Move from Delphi and Game Maker to PureBASIC, Good idea?

KidNovak · Post by **KidNovak** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:36 pm

Hi,

I've been using Delphi since its release, now every new version seems to get bloated with functions I never use.

I also began using Game Maker to make 2D Games. Since I'm a one person team, I needed something to create games fast and easy. The only problem is Game Maker isn't very fast and it doesn't use optimized exe. It uses scripts, but it does have a lot great gaming functions.

Since making 2D Casual Type Games will be my top priority, is PureBASIC the right choice for me? and if so Why?

I know all about the speed of PureBASIC and the little optimized exe's, but how easy will I be able to convert over from Game Maker functions to PureBasic?

Please respond.
Thank you,
KidNovak

Shannara · Post by **Shannara** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:31 pm

It almost sounds like your talking about two different things? Creating games in GameMaker is extremely fast compared to creating one from scratch in programming language.

Purebasic is quite fast in execution speed, but not for game making. Mainly because you gotta start from scratch and do not have predefind tools for 2d game making like with GM. But you should find the same response with any programming language

netmaestro · Post by **netmaestro** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:06 pm

You're just employing a different logic model with PureBasic than Gamemaker or Delphi. Those languages basically insulate you from the main loop and treat everything as objects with properties and methods. In PureBasic you'll be shaping your own objects using structures and managing them in linkedlists, and the main loop is fully exposed to you. I've done fairly complex games in all three of the mentioned languages and my opinion is that of the three, PureBasic is the most powerful and flexible and is in contention with Gamemaker for being easiest to program in. Since adopting PureBasic, I don't make anything in Gamemaker anymore. Delphi I just use for the database frontends as it's quite good at that. Bear in mind that no programming language exists that doesn't employ a main loop. It's just that languages like Gamemaker tend to hide that from you, but it's there all right. You are putting something to be executed in the main loop whenever you place code in the step event of an object in your room.

KidNovak · Post by **KidNovak** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:28 pm

Well, after several hours of reading threads in this forum, I find that PureBasic is a excellent programming language.
I'm now a Registered owner of PureBasic.

I will use PureBasic for window applications. Delphi will soon fade away.

As I mentioned in my first post, Game Maker is very good at creating 2D games quickly because of all the gaming functions and GUI. It's not the fastest in execution speed, but for the 2D games I will be creating it might be good enough.
So, for now I will continue using Game Maker to create games before converting over to PureBasic. Atleast I know I have the Power if needed.

Thanks for the feedbacks.

Novak

srod · Post by **srod** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:43 pm

Good choice!

Must admit that I 'acquired' Delphi (ahem!) a while back and really wanted to get into it. Excellent IDE, clean syntax etc.

But, like yourself, the shear size of the damn thing with the myriad of features and commands and utilities just did my head in. It was like swimming in the ocean whilst wearing swimming trunks made out of concrete!

I just didn't know where to flaming start!

Mind you, I suppose VB.net is the same in that regard.

It remains to be seen whether Turbo Delphi will improve upon this.

netmaestro · Post by **netmaestro** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:49 pm

It remains to be seen whether Turbo Delphi will improve upon this.

Nope. Plus it installs .net framework 1.1, .net sdk, and j#.net runtime just to produce standalone win32 code. And the free version refuses to take DelphiX as thirdparty packages are not allowed. So no games are possible. Piece of junk if you ask me. If a person's going to be creating win32 apps with delphi, you'd be much better off with Delphi 7. (last version before the .net brainfart)

srod · Post by **srod** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:53 pm

Yes, it's version 7 Enterprise edition which I have... and what a beast it is as well!

Oh well, that's turbo Delphi out then!

Whatever happened to keeping things simple? I'm sure even professional developers use only a tiny fraction of what Delphi offers and spend the remaining 90% of their time wading through the docs etc.

Not my idea of fun!