What would you like to see addressed in Torque 3D?
by Matt Fairfax · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 01/09/2009 (7:10 pm) · 281 replies
Hi all,
We've asked before but I thought I would take the opportunity to build a fresh list of what you would like to see addressed in Torque.
This can be everything from a long-standing bug, to a resource that is so useful you find yourself integrating it over and over, to a complete wish for something. Whatever it is we want to hear it!
Please keep in mind that just because you ask for it doesn't mean that you will get it. I am making no promises but it is always helpful to us to hear what you are interested in or concerned about.
Our community is hugely diverse and something that is absolutely essential and of the highest priority to you and your game may actually be something that other games never use so don't take it personally if we don't address your specific concern.
I am going to make sure that everything specific that you mention gets logged into our task tacker so that it can be prioritized and reviewed even if we don't get to it for Torque 3D. I say "specific" because statements like "vehicles suck" aren't useful to us however if you can narrow it down to "FlyingVehicles crash when they run into the ground too fast" then it is something we can look into.
I am very serious about this...if you ever want a chance at having your concerns addressed then you need to speak up.
We've asked before but I thought I would take the opportunity to build a fresh list of what you would like to see addressed in Torque.
This can be everything from a long-standing bug, to a resource that is so useful you find yourself integrating it over and over, to a complete wish for something. Whatever it is we want to hear it!
Please keep in mind that just because you ask for it doesn't mean that you will get it. I am making no promises but it is always helpful to us to hear what you are interested in or concerned about.
Our community is hugely diverse and something that is absolutely essential and of the highest priority to you and your game may actually be something that other games never use so don't take it personally if we don't address your specific concern.
I am going to make sure that everything specific that you mention gets logged into our task tacker so that it can be prioritized and reviewed even if we don't get to it for Torque 3D. I say "specific" because statements like "vehicles suck" aren't useful to us however if you can narrow it down to "FlyingVehicles crash when they run into the ground too fast" then it is something we can look into.
I am very serious about this...if you ever want a chance at having your concerns addressed then you need to speak up.
About the author
By day, I am a senior programmer at The Playforge, makers of the popular iPhone game Zombie Farm. By night, I work on my own games as Night Heron Games. I am an ex-GarageGames employee who helped ship TGE, TGEA, Torque 3D, and Constructor.
#242
02/12/2009 (6:58 am)
oh nearly slipped my mind. Do something about the damn lighting. the lighting system is TGEA is such a joke. needs per pixel lighting like in .... well just about every other engine there is. 
#243
02/12/2009 (7:22 am)
Support for standard h.264/x.264 video format would be very great !
#244
02/12/2009 (10:44 am)
Normal mapping for terrian and anything else that isn't planned to support it... my only request.
#245
02/15/2009 (8:25 am)
I would just add: A NEAT AND FULL DOCUMENTATION!!! not for those who are expert, but for the newbies too! Thanks 
#246
02/15/2009 (11:27 am)
An early adopters release.. :) 
#248
02/19/2009 (5:54 pm)
Manual/programmatic object (i.e. TSShape) creation for building things like 3d cursors, spline following roads, etc. Ogre3D has an interface for that that take OpenGL style calls for creating the different elements. I've found it rather eloquent.
#249
02/21/2009 (12:35 pm)
An option to upgrade from TGE 1.5.2 to T3D 
#250
02/24/2009 (11:39 am)
Please add the AiWheeledVehicle class into T3D. I had to mod TGEA to add it. That is a very important class if you are making a racing game with torque. Please don't forget it
#252
2. Turn Based Game Kit (optionally)
so with this you can have and starter template for any type of game:
fps, race, rpg, rts, etc...
03/03/2009 (7:44 pm)
1. RTS Kit (must)2. Turn Based Game Kit (optionally)
so with this you can have and starter template for any type of game:
fps, race, rpg, rts, etc...
#253
The next biggest thing I would like to see is an overhaul of the character animation system. The animations in TGEA are still pretty much the same as they were for Tribes 2. A small table of animations linked specifically to actions, and then whole body animations, played on one of 4 different threads. The last two engines I worked with -- Unreal 3, and Ogre, both provided a blendtree visual system for setting up and tweeking animations, and specifying complex and flexible blending solutions. I would love to see a similar system to this provided with the engine. A visual blendtree animation editor, with script callbacks to assist in blend decisions at runtime. More robust system for animation tags would be nice as well, with full script callbacks for fired animation tags, multiple tags per animation, and weighted tags.
Beyond that, I do think Torque suffers a bit for not supporting ragdoll physics out of the box. I know it already has limited rigid body support built in, and that's awesome. But a means of specifying rigid bodies per bone, with a constraint system, and an IK solver -- ie., support for ragdolls, would be really nice. This could (and probably should) integrate with an existing third party physics library. Personally, I'd go with Havok over PhysX, but YMMV. If you're building a character based game, you're pretty close to being functionally obsolescent these days if you don't provide ragdoll support to some extent.
Thanks for taking the feedback -- can't wait to see more progress.
03/04/2009 (9:38 am)
I haven't been through the 200+ replies to this thread, but I will add my 2 cents worth. First, I think the collada support is *awesome*, and honestly addresses what is for me the #1 issue with using TGE/TGEA - the pipeline. So bully to you, and please make sure the collada support is as robust as you can make it. The next biggest thing I would like to see is an overhaul of the character animation system. The animations in TGEA are still pretty much the same as they were for Tribes 2. A small table of animations linked specifically to actions, and then whole body animations, played on one of 4 different threads. The last two engines I worked with -- Unreal 3, and Ogre, both provided a blendtree visual system for setting up and tweeking animations, and specifying complex and flexible blending solutions. I would love to see a similar system to this provided with the engine. A visual blendtree animation editor, with script callbacks to assist in blend decisions at runtime. More robust system for animation tags would be nice as well, with full script callbacks for fired animation tags, multiple tags per animation, and weighted tags.
Beyond that, I do think Torque suffers a bit for not supporting ragdoll physics out of the box. I know it already has limited rigid body support built in, and that's awesome. But a means of specifying rigid bodies per bone, with a constraint system, and an IK solver -- ie., support for ragdolls, would be really nice. This could (and probably should) integrate with an existing third party physics library. Personally, I'd go with Havok over PhysX, but YMMV. If you're building a character based game, you're pretty close to being functionally obsolescent these days if you don't provide ragdoll support to some extent.
Thanks for taking the feedback -- can't wait to see more progress.
#254
03/05/2009 (10:05 am)
I think that it would be nice to have a Video Tutorial ready for all the new features on how to us them and implement them into your game like Lara Engebretson did,and you can sell or give it away for free as long as it show you how to do all the new features. Also I would love if it had a Controller Support implemeted into T3D.
#255
03/05/2009 (11:01 am)
Lara works for GG and the plan is to have her redo all of her video tutorials (plus some new ones) to match Torque 3D when it is ready. 
#256
03/12/2009 (1:30 pm)
How about a slightly different sales model that addresses both the streamline-it-people and the feature-creep-people. The base engine would sell for a somewhat reduced price, and it would include only the advanced features that are needed in the majority of games. The, you would be able to buy "feature kits" that contain a group of related additional features. For example, a MMO kit that a contains radar map, economy control, paging, etc. Or a FPS kit that has advanced pathfinding/AI, weapon upgrading, placeable map logic (like triggers). 
#257
03/12/2009 (3:48 pm)
I would like to be able to place fog like you can place a water block. You would be able to create some really neat effects that way. Imagine fog just around the peak of a mountain, or just in a valley with a stream running through it.
#258
03/12/2009 (11:59 pm)
I would like it if they would port an RTS kit to T3D soon.
#259
1.) complete documentation ( Mac and PC ) in one place . ..it would really be nice to have each tool/feature have the elements of the list below. Currently some tools have some of the following elements . The documentation has quite a few broken links and feels awkward to navigate through.
-where to find it
-how to activate it
-basic parameters
- gotcha/limitations/common mistakes
- short example tutorial that uses all the above elements
a detailed "whats in the box" list would be handy too. I know this is a lot of work but it very much needed IMO. For example try following the directions for the Mac install. "Setting up your environment" is a little sparse. Or try invoking the Editors on a Mac using the current directions. Water blocks ..lots of description but how do I get one in game ? Generate projects .exe does what ? what is the Mac equivalent ?
Thus far most of my learning has been done by editing the "template" project using trial and error. There is alot of good information in the forums but its so very hard to find it .If its worthy of note by GG in the forums then it likely deserves inclusion in the documentation in the appropriate section.
Details on all the elements included in the template would be awesome.
2.) I own TGEA 1.8.1 ..what is my upgrade path to T3D? ( for those of us that have to file budgets )
03/15/2009 (1:45 pm)
My wish list1.) complete documentation ( Mac and PC ) in one place . ..it would really be nice to have each tool/feature have the elements of the list below. Currently some tools have some of the following elements . The documentation has quite a few broken links and feels awkward to navigate through.
-where to find it
-how to activate it
-basic parameters
- gotcha/limitations/common mistakes
- short example tutorial that uses all the above elements
a detailed "whats in the box" list would be handy too. I know this is a lot of work but it very much needed IMO. For example try following the directions for the Mac install. "Setting up your environment" is a little sparse. Or try invoking the Editors on a Mac using the current directions. Water blocks ..lots of description but how do I get one in game ? Generate projects .exe does what ? what is the Mac equivalent ?
Thus far most of my learning has been done by editing the "template" project using trial and error. There is alot of good information in the forums but its so very hard to find it .If its worthy of note by GG in the forums then it likely deserves inclusion in the documentation in the appropriate section.
Details on all the elements included in the template would be awesome.
2.) I own TGEA 1.8.1 ..what is my upgrade path to T3D? ( for those of us that have to file budgets )
#260
I agree we need more hand-holding documents :)
Mine the forums for information and put it all in one set of documents included with the engines.
03/15/2009 (11:20 pm)
We've had assurance there will be delta upgrades from TGEA - you pay only the difference.I agree we need more hand-holding documents :)
Mine the forums for information and put it all in one set of documents included with the engines.
Torque 3D Owner Glen "ThaBonadingus" Reece
Either way, could you T3D guys look into doing surround sound support(+EAX, etc) and using subtitle files with video? Even if they only worked with ogg, I think it would be great.