Isometric Engine

Rook Zimbabwe · Post by **Rook Zimbabwe** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:20 am

I did a search but the topic was woefully underrated... I got 4 hits for "ISOMETRIC"

Does anyone know of ANY isometric engines or help thereof in PB?

Hmmm... may have to dig out my B3D examples...

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:45 am

perhaps better search for "ISO" because it maybe abbreviated often...

for a 2D-ISO-Map I would use a modified 2D-TileEngine with normal sprites.
coordinates-check is a bit more complicated than square-matrix.

maps like in Civ, SimCity, AoE or the older Tycoon-Games can be made with 2D Sprites.
you could also use 3DSprites to work out a real heightmap.

you don't need a 3D-engine for oldskool ISO-Maps....

Dr. Dri · Post by **Dr. Dri** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:48 am

watch this http://www.purebasic.fr/french/viewtopic.php?t=4557

Dri

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:11 pm

Dr. Dri wrote:watch this http://www.purebasic.fr/french/viewtopic.php?t=4557

Dri

Eventually got it working in 4.02 but it just draws a static grid of tiles, no movement. Probably something that I missed.

Num3 · Post by **Num3** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:22 pm

I've been working on isometric the past few days..

Here are some good tutorials and explanations:

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/list.asp?categoryid=44

Rook Zimbabwe · Post by **Rook Zimbabwe** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 8:57 pm

New News... Crystal Space (which has a small iso engine in it as well as OK 3D engine...) will soon be released as a DLL.

http://members.chello.at/theodor.lauppe ... rystal.htm

Hmmm... PB cooperates well with DLLs.

And if I got off my rear end and learned something of C++ I could probably use:

http://www.fifengine.de/

Which looks nice!

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:00 pm

Rook Zimbabwe wrote:New News...

really?

members.chello.at/theodor.lauppert/games/crystal.htm wrote:Last modified 2004-07-28

did you link the wrong page?

http://www.crystalspace3d.org/main/Main_Page

...but after all...

Crystal Space may be a really nice 3D-Engine, really worth using,
but for a simple ISO-Engine like in the games I mentioned before it's sheer overkill.

Rook Zimbabwe · Post by **Rook Zimbabwe** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:17 pm

Nope... The date??? I don't read no stinking date!!!

I really need new glasses!!!

I like the fife thing too. Exploring that now.

The thing is:

(keep in mind I have never constructed a full 3D game thus far and for all my years of poking at it...)

It would seem that a simple 3D engine would be the easier way yo go in terms of development. You can construct a simpler model and use simpler sprites and you do not have to construct animated views in 8 - 35 views for each "person" in the game.

You would make 1 model and animate that. Then you could rotate to your hearts content and let the engine handle the animation...

Seems simpler... maybe not. I won't learn until I try.

I am not afraid of failure is not an excuse to quit... failure is a chance to learn from your mistakes and go on to fail even more spectacularly!!!

Stupidity is doing the same thing each time and expecting a different result!!!

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:18 am

with the sprites...
for a 2D ISO-Game you can also construct models in e.g. blender,
and let it prerender the animation frames.
the difference isn't that big in the end.

if you construct a classic ISO-Tile Engine, with both 2D or 3D engine,
the calculations to be done in the background are almost the same,
Hitpoints, Ressources, etc... the Gameplay-things...

the interface maybe a bit easier, because the 3D engine will provide full mouse-interaction.
in 2D coded in PB with sprites you'll have to do some heavy calculations.

the mayor difference may be the requirements of Mem and Performance.
3D will need much more.

of course it's up to you what you chose, and I think you should chose the solution that is easiest to you
to leave enough time and power to put it into the development of the gameplay.

because, no matter if 2D or 3D, the Gameplay sells or sells not.

Rook Zimbabwe · Post by **Rook Zimbabwe** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:51 am

BUT!!! Isn't Vista supposed to overcome all that!

I see what you mean... There are a few map makers with source code I saw on the Blitz Board... I think they interlace between PB and Blitz... I wonder how hard it would be to recode the samples if that was not true??? Hmmm...

It wouyld teach me more about PB learning to figure that out!

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:05 pm

Rook Zimbabwe wrote:
BUT!!! Isn't Vista supposed to overcome all that!

I think Vista is about to screw it all up.
sounds like a lot of commercial games will discover problems running on it...

what I heard so far, Vista is the Headshot to PC-Gaming.
stick to 2K/XP on an old PC.
If you want a new PC, buy it with LINUX,
or better buy a MAC rightaway.
....and if there aren't enough games on Linux&Mac,
get a Wii, a PS3 or whatever....

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:33 pm

Vista won't be working right until after a couple of service packs, then games will probably work ok but until then I wouldn't even bother trying.

dracflamloc · Post by **dracflamloc** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:34 pm

You also should note that though gameplay sells... if you plan on doing the shareware or demo route to sell your game, people will try a game and the second they see its 2d they will quit. These days gamers are picky, especially the younger generation who have grown up with 3d their whole life.

For example my MMORPG went into public alpha a couple weeks ago. People login and have a great time if they stay and play for a while, however I'd say about 50% of the 100 or so people that have logged in only stayed on for about 20-30 seconds. I have the logs to prove it. Yet another class of people which amounts to about 25-30% stayed for 15-20 minutes and then quit and haven't come back. (This is the market which doesn't like your actual gameplay). The last 20% or so are the regulars who continue to play.

So you do need to consider that people are more jaded for video games than they used to be. You can't get away with Kings Quest 1 graphics unless its a parody

Heck even anything less than Diablo 1 - quality graphics causes many people to turn tail right away.

Kaeru Gaman wrote:with the sprites...
for a 2D ISO-Game you can also construct models in e.g. blender,
and let it prerender the animation frames.
the difference isn't that big in the end.

if you construct a classic ISO-Tile Engine, with both 2D or 3D engine,
the calculations to be done in the background are almost the same,
Hitpoints, Ressources, etc... the Gameplay-things...

the interface maybe a bit easier, because the 3D engine will provide full mouse-interaction.
in 2D coded in PB with sprites you'll have to do some heavy calculations.

the mayor difference may be the requirements of Mem and Performance.
3D will need much more.

of course it's up to you what you chose, and I think you should chose the solution that is easiest to you
to leave enough time and power to put it into the development of the gameplay.

because, no matter if 2D or 3D, the Gameplay sells or sells not.

Kaeru Gaman · Post by **Kaeru Gaman** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:47 pm

well, you are right in a way, but you also should consider what kind of people you really want in your game.

if it's a standalone game wich you "only" want to sell, well ok,
put enough 3D-FX in it, to make all the young folks buy it.

but if it is a MMOG, wich you also have to serve as a GameMaster the next Years,
I personally wouldn't give a fart for the "picky" gamers who'll quit within 30 secs. just because the surface isn't 3D...
I rather like them to stay out, because these brats are those who are most annoying.
I don't even like to play with them online in Multiplayer-sessions of regular games,
most of them play like AIs themselves, I wonder if they would stand a Turing test.....

also it maybe just interesting to program a niche-game with very special gameplay,
wich you want to be played by people who appreciate the speciality.

and last not least, if you are programming a hobby-project,
then it's completely up to you what you like to program most.

HeX0R · Post by **HeX0R** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:53 pm

I'm also on it since a while:
http://www.purebasic.fr/german/viewtopic.php?t=11667

Will be released approximately the same day Duke Nukem 4Ever will be released