C++ or Script ?

#1 scripting is for the game logic,and other things like gametypes, it is just to customize your game to your liking. C++ is just for adding new features to engine and so forth. With that being said you could go all script but you cant do it all through c++ the scripting is needed to make your content work with engine. So it isnt possible to make a game without using the scripting language.(I think) I hope this clears up any confusion you had.

#2 If youa re experianced enough with C++ I think you could make a whole game with it, but you would have to chang how the engine creates the game within itself. Personally I think that learning Torque Script would be an easier option, and would end up benefitting the game more. The syntax is very much like C++, but more flexible.

Also if you have to change some aspect of gameplay, you don't need to rebuild the whole game, and can see it in action pretty much straight away.

So you could do it all in C++, but the effort required would probably be better spent in learning Torque Script.

Dylan

#3 Really it depends on what you want to do. Any non-dynamic elements of the game are done in C++, for example, no matter what, the rendering stuff is done the same each time. A player object's behavior is always the same, however the player object's model is different. The model is therefore set via script.

#4 And a lot of the properties of the player object are tweakable, too.

The idea is that script takes care of all the stuff that doesn't need to be done 60 times a second, every second. So, varying gravity, or dealing with what happens when a bullet hits someone, or setting up how things will behave (ie, what the datablocks do)

It's sort of like when you write a script or manually do something on your computer. If you want to change how your computer acts, you don't tweak window's (or linux, or macOS) source code, you change other stuff, like config files. Or you have your script issue certain commands to reconfigure things. It would be silly to have to recompile your OS every time you wanted a new mouse cursor! So they made it scriptable - that is, you can change it without changing the source. There's a slot to say what cursor you want.

#5 Okay.. Thanks guys!

It sounds like you all don't think it's in any way a hinderance. I'm still not excited about learning another script language, but it doesn't sound too bad.

Has anyone done an isometric game with Torque? My project would be something along those lines. I saw there was a code snippet for having a god mode camera like that. I'll have to check that out.

-Andrew

#6 Hate to post this when y'all are trying to push Torque, but this is an indie developer site first. Andrew, I was also concerned with using a scripting language, not to mention the gui aspect of making the game instead of code. If you want to straight code your game, take a look at www.powerrender.com. Check out their trial demo. All power render is is a library of functions that do all the stuff an engine would with a couple of utilities that I haven't quite messed around with yet. But it seems pretty powerful. I got a liscense to it for $91 (including shipping). It's worth a look if you are a masochistic programmer like I am.

#7 Hi Jeremy..

I've had my eye on Power Render for a couple years now. It's come a long way. I didn't realize they had the cheap license now. Doesn't look like you get updates though.

It probably would do for what I need it for, although I'd likely have to build a few tools. I don't think the developer community support is as good as it is here either. Chris sometimes is lax about answering forum messages too.

How is your game coming along?

-andrew

#8 The lite version of Power Render does include updates. There's a post on the forums about that somewhere.

#9 All good points. As far as I know, there is no support for library updates, and tech support IS weak. And the community here is much better. So it really just comes down to your needs and how confident you are that you'll be able to figure out problems with little help. However, assuming you publish and sell millions of dollars worth, you'll save a whole $5k on the liscence. (C: But honestly, if my game sold for millions, I don't think I'd care about $5 thousand extra.

As far as my game, don't expect to see much until atleast Sep 03 (in time for IGF submittal for March 04). I just got my team together (still adding people here and there) and in Design phase. I completed the creative design doc, but as far as I'm concerned, that is only like 25% of the full design process. Still gotta implement it all in psuedocode and write up the Tech Design Doc. Not to mention building the prototype. So I'm just now getting used to the engine and everything.