2D game engine with newLisp

[ale870]

In the next days I will write-down the remaining parts of the documentation (API), then I will write some tutorials.



ROADMAP FOR THE NEXT WEEKS:

1) Load images to be used as sprites.

2) Collision detection.

3) Sound engine.



Anyone tried the current version? Did you like the concept of <<templates>>? And what do you think about the method to attach/detach properties?

I need your feedback in order to know your opinion, since this 2D engine uses some original concepts, but even if they work well by my point-of-view, I don-t know if other people like them.



Thank you.

[cormullion]

Keep up the good work! I can't join in but it looks interesting.

[ale870]

Updated the documentation about the context btbin - Context used for user-input (mouse and keyboard).



Cheers!

[ale870]

Hello,



it seems I cannot continue this job, since I was using blitzmax but, in blitzmax I cannot create another "language wrapper" (even if my engine was really different).

The problem is I was using some native blitzmax 2d code, and I cannot do it.

So this project is suspened. Sorry.

[DavMin]

Maybe you can recreate for HTML5 Canvas?



http://www.newlisp.org/code/modules/canvas.lsp.html">//http://www.newlisp.org/code/modules/canvas.lsp.html



http://easeljs.com/">//http://easeljs.com/



http://paperjs.org/">//http://paperjs.org/



http://box2d-js.sourceforge.net/">//http://box2d-js.sourceforge.net/



Though it's 3d, this might inspire:

http://mrdoob.com/129/Voxels">//http://mrdoob.com/129/Voxels

(click the top left frame that says Voxels)

[ale870]

No, my final scope was implementing real 2d/3d engine, not using html like or similar (aka flash).

Sorry.

[Lutz]

How about doing game development in OpenGL (3D capable) and SDL (joystick support) and perhaps FreeGLUT? Popular with game developers and very portable. It's also used on mobile platforms with touch extensions. But you would need to write import modules. For 32-bit this could be done using the old simple import/callback API. Full screen modes are also supported with these libraries. Or use the latest development release with the news extended API. This will also be in a stable release beginning of 2012.

[ale870]

Hello,



maybe this project can be revamped, since Blitzmax changed some licensing options!



http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=97652">//http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=97652



I contacted the company in order to get highlights about it.

I will keep you informed!

[ale870]

Hello,



I talked with Blitzmax responsibles, and they confirmed me I can continue with my project!



So now I revamped my site, and added a Forum area (please let me know if it does not work! :-) )



In this time, I acquired even more info about 2d and 3d engines, so I made some project modifications, and I'm applying them now. I hope I will be able to post an update version of the engine in one week or two.



Modifications made:



1) Full scene-graph support. You will be able to create a scene-graph tree, which will be used from the engine to automatically optimize rendering process (e.g.: not rendering is performed only on visible object, inside the screen; now using the scene-graph the engine will check the "volume" of the objects inside a scene/graph tree. If the volume will be out of the screen, the engine will not check all objects inside the node self.).



2) Nodes management.



3) Object groups management: group some objects together and apply modifications to the objects inside such group using a single command!



4) New automation system: you can "teach" to the engine to apply some algorithms in the time only once (teach and forget!). Then the engine will apply that update. For example:



Move model "M" as position.x=position.x+1 for 60 frames.



(this is a meta-language not the real code!).



Cheers!

[ale870]

Hello,



I need some help by you side.

But this time I don't need any info, instead I need your opinion.

While I'm developing this 2d game engine a couple of my friend told me somethings that "frozen" me. They said:

"why do you make another 2d engine? There are many engines that already make a good job, and some of them even allow html5 publishing. Some of them allow to publish for iphone, for android, etc...".



So I said they use the same languages: actionscript, c#, java, lua, etc... and they do not take anything really new. Furthermore, a lot of these engines implement techniques in the same way. Nothing really innovative.

But they are not so convinced. Maybe they are more "traditional".



So my problem is this one: do we (we as programmers, as game makers, etc...) really need another 2D engine?

Can I know your opinion about this? Do we really need of this 2d engine? Or I'm spending time to make nothing useful?



Thank you.

[newdep]

..Ofcourse we do need 2D games... a game is a game and every game is different.



You could ask yourself 'why' youre doing it though?..



And then there are ofcourse loads of alternative consoles... Personaly I hate games on a phone,

on the Ipad..its more like..Mooaahh...  but behind a full console wide-screen setup..let them come ;-)



Creating games is a very good learning curve... Hacking, faster, better coding.. being creative..etc..



I would say..try and finish the development of your game, that itself is already a hightscore ;-)

[xytroxon]

If you enjoy doing it, and learn something from doing it, then it is worth doing.



If it is a chore, and becomes a burden, then don't do it.



This is known in popular culture as "following your bliss".



Currently, I would have no interest in this project. But I could have a future interest if the project is done well and is compelling. But...



I am wary of investing my time and my money in non-open source software like Blitzmax, regardless of the license. (I have a file cabinet full of commercial "abandon-ware" that I paid for and can not now use. (I do not need anymore ;0) As an example, Rebol seemed like a great professionally done language with it's built in GUI functions, clean functional syntax, great website, active community of users, etc. But the author of Rebol has gone missing for some 14 months now! Not a word from him. His proprietary core software is in limbo and in an unfinished state. His users are angry and disillusioned! Also, what Oracle is now trying to do with Java licensing has me concerned as well. The Nokia abandons QT gui mess. Etc. etc. etc.



Another problem, is attracting "gamers" to use your newLISP code. newLISP is hard to "grok" for the younger "gamer" mind brought up on school taught mathematics. Hence, BASIC like languages are de rigueur in these programming areas. These level of programmers want to blow up Klingons, not wrestle with the lambda calculus.



Some people enjoy freestyle mountain climbing, some people enjoy climbing mountains with the security of ropes and safety gear, however, the fact is most people are scared of heights and will never climb a mountain - no matter how easy it is made for them to do so! (Even with a newLISP rocket powered backpack ;o)



The current popular trend (or fad) wants HTML 5 / CSS 3 / Javascript to be your next gaming engine on mobile devices. Desktops, even laptops, are becoming obsolete in the mass popular market. Protected mobile devices limit the choice of "safe" programming languages that can be used on them. So having newLISP available on these devices is not a guarantee.



Besides... Who can argue with all of those happy "Angry Birds" users?



-- xytroxon



P.S. I just found out (proprietary software) Opera has announced it is dropping Widgets (Stand alone Opera guis running HTML / CSS / Javascript based apps). Looks like browser page only apps are the future! So much for my time wasted writing Widget code!

[ale870]

Thank you guys.

I like rebol also.

Thank you for the comments.

[winger]

MAY BE YOU CAN WRITE A WEB GAME Engine ?

I look forward ...

[ale870]

web engine? do you mean html5 engine like this:



http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/studio">//http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/studio



http://www.scirra.com/html5-game-engine">//http://www.scirra.com/html5-game-engine