PureBasic Forums - English

I thought that I may try a "game making" app, as they export to multiple devices. So I purchased Construct 3. I wasn't pleased with it being a web form type of editor and online compiler but its UI was nice enough and easy to learn. Anyway, I started to test the "free edition" out and thought, why not.

After purchasing it, it didn't take long to quickly dislike it. In the free edition there was no option to export to Windows. To my surprise, the Windows export is nothing more than a web format that is played back in a modified web browser. No packed exec and all your files exposed. There is no native Windows export! What developer advertises that their app exports to something that it does not?

So I contacted the developer and asked for a refund the same day of purchase. Just shortly after purchasing because I knew this is not what was advertised nor what I wanted. I received a reply today that they would not refund my money because they said that all sales are final and the Windows export works as intended. It may work but it still is not a Windows app. You can not paint spots on a duck and expect to be able to milk it like a cow. It's still a duck that has been cruelly painted.

Anyway, I thought I would post as a reminder; to ask questions and get all the details before making a purchase. Some developers out there are painting ducks.

I would consider looking here: https://store.steampowered.com/tags/en/ ... velopment/ or into the Unreal or Unity engine if you are more serious.

I'm sorry to read that. If you like, you can test Godot. I don't know if it creates native Windows apps, but it's free and you can give it a try.

Thanks for the replies! I am looking into other options just to see what's available but who knows, may just program it in PB. Windows is my main target anyway. Just thought I may try to port to other devices. SpiderBasic may be an option.

For a recent project, I took a few days to figure out the best possible tool for creating games and utilities which can be deployed on Lin/Mac/Win, Android/iOS and Consoles. All of the available tools, I checked, have a rather large footprint regarding exported projects. Here are some hints, I gathered:

Unreal: Great for high-end things, big library, huge export, Mobile, Desktop, Console - doesn't work for me, let's the fans of my MacBook explode
Unity: Great for small to high-end things, good community, big library, huge export, Mobile, Desktop, Console - my current choice
Godot: free, nice tools, good community, huge export, Mobile, Desktop, Console - interesting
Phaser: free, tools suck, good community, small export, web-based (no Runtimes for Mobile, Desktop, Console) - Javascript-based, interesting

Purebasic: perfect for small projects, great performance, only Desktop, no Consoles or Android/iOS - my choice for Desktop-only

Depending on your target, I'd stick with PB

With PB, you can even code a 5-liner to embed the Phaser-project into an App.
Or additionally use an encrypted zip with the project to protect your data, and just extract, what you need directly into memory.

I also tried that construct-thing as well as a few others, but they all were to rough for my taste.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers

Thanks for the feedback. Just saw Godot the other day. Haven't gone through it much yet.

J. Baker, can you cancel the subscription and get a refund from your credit card based on misleading information from the seller? I would try that. It's called a chargeback, and the more chargebacks that a company receives, the less likely their bank will allow them to do business with them. Hit the developers of Construct where it hurts: financially!

I actually paid through paypal. So yeah, that's an option.

Just another suggestion: GameMaker Studio, an all-in-one studio. They switched to subscription model (but you can using the IDE fully free until you need to export the project); on Steam you can still buy a one-time-purchase AFAIK. The scripting language (GML) got a full overhaul (for the better) some time ago. Unreal and Unity are only an option if you are comfortable with C++, which is one ugly beast with lotst of plaster work and tape. Why that thing is still around when we have something like D (really.. go check it out https://tour.dlang.org).

Why is it that the most inconvenient and error-prone languages get into mainstream. Is it because of some hi-so professors pushing it, they don't want layman into programming ? Or just bad luck? JavaScript, c++.. really dive into what is added to c++ every time and your head will explode.. the total inefficient compilation (include files handling...) is also something that wasted millions of computer watts and hours... They shay only a handful fully understand the C++ spec and one should just pick what they need/want and style it to their liking. Ugh... btw Qt is big because it hides quite a lot of the C++ ugliness and shapes your programming style and offers a lot of ready to use components (a lot not GUI related, things like lists, networking, ...). C is OK btw for what it was supposed to do (low-level), but could do with some decent build-in string library and standard framework.. then again, those using it prefer to invent the wheel themselves all the time or grap together a bunch of libraries in varying state of completion and each having its own dogma's. Enough ranting.

J. Baker wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 10:15 pmI actually paid through paypal

Pretty sure they'll refund you - they always side with the buyer.

Hi J. Baker Heres a nice little material making tool, actively being developed. Download source from the url. Load into Gadot as zip or unpack and load the project file, you will also need to download the windows template. Just export as windows demo and it will lead you to the windows templates, install simple very fast

Zebuddi.
https://github.com/RodZill4/material-maker

Another sample demos link with link to tutorials aswell.
Zebuddi.
https://github.com/GDQuest/godot-demos

BarryG wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 11:58 am

J. Baker wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 10:15 pmI actually paid through paypal

Pretty sure they'll refund you - they always side with the buyer.

So far no refund but Scirra has set my Construct 3 account to the free version. Maybe I'll get a refund soon or they are just messing with me. I'm not sure as they have not responded either.

Zebuddi123 wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:05 pm Hi J. Baker Heres a nice little material making tool, actively being developed. Download source from the url. Load into Gadot as zip or unpack and load the project file, you will also need to download the windows template. Just export as windows demo and it will lead you to the windows templates, install simple very fast

Zebuddi.
https://github.com/RodZill4/material-maker

Thanks, Zebuddi123!

Either stick with PB or try Unity or Unigine.
Those Game Maker-esque programs suck in the long term. You will eventually reach a black hole with them. What I mean is, development may seem easy and accelerated in the beginning, but eventually you will reach a problem because of the limitations of not using a real programming language. You may or may not find a work-around. Using PB just feels better cause you know your mind is the only limit.

I wrote a long rant article on my blog about these stupid javascript fake EXEs (stuff like electron framework). Part of the reason I use PB is because I don't like bloated software, C++ and JS. They bundle a whole version of chromium (the chrome browser engine) just to run JS instead of making a proper external JS interpreter/compiler. You can make a program that has one button on the screen and it will be 200MB and take up to 500MB of RAM (with like 4 to 8 processes running at the same time)!!! A browser needs multiple tabs, so they do that for safety, but your single JS game doesn't need all that BS. Bloat is something that just makes me itch and it bothers me when I see people making games using it that AREN'T designed to run on the web.

This is why software like PureBasic will always be in my toolbox. My recommendation would be:
2D games and apps - use PB
3D games - use Unity or Unigine

Unigine is a really cool new engine. It used to be top of the line and very expensive (better than unreal), but only big software companies could afford it. Now it's free for amateurs up to 100k in profit. So it's similar to the Unity license.