What Are Your Thoughts On A New Pokemon Engine?

[davidthefat]

I am clearly aware that this community is fixed on the RPG Maker + Pokemon Essential combo. Now consider this: what if some one made an engine from scratch, but tailor made for pokemon games. Literally from scratch, using hardware optimized graphics rendering, user friendly scripting language (LUA), constant bug fixes and updates. The back end written in C++, the front end scripted in LUA. Let me tell you the cons of RPG Maker: its outdated (2004), it costs money, it uses Ruby, which executes at half the speed of LUA, its not tailor made for Pokemon, but RPG games in general. Please feel free to criticise and discuss.

Consider the following:
Will anybody contribute to the project?
Will it take long to release a usable stable build?
How well would the new builds transition from previous builds?
Who would take care of the project?
Who would initiate the project?

 

[Involuntary Twitch]

Thing is, many of the established developers are well-versed in Ruby, even if it is slower than LUA, and to use the new system would require learning an entirely new programming language. Thus, while it would be very helpful to beginning developers, it's hardly an option for the established ones.

 

[mr. ck]

These languages are easy... Anybody with a programming background, can learn these scripts easily. I don't see how being Ruby or not matters at all...

@david... I myself started work on one, my aim is not to create a game but an engine... That's what I've been working on.

Will anybody contribute to the project?
There are only a handful of people who'd know about C++, creating engines, games etc. For everything else however, this community can help (graphics, music... Creative stuff) :P
Will it take long to release a usable stable build?
Considering Pokemon, most of the parts of the game that require mind is already done for you.
http://serebii.net/games/mechanics.shtml
This has details about almost everything that would require coding... Even some algorithms...
It would take time I guess, but not as much as a usual engine would take...
As far as graphics and everything is concerned, meh, the games are tile based, turn based RPGs...
How well would the new builds transition from previous builds?

Who would take care of the project?
...
Who would initiate the project?
...

All the "..." answers are basically uncertain, I can describe what type of a person it would take... But who?

 

[davidthefat]

I would totally be down to start and develop this engine, but there are some problems: I got football practice for 4 hours during the summer, I have summer school, I got another project I am doing which requires 100% of my coding time... but IDK how I can work on it during summer since the things I need is at my school and IDK if my teacher is going to let me use it during summer.

Check out my project here, its in the initial development, I started like 2 weeks ago
http://dtfrobotics.blogspot.com/

 

[NikNaks]

I would definitely be interested in contributing to a new engine like this, but there are so few skilled people in the community with enough time and energy to complete it that problems are inevitable. However, Lua (is it normally uncapitalised, or am I looking at the wrong engine?) seems very simple to learn, but C++ is notoriously difficult, so that would put off people willing to help, too. I'm not in the slightest suggesting that you should switch, but I'm merely pointing out how difficult it would be. I would also be happy to run such a project, but with no knowledge of the languages involved, I think that would be pointless.

Your third question seems like a bizarre one to ask before development is anywhere near to beginning, as that is something that will need to be dealt with down the line. However, with regard to the other points, we'd need to find someone competent in C++ with enough interest in Pokémon and free time to get it done. Unfortunately, I feel they are hard to come by. Still, with much of the legwork done by Serebii, the time needed falls immensely, as mr.ck said, so perhaps it's plausible we could find someone to at least build those systems.

Overall, interested and willing to help. If you need a site to host anything, let me know, as CrazyNinjaGuy and I run a decent sized forum for discussion you may already know of (points to flashing signature). I'll keep watching this thread.

 

[davidthefat]

I would definitely be interested in contributing to a new engine like this, but there are so few skilled people in the community with enough time and energy to complete it that problems are inevitable. However, Lua (is it normally uncapitalised, or am I looking at the wrong engine?) seems very simple to learn, but C++ is notoriously difficult, so that would put off people willing to help, too. I'm not in the slightest suggesting that you should switch, but I'm merely pointing out how difficult it would be. I would also be happy to run such a project, but with no knowledge of the languages involved, I think that would be pointless.

Your third question seems like a bizarre one to ask before development is anywhere near to beginning, as that is something that will need to be dealt with down the line. However, with regard to the other points, we'd need to find someone competent in C++ with enough interest in Pokémon and free time to get it done. Unfortunately, I feel they are hard to come by. Still, with much of the legwork done by Serebii, the time needed falls immensely, as mr.ck said, so perhaps it's plausible we could find someone to at least build those systems.

Overall, interested and willing to help. If you need a site to host anything, let me know, as CrazyNinjaGuy and I run a decent sized forum for discussion you may already know of (points to flashing signature). I'll keep watching this thread.

I just like capitalizing every acronym, its a habit, anyway, I can say I am pretty competent in C++, have been programming in C++ for 4 years now, might be closer to 4.5 years. I am aware we need alot of planning and pseudocoding

 

[mr. ck]

I just like capitalizing every acronym, its a habit, anyway, I can say I am pretty competent in C++, have been programming in C++ for 4 years now, might be closer to 4.5 years. I am aware we need alot of planning and pseudocoding

Are you interested in making this engine?

I would love to contribute myself... :)

 

[davidthefat]

Are you interested in making this engine?

I would love to contribute myself... :)

I am actually, but like I mentioned previously, I have no time for it, but I think I will contribute when it is already up and running.

 

[NikNaks]

Then my point still stands in that we need to find another competent C++ coder. Without that, we're stuffed.

 

[Wichu]

I'm up for it. I've already made a start (already have some basic systems and a map engine), but haven't worked on it in months. I'm sure we could use that as a base, although the map engine does need some recoding and optimising (I'm still learning OpenGL). I was planning on making a map editor next (using Qt); however, all I've got on that so far is displaying tiles.

So, will we need a private forum somewhere for this? I'd personally like to keep some of my stuff secret until the actual release ;)

 

[nimmy23]

I'd be willing to help. Though unfortunately I dont know C/C++ or anything. So I guess I'm useless. I could make a secret forum for all the stuff etc. Another way I would want to help is maybe if this idea develops into a program I would straight away start on making some simple starter maps, battle graphics, sprites of all gens all that jazz. So I could showcase all the teams progress.

 

[NikNaks]

I reiterate my previous statement:

If you need a site to host anything, let me know, as CrazyNinjaGuy and I run a decent sized forum for discussion you may already know of (points to flashing signature). I'll keep watching this thread.

We'd be happy to host discussion at PlanetDev if wanted.

Wichu, is there anything less complex that us less experienced users can contribute to the effort?

 

[davidthefat]

Yes all of you can contribute by help pseudo coding, every one can think about how the classes can interact with each other. e.g. Is it better to have an array of "map objects" in the map class? or another can be, 3 layers: a BG layer, FG layer and a collision layer, or just 2, the BG and FG and they each store their own collision data.

 

[help-14]

How about C# or Visual Basic with Microsoft XNA Game Engine ?

 

[mr. ck]

Visual Basic is a huge failure IMO... C# is considerable, but considering the op's love for c++... :P

 

[Wichu]

One of the biggest shortcomings of RPG Maker is that it is not multi-platform. Using C# wouldn't change that, as C# is Microsoft-owned. C++ means the engine and games can be compiled for and played on Mac OS and Linux without using external tools like WINE or Mono.

EDIT: As I said, I already have a map system.

 

[davidthefat]

One of the biggest shortcomings of RPG Maker is that it is not multi-platform. Using C# wouldn't change that, as C# is Microsoft-owned. C++ means the engine and games can be compiled for and played on Mac OS and Linux without using external tools like WINE or Mono.

EDIT: As I said, I already have a map system.

:classic:I like the way you think, C# is owned by a company, C++ isn't

 

[Alistair]

Here, is one concern that just popped into my head. It's minor, but it's a valid question that could affect some users. If it were to be compiled for Mac OS, would you release a universal binary (Intel and PowerPC support), or would you release just Intel? The reason I'm asking is because I, like some others, have a PowerPC-based Mac.

 

[SpawnHyuuga]

It's a nice idea, and I suppose if the right people were doing it - it would work out. I won't criticize, because I among others am the same; poor little n00bs who want to make a project and be happy - but we get stuck and need help. So therefore you need not only skilled coders, but the coders have to have a high proficiency with the skill of patience. I do believe I also heard something about using LUA scripts in RMXP - but maybe I'm not thinking clearly.

 

[Wichu]

Here, is one concern that just popped into my head. It's minor, but it's a valid question that could affect some users. If it were to be compiled for Mac OS, would you release a universal binary (Intel and PowerPC support), or would you release just Intel? The reason I'm asking is because I, like some others, have a PowerPC-based Mac.

I don't see why not.

Also, I think we should make the source public once it's done, so people can make their own modifications. If we do this, anyone can get the source and compile it for whatever platform they want.