GMAN-GAMES: Easy Game Development with 3D Game Studio?

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I don't know, mebbe HL2's built-in softimage toolchain for modders would be a more powerful process...

posted by TadashiApril 5, 2004 at 6:12 [ e ]

HL2

I'll have to check it out but I suspect HL2 is more hardcoded to make FPS games.

posted by greggmanApril 5, 2004 at 20:40 [ e ]

Not worth it...

I checked it out about 3 years ago, and unless they've continued to improve it and add features, it's really not worth it.

Instead, check out Quest3D.

posted by RabbiRabbiApril 7, 2004 at 8:31 [ e ]

Quest3D

I checked out Qwest 3D. The good thing is it's cheap. The bad thing is it's pretty dang complicated. The actual best thing I've found for quickly getting into making games is Virtools. It's miles ahead of Quest 3D.

Unfortunately it's not aimed at hobbiests, newbies, wannabies, it's aimed at vertical markets and pros so it cost $5K+ but it's pretty dang cool. I wrote a fairly detailed review. I'd post it here but I'm trying to see if I can get it published. I think Virtools is important in that it or something like it is the future of game development I think.

posted by greggmanApril 7, 2004 at 9:52 [ e ]

go for hl2

If you want to make a 3D game, I'd definitely suggest planning to work w/ HL2. They're giving every indication of bending over backwards to work with modders, what with the free Softimage XSI EXP and the SDK that's apparently to be released before the game. There are hundreds of mod teams assembling online designing things for an engine they haven't even played. Commercial game making suites don't really give you anything to justify the price, when you can get some of the best 3d rendering software for free now (Maya student trial version?), and HL2's engine you know will be sharp and well supported.

posted by jhApril 14, 2004 at 11:29 [ e ]

Newbie Developer & Web Designer

Before you use 3DGSA6 (3D Game Studio A6 v6.20/6.22), try GameMaker 5.3 first ! It's easier than 3DGSA6 (The easiest Game Development tool I know).

posted by FreewaysApril 17, 2004 at 18:55 [ e ]

GameMaker natsukashii

I think I had a very early version of this, years ago. Back then it was only capable of doing 2D games. It was a lot of fun to make platformers with.

Wow.

posted by jhApril 19, 2004 at 15:32 [ e ]

Virtools is almost Da Bomb

Greggman,
I've had the pleasure/torture of using Virtools. You are right. It's an excellent and powerful tool for very quickly building many kinds of 3D games. In fact, basically everything is there to easily build games in the style of Silent Hill, Onimusha, etc. And then if you have the extra Havok Physics pack, well hey, you can do really cool stuff with that.

But on the other hand, can you believe it has NO UNDO feature? (I think version 3.0 finally has one). The interface is a bit unintuitive, making it easy to make mistakes. Combine this with no undo and it severely compromises the efficiency this program is all about.

Their other achiles heel is the web player, which is buggy, and has alot of compatibility issues. It's really unfortunate because otherwise Virtools is a tool that I've often championed.

posted by RabbiRabbiApril 20, 2004 at 7:01 [ e ]

question!!!!

hey, I'm 14 and totally obsessed with games, but I also read tons and i have come across a very good series that i think should be made in to a game. I have been wanting to make a game for a while now, but when i make plot lines they usually fall apart on me. soo i thought it would be a great idea if i contacted the writer of the book and requested the attempt to start plotting out a game desgin for the series. although i have a pretty good idea on what i would want for the game i am not a computer wizz nor do i have the money to start such a project. This has been a problem of mine for quite some time, because i am still to young to get a day time job and my parents would not lend me the money. All I am asking is, if there is any way possible that i could find a way to start creating my game design now (even with extremely poor graphics) could you show me where. Yes, I know that if this somehow got on to game shelves that part of the money (if not most of it) would go to the writer of the books, but something in the back of my mind continues to tell me that this story would be a very entertaining rpg to play.

Thanks for reading my little question please respond

--Lex

posted by LexMay 26, 2004 at 18:03 [ e ]

So Wich is Best?

So guys, I have seen a 3 different programs and was hoping one of you could enlighten me as to which one is the best one!

3D GameStudio, VirTools or Gamemaker?

Myself and some friends are just kinda picking this stuff up as a hobby as I'm sure all of you have! Just looking for the best program for my money, thanks again guys. Appreciate it!!!

posted by TroyJune 20, 2004 at 10:06 [ e ]

3D Game Studio

I recommend you take a look at the 3D Game Studio demo. There is a 30 day version you can try and for the money I think it is a great system. There are always a few people who claim this tool or that tool isn't as good as something else but the truth is that lots of games are being made and unless you are going to fork over $20,000 - $250,000 for some big name engine you may find that this is a great tool for the independent. In my own experience the occasional people who claim some other more expensive engine is better are usually people who aren't really doing anything anyway.

Check out the demo and the forums. You'll see lots of people using it for games, architectural walkthroughs, product visualization, prototyping and other uses.

posted by BurtJuly 19, 2004 at 19:47 [ e ]

Thanks

Thanks, for the information Burt. Really appreciated!! I will look into 3D Game Studio. Again thanks.

Troy

posted by TroyJuly 21, 2004 at 7:10 [ e ]

3D Game Studio is not for serious gamers.

Thanks to everyone for the info here. I've used 3D Game Studio v6.0 demo to make a game and discovered the software has numerous bugs. When I reported the bugs to their support, I got an email saying "It's suppose to work like that". So I sent them back screen shots of it spewing garbage on the screen and asked them "What exactly do you call this feature?". The have that fixed now, but I encountered many, many more bugs. The C-Script language is horrible. It's a bastardized Javascript mixed with C++ and whatever the programmer was smoking when he wrote the language. Get this, you have NO text arrays!! There is NO way to string text together using the standard "Hello"+"there!" method. If you want a simple way to make games, it's for you. If you are serious about game making... avoid this product!!

posted by HawkAugust 2, 2004 at 7:05 [ e ]

And another thing!

Oh, I forgot to mention some other things. The documentation in 3DGS is horrible! The manual was translated from German and still has some German in it! A few of the examples are completely wrong (not compatible with the new A6 engine) and a significant amount of the commands are not even documented! There are very few examples for you to go by to learn the program. You get 2 test levels with very little documentation. Most of the examples I learned from were provided by community support.
Ok, sorry for going off on 3DGS, but when you have been up at 4am programming only to discover it's a bug in their software..... GRRRRR!!!!

posted by HawkAugust 2, 2004 at 7:19 [ e ]

I have a few questions and comments

Hawk, I've had some problems with 3D game studio too, I'm just starting off as a programer though. What do you work with, Virtools? I'm asking that because Im wondering if you could teach me a few things. The 3D game studio tutorial doesn't teach me anything. I need some advise, someone who can answer my questions about programing.
please return my request.
My email adress is Goldensun54@yahoo.com

posted by GoldenSunJune 17, 2005 at 7:25 [ e ]

what is it

dose anyone know what game space is

posted by NickJune 28, 2005 at 18:01 [ e ]

Cheapest way of getting virtually all Gamemaking Software for $0

I am a poor programmer... I live on the computer, and I have found a way to obtain very expensive software for nothing. I have Gamemaker versions 4-6 (with serials) also 3D Game Studio A5 (my ancient cpu wouldn't handle A6, but it is available!!!) Gamemaker is by far the easiest to use and learn! Anyway, this is how to do it... go to LIMEWIRE and download the free version of their product... install it (takes a few minutes to install because of the java 1.5 runtime environment) once you have it installed... (of course you must have some type of internet connection available, goes without saying...) run limewire and search for Limewire Pro (lastest version) and download it... (the simple fact is that pro version extends the searching mechanism and many more available softwares are located) install this new FREE Pro version and hunt for your favorite software...

**Note** I will forewarn you that there are a lot of viruses and trojans floating around so be very wary of the things you download. I have wiped my computer clean several times because of this. I have so much software that I could not begin to name it all... so the advantages most definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

And to Lex... If you plan on a RPG, and you are a newbie... Gamemaker is definitely the choice... Its scripting language is somewhat a nusance to learn but well worth the effort as it can add endless functions to your primitive games. IT is totally free on gamemaker.com (only cost is to upgrade --- [or use limewire]) There are many game examples located thru links and I found this to be the quickest, easiest way to learn... by examples. And if you need help there are plenty of people who would be willing to help, including me.

posted by VoodoomanJuly 26, 2005 at 10:57 [ e ]

Voodooman, that is an ILLEGAL way to get "free" software. I think it is ironic how you can get a crack of Limewire Pro off Limewire free version. Serves them right!

posted by anonamanSeptember 12, 2005 at 20:08 [ e ]

Nick, Gamespace is a modeling tool by Caligari especially for games and modding: http://www.caligari.com/game
space/

posted by anonamanSeptember 12, 2005 at 20:10 [ e ]

3d Game Studio is not a bad low-end game engine. It comes with everything you need to author a game and is quite newbie friendly compared with other engines within its price range.

It tries to pack in too many features for the small development team that work on it, and consequently not all of these features work very well or are buggy.

The documentation is not that bad, though certainly not the best either. Part of the problem is that most of it is translated from German, and some of the code examples don't actually run. It does, however, have a lot of tutorials available for it and an active community to answer your questions.

It is especially good for prototyping and learners, but professional titles have also been created using it (no AAA, but several titles that have sold over 100,000 copies). It is a good engine for throwing something together quickly.

posted by anonamanSeptember 12, 2005 at 20:21 [ e ]

hmmm

Dose anyone know a game making program that is not more then 500$

posted by NickNovember 22, 2005 at 12:42 [ e ]

P2P Software is NOT illegal everywhere!!!

Been a while since I visited this forum...

Anonaman is partly correct in his statement about my methods of obtaining software. P2P software is not however illegal everywhere nor is its use. Reverse Engineering involves cracking the type and method of protection that a company places on its distributed releases. These releases are available freely almost everywhere you look on the Web. To download a piece of what is commonly known as shareware is not illegal, in fact they are often distributed in a variety of locations. Reverse Engineering the software is a violation of, what is known as End User License Agreement (EULA) {which usually states that you will not do this if you use the software, or something similar). Looking at something without actually using it and determining how it works and how the trial period can best be disabled is not technically illegal... Writing your own code, be it a text file that contains the serial number, a keygenerator that emulates the protection and spits out an authorization code, or a patch that simply circumvents a protection is not in any way illegal either. You have in fact wrote your own program (just because it does something someone does not like does not make it illegal)

DISTRIBUTION of said software & its associated 'crack' without permission IS illegal and a violation of copyright law. However these laws do not apply everywhere (mainly in US) and the US can and does impose strict penalties for such acts. It can be argued as well that the P2P (peer to peer) method is not in fact distribution in the literal sense...

Okay, let me explain by means of an analogy...

I receive a free trial music cd in the mail... (analogous of the shareware) To use it I have to have a cd player, whether it be borrowed or built... (you can think of this as a crack) To distribute either or both would be illegal simply because of the fact that neither actually belong to you. However, if I share them by loaning them to my friends and relatives am I committing a crime (Canadian Courts say NO! and probably elsewhere as well) Just because something is a criminal act in one place does not necessarily make it so everywhere (US citizens are having their liberties taken away slowly but surely by its so called democratic government and do they do anything about it --no, they sit in their LazyBoy recliners and watch it transpire before their eyes) ... this is what P2P is all about, sharing! If I SHARE something with someone, regardless of what it is -- IT SHOULD NOT BE A CRIME. When will US citizens wisen up to this.

posted by VoodoomanMay 21, 2006 at 12:58 [ e ]

If I SHARE something with someone, regardless of what it is -- IT SHOULD NOT BE A CRIME. When will US citizens wisen up to this.

Excellent. Please ask your mom to share all of your money with me and your car keys and your bank account info and anything else I ask her to share with me. It doesn't matter that you claim it's yours because like you just said, it shouldn't be a crime to share something with someone regardless of what it is.

posted by greggmanMay 22, 2006 at 2:14 [ e ]

That is a shite analogy!!
There is a diffrence between sharing a CD player and sharing a program on the computer! When you (as you put it) loan a friend or family the CD and CD player, you dont have it anymore do you! When you share a program through P2P software, you are effectively making a copy of it and giving it to someone else! Now you both have the program! How the hell would ANYBODY make money if you could just go and made copies of things?!

Admittedly I have used P2P to share music etc, but the difference is I know its illegal!

Dumbass.

posted by common_senseJune 1, 2006 at 12:29 [ e ]

I recomend to use Blitz Basic 3D or Max they are cheap and the Blitz Basic 3D demo has no time limit, just you cant make .exe. Then I would move onto C# or C++ download a free compiler Devc++ get the OpenGL libraries and go to NeHe (search in google) and learn to program in OpenGL then move onto SDL or Directx 8 or 9. All free. You don't need to pay 100's and 1000's for a stupid game engine when there are plenty of free ones. Plus if you make a game just by dropping little models into an already made playing area and not doing programming to me doesn't classify it as your own game.

posted by SomeoneSeptember 15, 2006 at 15:40 [ e ]

3D Game Studio

I recommend 3D Game Studio. It is fairly easy to use and several professional games have been created with it. It is also affordable at $50.

If you are having trouble reading the documentation, you can go to http://www.create3dgames.com and buy their series of over 20 video tutorials. These tutorials show you how to get started using 3d Game Studio. They cover level creation, texturing, lighting, publishing and several other topics.

posted by Create3DGamesFebruary 3, 2007 at 9:56 [ e ]

I have been wasting my time using 3dSgame for years, since I am not a programmer but I aimed using it to educational purposes. I think that probably the documentation of 3DSgame is the worst think ever produced by programmers to laic public, confuse, not concise, and unintelligent. The company should revise their communication and the helps for that software.

posted by RcesarApril 8, 2007 at 5:36 [ e ]

Here IS ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS

First of all, I would start off with game maker, which is very good. Then I would start going into Just Basic (Crappy name but AWESOME programming). (These can all make exe's). Next if you're a really good programmer go into C (Visual Basic stinks it's horrible to try to follow). Then you're on your way to making money. I thought Dark Basic was a good programming language until i tried some others and realized they were way better (I think Dark Basic has bugs).

Now for the answer to the illegal talk:

anonaman is correct. IT IS ILLEGAL TO GET FREE MUSIC YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BUY, NO MATTER WHERE YOU GET IT OR HOW YOU GET IT. It is not illegal, however, to show it to your friends or something. If it's played in a movie, displayed to the public, or your friend uses it on his computer (not just to check it out), then you are going illegal. Sometimes it can be hard to tell what is illegal or not, but I usually try to avoid sites like Limewire.

posted by reallyyoungprogrammingkidMay 18, 2007 at 16:37 [ e ]

3d game studio....one of the best software to create "homebrew" games

hello,

I'm studient in 3d graphics since 4 month in FRANCE. 3dgamestudio is a great soft to create your own personnal game. I've seen some people talking about "Hl2". With the hammer engine you can only create "mods" and not an independant game. With HL2 you MUST have installed the whole game (for example Half life = 5 giga on your hard drive). 3Dgame studio is about 49.5 mega and you can export a ".exe". So you can diffuse your game easily. Maybe the other engine like HL2 or unreal editor seem more shiny, attractiv for some people than 3d game studio. But if you want to begin in game producing, have a look on 3dgamestudio, you won't be disapointed.

Bye.

posted by JeanChristopheFebruary 8, 2008 at 11:12 [ e ]

another one i know

well just thought i'd help you guys out here. supposing they still have it, adventure game studio is an excellent free adventure game studio i've mastered. it has a step-by-step tutorial, and can create full games with relative ease. however, the graphics are in the old sierra arts and lucas arts style, like monkey island. basically pixels. it only comes with a male character, but it comes with the motions and an interface that makes it easy to add dialogue. it is absolutly free.

another great program is rpg maker 2000. i've used it and it comes with tutorials as well. it is an excellent program for more advanced begginers. it has tutorials and is free as well.

Trey Love

posted by treyJune 6, 2008 at 13:18 [ e ]

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