Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[wacky blend]

Another avenue to explore is Panda 3D. This has been used to create commercial grade online MMOs to simple shooters. The programming language is python, but can use the directx models or convert your models to the egg format used by the engine. You can't beat the price since it is free.

[cooldude234]

Okay maybe I'm sound a little harsh here or something, but I would like to say that python is EXTREMELY slow.
There may be a pattern I'm making here ;p
but python is good in the fact that it can be used very wildly, you can do quite a bit with it your just sacrificing performance for it I guess.

Now I've seen panda 3D but I never tried it so I can't really give any info on it, but I'm pretty sure you need a licence if you want to go commercial with the work made with panda 3D (correct me if I'm wrong please).

[wacky blend]

I took only the one Python coding class here in college and it is a bear. However from what I understand about "speed" it all depends on how the program is executed and what OS is used. If you are running it from a command prompt and type > python myscript.py  Then the code is read in and operates much like an interrupter very slow to load but the execution speed seems ok. However if you convert the script into bytecode you execute > myscript.pyc it loads up much faster. Personally I am NOT a fan of Python because it is testy about indenting. The one class was very basic and we didn't get into advance uses.  I dislike programming altogether and it was needed for the credit.

No, it is a BSD License with the University that developed it. Read more here: http://www.panda3d.org/license.php Three basic rules to follow; 1) Include the engine copyright notice. 2) Compiled programs must reproduce the above copyright notice, conditions and the disclaimer.  3) Carnegie Mellon University and staff cannot be used to promote your project. 

To my understanding Disney used this for Toon Town and Pirates of the Caribbean. So if you have played them that should give you some idea of what kind of engine to expect, however 3D models and textures is in your court.

[SevenDeadlySins]

Found this:
http://freegameslist.weebly.com/game-creation-tools.html
Hope it helps!

[ianross]

To SevenDeadlySins the game creation list is very good, many thanks.

[SevenDeadlySins]

@ ianross No problem!

I just noticed a rather interesting program on the list called Silent Walk Renaissance (http://www.silentworks.hu/swr/index.php)

Whats interesting about the tool, (from what I have seen after playing with it for a while is):
1. Its free, no nag screens, no trial version
2. It allows you to create (basic) FPS games without coding!
3. They also added scripting support using the well known GML, although I haven't seen examples of how to use it (Game Maker Language) apparently the 3D engine itself was made in GM too.
4. Its supports .OBJ and .MD2 and anim8or supports exporting to .OBJ so that's a good thing!
5. You create the rooms/levels using a 2D interface which I find quite nifty.
6. Games are ready to distribute as soon as you save the level, just go to the projects folder and distribute the exe and the accompanying data folder, to anyone that wants to play the game.

I should also mention that from what I have read on their forums this 3D engine isnt particularly powerful and advanced effects like bump mapping and shaders aren't currently supported.

So what do people think?