Where do I start? Which engine do I need?

[Bargeral]

Hello all. Just looking for some advice on where to start and this looked to be the place. Alas it appears no one preceding me has asked "Which engine do I need?" So I guess I'll have to ask for myself. And before you ask, yeppers I did find the list of engines and read thru it - but I hope for some specific insights from y'all.

So what engine should I take the time to learn and why? What's the current fav and what's the "respected old gentleman" but maybe not worth a newbie taking up?

What I am looking for:
* Despite the amazing games I've found out there, I'm not likely to work at 320*200. So something that supports the larger resolutions.  
* I'll script, but not all the time. Click and point preferred.  Scripting for the complex stuff.
* Freeware, open source or unlimited demo.  I might register something if I really work with it for a while, but I'm as likely to forget I downloaded something for 30 day as to use it enough to decide to buy it.
* Windows.
* Oh, and they need to send me a free scanner. I'm sure it will help my artwork and I haven't gotten myself one yet so....

[Candle]

I use AGS as it works for most of the res like 640x480 and 800 .
Point and click gui with scripting for the harder stuff .
WME is good too with the gui and scripting and SLUDGE is cool but lots of scripting ..
Now you will hear more from others what they like and use .
So be more confused .  :lol:

[deadworm222]

If  was you I'd go for AGS or WME. Agast is more script-based.

You're going to pick AGS anyway. Everybody does... (I use WME, though.)

[Bargeral]

Thanks for the help gang. I will look at AGS and WME both.  What would you say are the diffrences between those two? Deadworm, why'd you pick WME?

[deadworm222]

I didn't pick WME, our lead developer did. It had a few features more than Agast which was the other engine we thought about. Really, there are no huge differences in features between AGS and WME, and whichever you are willing to learn, you will probably like it. WME is faster (in 320*200 it is TOO fast), because it's optimized better and uses hardware acceleration. I also liked WME's modern programming conventions as opposed to AGS which is remotely based on AGI. WME's tools were also nicer in my opinion, though initially I disliked the engine, being a stubborn conservative. (Politically I'm liberal.)

Also, WME's editors don't divide the game into small bits - interface, menus, characters, etc. Instead it's very much up to you how you want to organize your game, and that's what I like, too. This is probably possible in AGS, too, but it isn't evident in the editor.

I never tried AGS for that long, to tell you the truth...

[Erwin_Br]

I didn't pick WME, our lead developer did. It had a few features more than Agast which was the other engine we thought about. Really, there are no huge differences in features between AGS and WME, and whichever you are willing to learn, you will probably like it. WME is faster (in 320*200 it is TOO fast), because it's optimized better and uses hardware acceleration. I also liked WME's modern programming conventions as opposed to AGS which is remotely based on AGI. WME's tools were also nicer in my opinion, though initially I disliked the engine, being a stubborn conservative. (Politically I'm liberal.)

Also, WME's editors don't divide the game into small bits - interface, menus, characters, etc. Instead it's very much up to you how you want to organize your game, and that's what I like, too. This is probably possible in AGS, too, but it isn't evident in the editor.

I never tried AGS for that long, to tell you the truth...

Didn't you use AGAST before? I remember seeing your name on their forums.

Also, were you already around the AGAST boards in the days of SCUMM and BOT?

--Erwin

[Trumgottist]

(in 320*200 it is TOO fast)

Please don't tell me it's dependent on computer speed, causing all games made with it to run too fast in a couple of years. I thought nobody in their right mind coded like that anymore.

[Mnemonic]

Please don't tell me it's dependent on computer speed, causing all games made with it to run too fast in a couple of years. I thought nobody in their right mind coded like that anymore.

I think I feel slightly insulted now  

[deadworm222]

By "too fast" I mean that when you move the mouse a little, the cursor moves a lot.

Perhaps this isn't about speed, anyway? Maybe it's the resolution or something. I might be wrong/I could have sworn/I saw a light coming on.

[deadworm222]

Didn't you use AGAST before? I remember seeing your name on their forums.

LOL, yes I did.

Also, were you already around the AGAST boards in the days of SCUMM and BOT?

Yup. Though you probably mean SCRAMM.

This is what happened: In one discussion I told them that voting for Bush would be like voting for my own execution. When Todd asked "why" I told that I'm gay.

The response from ad7venture: "Oh man. You don't walk in those parades, do you?"

Then he told me how single white males were the most oppressed group in the world, and the rest of us were given priviliges. I told them (Todd and ad7venture) to bleep off. :rant: Which is something you would expect from me. Russell, the other Agast developer, supported my views, though. <_< So then I decided not to post there anymore. I was sick of Todd's style of debating that goes on and on and on...

Well, sorry - this was an unnecessary sidetrack...

[Erwin_Br]

Uh, SCRAMM yeah.  :whistle:

Hehe, political debates are indeed quite long and a little heated with Todd. I remember a thread about the gun lobby in the USA... He's an all right guy though, as far as I know him. He's just very convinced about certain things. Nothing wrong with that.

I don't know this ad7venture character, but his reply was awkward, to say the least.  :rolleyes:

--Erwin

[deadworm222]

Todd's argument was that I should vote for Bush, because gay rights shouldn't matter to me (and because marriage is stupid). I felt that had I stayed, it would have been a kind of defeat. So "bleep you" it was, then.

Also, his nitpicking is wonderful. "You can't take rights away from people, you can only violate those rights." he told me. Later on he himself says that rights are taken away from people! He does't nitpick with style...

[Bargeral]

Hey! No politics in my topic!

Just kidding.