simple game developing/authoring software for nonprogrammer

[DarkMonk]

Hello, I have bought 3d gamestudio some time ago. I have not made that much yet (busy with school...). The tool is easy to use. There are some fps templates, these include movement code, collision detection and basic ai. There are 4 different editions the cheapest is 50 dollar and the most expensive one is 900 dollar (I think, just check their website for prices and specs).
The package consists of a world editor, model editor and script editor. The model editor is very basic, but you could use other tools like maya and 3ds max. With the model editor you can convert .3ds and .x models to .mdl.
For the fancy shader stuff you have to buy the commercial edition (which I bought), that one is 200 dollar.
For more info you could check the 3d gamestudio website (http://www.3dgamestudio.com), the website is fairly old and so are the gallery shots. For the better screens you could check the forum (there is a thread with nice images in the contest forum).

Greetz, Sjoerd

[Rogue Vector]

Try this: http://www.fpscreator.com/

The demo is free.

[pming]

Hiya.

I second the use of 3D Game Studio. It has such a wide range of usability...and the next version ("A7") will expand that even more. If you don't want to do any programming at all, no problem. If you have a team of professional programmers and want to write your own physics and network code, no problem.

And for $200 (I *highly* suggest picking up the Commercial version first...then upgrade to Pro if you have a game that might need it; Commercial, IMHO, is the best bang for your buck), you can't really go wrong. :)

Check 'em out: http://www.conitec.net/a4info.htm ...and check out for Forums if you want to ask more specific questions and whatnot : http://www.conitecserver.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php

[IslandDreamer]

I began using 3D GameStudio about a month ago and I highly recommend it as an introduction to game development. A minimum of coding is required and there are hundreds of pre-made bits of code that can be plugged into your own games. The user community is very helpful as well.

Finding good documentation is difficult, mostly because it's written by users and of varying quality. I came across a great video tutorial for Lightwave animators that gives a great introduction to 3DGS. It's called "Just Animate - Games!" and you can buy the video at www.lostpencil.com (http://www.lostpencil.com).

[Montty_cg]

Or you can look at Quest3D...

V3 beta has just been released but if you have never heard about Quest3D, then it is not going to help you much is it? :eek:

This being said, here is a little description:
Quest3D is a multimedia-authoring tool, designed for creating high performance interactive real-time 3D productions. Its unique graphical interface and templates system allows designers/developers to create advanced real-time 3D productions (games, architecture, landscape visualization, business presentation, virtual-reality training, and product visualization) without the need for programming or scripting. Still if you really need or want to get your hands dirty, a SDK is available to let you develop your own extensions (called Channels in the Quest3D jargon) in C++ and of course there is also a special LUA scripting Channel allowing you to script logics which could be too intricate via the normal “channelling” process.

It exists in many different editions from Lite to VR and boasts a very transparent licensing model; in short you only have to pay a license for each computer where Quest3D is installed. That's it! No royalties and no hidden extortionate extra costs unlike other similar tools ;)

All minor updates are also free, this means that if you were to get V3.0 you would get free updates until V4.0…
Also Quest3D is renowned for its extremely helpful community (http://www.quest3d.com/index.php?id=30). When you have a problem just ask and I wouldn’t be surprised that within the next few hours you would have your answer or at least precise info on how to solve your problem.
Also, in most cases, if you discover a problem with Quest3D, report it on the Quest3D Forum and it will most likely be fixed by the next update. :thumbsup:

Anyhow don't take my word for it have a look at the developer's website (http://www.quest3d.com/), download the demo and try it for yourself....
The demo is fully working but save disabled. If after trying it, you would like to push your tests further, contact me at AtickA.com (http://www.aticka.com/catalog/).

Anyhow, whichever tools you decide to go for I wish you all the best with your project(s)

I hope this helps.

[Aritz]

www.virtools.com (http://www.virtools.com)

[pming]

www.virtools.com (http://www.virtools.com)

Yeah, sure...lets see now...

Virtools Dev = $9,500
Virtools Maintenance = +$1,900

...and that assumes you don't want Physics or AI. If you do...

Virtools Physics = $7,000
Virtools AI = $6,000

(prices from: http://www.id8media.com/3d_products/virtools_dev.html )

Or, you could just go with 3D Game Studio for $200 and have all of that...if you want heavy duty physics, pick up Newton ( http://www.physicsengine.com/ Write your own .dlls (if you want to do your own: http://www.physicsengine.com/ ). Newton is free. AI? You can write your own, or wait a bit, as there is already somebody writing a plug-in for 3DGS that you can use (in .dll format, iirc).

Honestly, 3DGS is probably your best bet to fill your request of "i'm a 3d artist who's planning to create a simple and short game demo, basically I just want to make a simple 3d level with a controllable character ~ nothing complicated." It's easy to use, it uses standard file formats (.map, .bmp, .tga, .md5, .md7, imports .x an d.3ds, etc...etc...etc.), and has a great community to help you over the initial bumps of learning it.

And for $200....it's kind of a no-brainer if you ask me (and this is from somebody who has been laid off work for 6 months).

PS: You can try the Demo, but don't put too much into it as it uses a lower version than Commercial, with only a few Commercial things in. It might help you get a feel for the layout, workflow, etc. ...but for capability testing, ask folks on the Forum there. The're a happy bunch (mostly ;) )and more than willing ot fill in newbies on what the engine can/can't do.

Feel free to PM me if you have more Q's. :)

[nurcc]

Why not just make a map/character for an existing game, like quake2?

[gout]

If you'd like to sample the Virtools software, I might be willing to sell my copy of their original software Called Virtools Nemo. It's almost exactly the same as there current release, but without the ability to use shaders, and scripting. send me a message and I'll discuss it with you.


Mike

[TogaMario]

I suggest using either DarkBasic, GameStudio or BlitzBasic. They all have very good support, communities and functionality. However, I've had problems with DarkBasic running on any computer other than my own (probably my mistakes, but annoying, none the less) So I use BlitzBasic now, which is much like speaking english instead of coding :) Prices can be an issue with GameStudio, because they require an insane amount of money for something that the other middleware packages have for a fraction of the price. Good luck with your projects and have fun.

[DonMeck]

It's almost exactly the same as there current release, but without the ability to use shaders, and scripting.


this is not entirely correct. a lot has been changed since then - you only quote 2 very big new features since then. Unfortunally the chances to update that version are not very good.

[gout]

True DonMeck, but to be honest I was only offering it as a sort of introduction to the software, and was only going to offer it for £30. as it is I'll probably keep it, its good to play with every now and again.

[Ghostscape]

You're best off just making a mod for an existing game. Since you aren't going to be making a commercial title by yourself, You don't need to buy an engine. Just get a copy of Doom3, HalfLife2, or UT2k4.

If you're looking for just a simple 3d viewer, learn Macromedia Director, which exports to the web as Shockwave, so you can make a viewer that uses software people already have. It's good for basic stuff provided you don't want shaders, etc.

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