The game's engine

[Aj]

Since TorqueX runs on C# and XNA, I could help programming after a little bit.  I'm working on teaching myself C# for XNA right now, and I'm getting a book to help me learn more over the next month or two.(a lot during breaks)

Once I learn that, I could help some if Torque and XNA are used.

Another nice thing about using XNA is:  A.  It's free for noncom PC development.  B.  If you pay some, you can run it on the 360.

[Sydonia]

I don't think we should even consider another language than c++ to be honest.

[M4_007]

We'd look like any average amateurs if we'd run on XNA.

[iservealot]

Unreal Engine would definitely be the best way to go. It is one of the most scalable engines out there.

As far as being able to distribute the game freely....thats where the problem lies. I mean... we could so something crazy like use another Unreal game, that had a demo release. Then, we could have people download the demo, and our mod can run from the demo. Though, I don't know how legal that would be.

[Meathead]

I reckon it would be fine cause if the new Unreal Engine 3.0  comes out we can just upgrade the levels for it :D I guess.

[MulleDK19]

This is a non-commercial project, right??

So why not use the Unreal Engine 2 - The UnrealEngine2 Runtime: Demo Version is licensed for non-commercial and educational use only.

[MacBryce]

Don't forget the open source stuff, especially considering distribution and independency.

[Meathead]

True but remeber the lighting is not that great. :/ And we need good lighting and shadows.

[scope2005]

btw:  He recommended Torque, mostly because it is already integrated with Micorsoft.

Still....i am not the programmer...so its hard for me to judge.

In fact, i know the guys at Rabcat that worked with him to make this vid:http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/images/projects/rabcat/rabcatengine.wmv

Looks kind of pretty.. somewhere between the source and cry engines.



As for M4 contacting the annecy dev's... no disrespect dude, but i dont think that was smart.

Not only were they too arrogant in the past to think that anyone who played SCPT was smart enough to use UnrealED (so help is unlikely), but if word reaches the brass that a Chaos Theory clone is in the works, this project could have a cease and desist order on it before it get's airborne.

Seen it happen before many times with projects that are similar to a full product.

For instance, The DnD Roleplay game "Neverwinter Nights", allows you to create your own MMO persistent worlds with the toolset provided. Also its easy to mod for, so creating your own classes/proffesions, and adding your own assets in the form of models and audio is simple.
So some guys decided they wanted to make a "Star Wars" themed mod, so people could play as thier favourite space opera fantasy universe, using the DnD rules in a free MMO format.
You would think that with it being a free mod it would be no threat to LucasArts right?
Well apparently not, NWN was a massive hit for roleplay fans for about 4 years (and still counting), hundreds of mmo servers, and as soon as word reached Lucas, a cease and desist order was slapped on.
There was potential for the mod to be so popular that it could overshadow thier own Star Wars MMO which was terrible. The mod was scrapped because Lucas wouldnt let them use lightsabers, jedi, sith or anything remotely SW.

Same with a mod for a popular RTS engine that mimicked Halo, MS put out a cease and desist order (even though they blatently copied and stylised Master-Chief off the marines of Doom/Quake).

I can see Ubisoft trying to protect thier SvM, cause this project has the potential to overshadow it.

[goodkebab]

scope,  the examples you mentioned are clear copyright violations.  We are on the other hand are deliberately making the characters our own copyright.  UBI cant touch us if we create our own original visual style. Also, gameplay cannot be copyrighted.

[Meathead]

Ya. And we are not creating a fantasy game :P

[MacBryce]

That has got nothing to do with it, Meathead.  :-\

And Kebab's right, Scope. The story you've told has multiple intellectual property law infringements. We're only using the ideas from versus mode (which can't be protected) and everything else is our own creation.

[MR.Mic]

True but remeber the lighting is not that great. :/ And we need good lighting and shadows.

The support is there for stencil and texture-based shadows. It also supports normal maps and specular hilights. With this framework, we could make something on par with Oblivion or Doom 3 in graphical quality.

[scope2005]

I suppose you are right kebab, as long as you keep references to copyrighted materials out of the way then you should be ok - as i suggested to the guy who was making the halo RTS mod, and as you have been doing so far.

But I cant help but think ubi would try thier best to find fault with what you are doing, i guess i was just trying to say 'be carefull', these big game companies men in suits seem to like to squash any competition wherever and whenever they can.

[goodkebab]

^^or buy the competition

:)