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Which program is better? Construct 2, Stencyl or Game Maker?

Discussion in 'Fangaming Discussion' started by Salem the Engineer, Jun 5, 2013.

  1. Mr Lange

    Mr Lange

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    Depends on your experience. It's probably the fastest pipeline possible for game development of any kind given the power that program has. While in Game Maker you can slap together a space shooter in five minutes because the interface lets you, Unity has a much more balanced approach that is ultimately far more flexible. You can still produce good games very quickly. This is why I encourage learning it, as well as Java which it uses.

    I wouldn't bother with Python, it's doing its own thing. The language is completely different from C and Java. Python is an interpreted language, so it generally runs much slower than compiled languages like C++, and there's only a couple worthwhile engines out there for Python programmers, like Blender and Panda3D. Languages like C++ and Java are more powerful, much faster, much more capable, and naturally used the most in game development anywhere. You're better off learning one of those, or more than one if possible.
     
  2. winterhell

    winterhell

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    Don't use Java for games. C++ and C# are better alternatives.
     
  3. Mr Lange

    Mr Lange

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    While C++ and C# are better overall, Java is a much easier language to learn and has similar structure, so it's a good start. Also by using a hardware accelerated engine through Java you can get around a lot of speed it lacks compared to the C languages.
    This is another good reason to learn Unity, because it allows you to code in Java or C#. You don't even have to use the same language for every script (though in practice it is best to do so).
     
  4. Lilly

    Lilly

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    While Game Maker fills most of my 2D needs, and one specific 3D case, Unity sounds more and more appealing with everything I read about it. Me and a couple guys want to make the jump to 3D with Unity, in the near-enough future, so these facts are encouraging to read, Mr.Lange. I wouldn't mind learning Java either, since it has way more applications beyond the games space as well.

    The price tag for the full version still sounds the most painful of other options, (Although still not as expensive as Autodesk Maya; $3,000+ nearly made me fall out of my chair.) but I'm glad I could easily avoid that, until I can justify affording it. I'm very surprised the indie version isn't stripped bare like other game development software.
     
  5. The main limitation of the basic version of Unity is the lack of graphic effects such as full screen shaders, and the more advanced lighting/shadows, but luckily you can get a feel for Unity and learn how to use it with the free version perfectly fine to see if it's for you before deciding whether it's worth investing more in it. I've been using Unity for a few years now, and developed my game to a playable level, and I haven't had any problem sticking with the free version. Then if I decide to take the game further, then I can get the full version and add in the eye candy!
    And with the latest version now supporting iOS/Android/Windows Phone 8/Blackberry publishing in the free version, along with adding basic hard edged shadows, it's become a lot more appealing.

    It's definitely not aimed at the same market as programs like Game maker (which I found very easy to pick up and starting making games with when I briefly used it ages ago), so there is a much steeper learning curve, but on the other hand it's a lot more powerful for making games, and there's a lot of stuff out there to help you learn, and a good support forum. And it's becoming more popular for developing bigger brand games, and I'm seeing an increasing number of jobs for Unity coders locally.


    Obviously I'm biased by the fact I spent a lot of time using Unity, but if you have any interest in making 3D games, I can't recommend it enough. If you're only making 2D games, I'm not sure it's the most ideal solution as I've never tried using it for that, but there are plenty of quality 2D games that have used it.
     
  6. Mr Lange

    Mr Lange

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    Maya ($3,675) is 3D content software, doesn't develop games at all. And like BlobVanDam just said the free version of Unity is still almost as capable, it only lacks the more advanced graphical features and much of the cross platform options, along with a few of the bells and whistles (the Mechanim plugin, audio filters, advanced profiler, couple other things I can't remember). This is all the more reason to take up learning a program like Blender too, which is nearly as powerful as Maya, 100% free, and is fully supported by Unity for handling content. The pipeline of getting assets from Blender to Unity works like witchcraft.
     
  7. Lilly

    Lilly

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    Yeah, both Unity and Maya are two completely different programs, but I was glad the former didn't cost as much as the latter. Something tells me there has been more expensive propriety software before, but it was my first realization that Photoshop is hardly the most pricey thing around.

    And it's good to know Blender cooperates with Unity seamlessly, since I do plan on learning to use that for 3D modeling. Other alternatives either aren't as powerful/outdated, or are beyond the price range of what I would be willing to throw tons of money at. Blender's interface seemed a little overwhelming, like GIMP was at first, but that shouldn't be a problem once I have more time to play around with it.

    Also, all those other extra features in the full version sound pretty nice, but ultimately, those would be side benefits compared to the multi-platform options that I might need later on. (Which I'd want to wait a while for, since Linux support is still in a preview stage.) In the meantime, Unity's free version will be more than powerful enough for the kinds of 3D projects I'd want to bring to life, and when I can justify porting anything finished to more platforms than Windows, I'd go for those additional advantages. Thanks for the insight, the both of you.
     
  8. Falk

    Falk

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    http://www.nightlightinteractive.com/files/ww.html

    If you want an example of 2D in Unity.

    It's not exactly as bloated as people make it out to be, unless you misuse the fuck out of it. (Which pretty much means avoid Java :V)
     
  9. [​IMG]

    This is my face when people refer to javascript as Java.

    ...

    And yes, I came out of lurking just to express my disapproval at this.
     
  10. Mr Lange

    Mr Lange

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    WELL SORRY MR PEDANTIC yes they are quite different and Unity uses javascript and not Java. I think we're all on the same page anyway.
     
  11. Retroman

    Retroman

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    There's the E02 Engine http://www.headcannon.com/E02/

    http://stealth.hapisan.com/E02/Sonic/ReadMe.html

    http://stealth.hapisan.com/Mettrix/

    Personally, experiment on what is best for you. Making sonic games 1st stage has a learning curve and alot of trail-and-error, but following tutorials for basic game making will get you to understand little by little how a game maker works.