defensive over things I shouldn't be. I'm glad for your interest in GeoWorld and I hopefully will have a video/demo out which truely shows its full capability. Again sorry for some of my improper behavior as I do not want to tarnish Zepa's image, but they truely do have a product that stands out from the likes of DX Studio and others.
#19
08/22/2008 (3:08 pm)
No worries, man. Make sure to post your project's advances so that we can keep track of it! 
#20
One other slap in the face for TV3D customers, Truevision3D LLC can't even keep their eSupport up and running.
That was back in February! ZOMG!
Yeah yeah, I know the community forum is still up, but if you skim through that it looks like a bunch of noobs posting stuff.
Well, that's just my two cents.
I've got Torque in my blood, and nobody is going to sway me from using something different. The licensing is great, the price is great, and the community is awesome!
08/22/2008 (6:39 pm)
I've used the engine before, while nice, I wasn't overly impressed. Secondly the price for the source is fairly high in comparison to other engines (i.e. TGEA which r0x0rz!). While granted it is cheap compared to the 6-Million Dollar figure for Id's Quake4 engine, it's pretty high compared to others. One other slap in the face for TV3D customers, Truevision3D LLC can't even keep their eSupport up and running.
Quote:
eSupport offline
on: February 28, 2008, 07:45:46 PM
I have taken the eSupport system down once again. The latest auto-update seems to have broken the templates once again, and I'm forced to go through and determine what all changed for it to work again. I will work on this shortly and bring the system back online once I have fully tested it.
In the mean time, if you have license issues or for customer product support please send a PM directly to me with the information and I will get it taken care of right away. Email is a second option, however our mail server runs strict anti-spam rules so it is possible your email might not be allowed until we approve your address.
John
That was back in February! ZOMG!
Yeah yeah, I know the community forum is still up, but if you skim through that it looks like a bunch of noobs posting stuff.
Well, that's just my two cents.
I've got Torque in my blood, and nobody is going to sway me from using something different. The licensing is great, the price is great, and the community is awesome!
Torque Owner John Doppler Schiff
I was curious about the pricing, but the "product pricing" links simply say "[no text]", and the others give rather bland product descriptions with no pricing whatsoever. Maybe you should finish your website first before plastering ads on other sites, eh?
Oh wait, here it is. You have to click on the menu header, the sublinks don't work.
Geoworld Gaming System for the Truevision3D 6.5 SDK
Single User $199.00
Studio License $599.00
Source Code License $2499.00
GameGUI API for the TV3D 6.5SDK
Single User $49.00
Source Code License $199.00
Gamesound API for DirectX 9.x
Single User $49.00
Source Code License $199.00
2DNA for XNA 2D GUI for Windows/Xbox Live
Single User $49.00
Source Code License $199.00
But evaluation is FREE! Wheee!
Oh, but you do have to buy the TV3D SDK for $150.00 first.
So, tough decision here... $150 for TGE, or $295 for TGEA... or $3000+ for Windows-only GeoWorld?
Thanks for today's belly laugh, Zepa!