Tgb To Tgea?
by WesTT · in Torque Game Builder · 12/02/2008 (12:26 am) · 7 replies
According to the TGB product page, using TGB "puts you miles ahead of the competition" with regards to targeting Xbox 360 and other consoles. I am wondering what this porting path is, and what tools (if any) are provided specifically for this purpose? If one has to take their TGB game and re-implement the tools (level builder, particle editor, etc) and basically setup a 2D environment in TGEA similar to that of TGB when I am driven to ask what exactly is offered in terms of moving from TGB -> TGEA in terms of tools support?
While I realize that it might be a bit rich to simply expect a TGB game/level to drop into TGEA at this point, if claims are made as to a certain degree of ease in moving between the two(?) then I'd really like to know what that is before plonking down more money for TGEA.
What is primarily of interest to us is hitting multiple platforms from TGEA (360, Wii, PC and Mac etc), but from what I can see in the TGEA demo is that TGBs tools for building out levels in 2D are better geared out of the box for this purpose. We don't really want to valuable time reimplementing tools into TGEA.
I've read the blogs, and it seems like tighter integration of these tools might be coming in the future, but we're interested in what work we'll have to do now to get our game into TGEA. Anyone have more information?
Cheers
Wes
While I realize that it might be a bit rich to simply expect a TGB game/level to drop into TGEA at this point, if claims are made as to a certain degree of ease in moving between the two(?) then I'd really like to know what that is before plonking down more money for TGEA.
What is primarily of interest to us is hitting multiple platforms from TGEA (360, Wii, PC and Mac etc), but from what I can see in the TGEA demo is that TGBs tools for building out levels in 2D are better geared out of the box for this purpose. We don't really want to valuable time reimplementing tools into TGEA.
I've read the blogs, and it seems like tighter integration of these tools might be coming in the future, but we're interested in what work we'll have to do now to get our game into TGEA. Anyone have more information?
Cheers
Wes
#2
I believe any reference for moving from TGB to TGE/A would be with respect to developing a game. Since TGB and TGE/A are essentially created from the same code base, there are similarities between the two engines that enable you to get stuck in with TGE/A with relative ease, compared to someone with no knowledge of any of the Torque engines.
12/02/2008 (1:40 am)
I think your approach is a little off.I believe any reference for moving from TGB to TGE/A would be with respect to developing a game. Since TGB and TGE/A are essentially created from the same code base, there are similarities between the two engines that enable you to get stuck in with TGE/A with relative ease, compared to someone with no knowledge of any of the Torque engines.
#3
Presumably, this refers only to API level functionality, and not to tools or necessarily asset support.
@Phil: I disagree. My approach was to remove any lingering doubt from my mind about what cross functionality is supported by the two, and what tools they share. I'm not a source owner for TGEA myself, so I can't check, and even if I were I think it's reasonable to assume that someone on here, either from GG or a developer would know. From what I can see from the TGEA demo, peoples advice on here and emailing GG directly, they share no tools but share much of the same code, from TGB/TGEA 1.7 onward at least.
12/02/2008 (5:55 am)
@Brian: Thanks, that's what I was getting at. I was wondering if there were any auxiliary tools to support this move at all. To add to my confusion I found this page stating "Additionally, for developers looking to create 2D console games, the engines available to those who license Torque 360 (for use on Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Live Arcade) and Torque for Wii (for use on the Nintendo Wii and WiiWare) now include the 2D functionality of Torque Game Builder.".Presumably, this refers only to API level functionality, and not to tools or necessarily asset support.
@Phil: I disagree. My approach was to remove any lingering doubt from my mind about what cross functionality is supported by the two, and what tools they share. I'm not a source owner for TGEA myself, so I can't check, and even if I were I think it's reasonable to assume that someone on here, either from GG or a developer would know. From what I can see from the TGEA demo, peoples advice on here and emailing GG directly, they share no tools but share much of the same code, from TGB/TGEA 1.7 onward at least.
#4
Do you have access to TGB source? TGB was built from TGE not TGEA, so everything in the engine except for the folder "T2D" and "TGB" and "components" belongs to TGE. You will find a few differences between the remaining contents, but essentially it is the same.
TGEA has diverged from TGE by quite a lot. There is still some resemblance but a lot of the rendering code has changed as well as quite a few efficiencies.
12/02/2008 (1:12 pm)
Ah, okay.Do you have access to TGB source? TGB was built from TGE not TGEA, so everything in the engine except for the folder "T2D" and "TGB" and "components" belongs to TGE. You will find a few differences between the remaining contents, but essentially it is the same.
TGEA has diverged from TGE by quite a lot. There is still some resemblance but a lot of the rendering code has changed as well as quite a few efficiencies.
#5
Torque 360 is a port of TGEA which uses the official XDK, hence the requirement to be an officially sanctioned MS developer. Torque 360 has also had TGB functionality moved into it to help support the 2D side of XBLA.
I'm not sure what you mean about tools and asset support, however, since the base asset support has been pretty much the same between TGE and TGB (with the addition of DDS textures in TGEA). TGEA and TGB have different tools since they are for developing different styles (or perspectives) of games.
12/02/2008 (2:44 pm)
I don't find it that confusing and I get a lot of questions about it so it is probably much more so that I think it is. Now the versions of TX and TX Builder...that's confusing.Torque 360 is a port of TGEA which uses the official XDK, hence the requirement to be an officially sanctioned MS developer. Torque 360 has also had TGB functionality moved into it to help support the 2D side of XBLA.
I'm not sure what you mean about tools and asset support, however, since the base asset support has been pretty much the same between TGE and TGB (with the addition of DDS textures in TGEA). TGEA and TGB have different tools since they are for developing different styles (or perspectives) of games.
#6
Ok, I've been looking into this a bit more now (my laptop is currently broken and in service, so haven't had much of a chance to access materials) and have cleared up some of my confusion.
@Phillip: Thanks for that. I was focusing primarily on TGEA at the time and was ignoring TGE. I do have access to the source of TGB and have worked with it during Zompocalypse, though, nothing huge. Never had any contact with the TGE package though as I am not a license holder.
The TGE product page says quite explicitly that there is a porting path to the 360 and Wii, with that in mind and that TGB is derived from TGE I would imaging it is indeed rather simple to get a TGB title onto these platforms. From memory, I remember there being PC and a MAC platform code in the TGB source, presumably, one would need a 360/Wii platform layer/code either home grown or supplied from GG(?) to do this.
12/09/2008 (9:21 am)
Thanks for your replies guys.Ok, I've been looking into this a bit more now (my laptop is currently broken and in service, so haven't had much of a chance to access materials) and have cleared up some of my confusion.
@Phillip: Thanks for that. I was focusing primarily on TGEA at the time and was ignoring TGE. I do have access to the source of TGB and have worked with it during Zompocalypse, though, nothing huge. Never had any contact with the TGE package though as I am not a license holder.
The TGE product page says quite explicitly that there is a porting path to the 360 and Wii, with that in mind and that TGB is derived from TGE I would imaging it is indeed rather simple to get a TGB title onto these platforms. From memory, I remember there being PC and a MAC platform code in the TGB source, presumably, one would need a 360/Wii platform layer/code either home grown or supplied from GG(?) to do this.
#7
12/09/2008 (9:25 am)
Yes, we have a platform layer for the 360 that works with the XDK (hence the reason that one has to be an officially licensed developer to work with Torque 360).
Torque Owner Brian Wilson