Hey I''ve been working on an idea of mine for the last couple of months trying to get at least the basics done. Anyway, one thing I have found out is that I definatly am going to need some help in attempting to work on the engine codeing. Here''s the gist of the project: Storyline: (I''m attempting to make this as short explanation as possible but I don''t think its working) Back before time as we knew it there was seemingly nothing. Then the creatures we know as gods began to awaken, as they woke, they began to feel a deep ache from inside, a yearning, and following this drive they wandered through space towards a far distant light. This distant was non other than a giant planet just waiting for them to come and make it their home. As the different gods began to find the planet, they found that gods who were similar to themselves were drawn to the same region of this vast planet. Soon the planet began to grow and change and become one with its new residents. As fun as it was for the gods to have someone to interact with besides themselves, gods at this point had not been changed by heir creations and were rather boreing actually. So they began to create, soon there were creatures everywhere... but with these creatures came things both good and bad. The gods learning things like greed and hate from their peoples, and so began building boundries and claiming regions as their own, but as we have seen on our own planet, people are never happy with what is theirs because its always greener on the otherside of the fence. So bickering began and then small scirmishes and then the worst of all...war. This unrest spread to the gods of these people who soon began to war intheir own right. As war raged across the planet, a council of the strongest gods was called, representing all of the spectrums of alginment (Good<->Neutral<->Evil). The strongest of this council was the Great neutral god, but sadly this counicl could not agree soon enough and the war overtook the world. In a last ditch effort to save his own people, the Humans, the great Neutral god had all of the council to call thier powers together to form a shield, but not all of the council wanted it to be protective, they sabotaged the spell and when it was realized it was too late. A massive explosion rocked the planet, the great core of Life from with the planet lived, was shattered and the planet burst into billions of pieces. Through time these pieces of planet and core spread out and over more time their jagged edges smoothed out and became rounded soon after these chunks were drawn around the remaining peices of the fires of the Core. On one of these chunks familiar forms of life began to spring up again. Then the few gods that were on this chunk, the epicenter of the giant blast, began to awaken too. For awhile they tried to live like they did at the Beginning, but saddly they fell into war again and demanded piceces of this world for themselves. The great neutral god saw this as the beginning of another end for his beloved people and his beloved world. He tried to keep control but war began again. So another council was called, but this time it was to be in his own home at his great city in the center of the planet''s continent. Negotiations seemed to be well, but tragically the humans were the undoing of it all. They cooked a feast for the gods and supplied them drink, but the great neutral god was not used to such luxuries as alcohol and soon fell asleep in an alcohol-induced slumber. Seeing their only chance the other gods called up alliances and the two sides battled for Earth. As he awaken the neutral god knew what was coming, as the battle converged on his city he stood atop his citedal and called all of his power. In a final burst the city was ripped from time, and the planet rocked from the explosion as the great continent spilt and the elements chaotically ravaged what was left. Eventually the people left on Earth gained a foothold, and when the elements calmed, history as we know it began to come into the picture. The city that was ripped out of time began to awaken also, but this time the gods were locked away in a different plane. But instead of land surronding the city, now there was a great river encircling it, and past that was only what came to be known as the Void. People that fell into the river were never to be seen or if they did return they came back so insane that they were killed on the spot. No one here agaed and no one changed or grew either. But the gods soon learned that they could reach into this city and manipulate things. They also found they could manipulate Earth throught the river. The river acted as a portal through which they could traverse time and interact with earth at many different joining in history. The player has been called throught time by the great neutral god to stop the other gods attempts to get back to the world by whatever means possible. Other Info: the planned lvl''s are intented to historicaly accurate. this includes: Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Asian, European, America''s (N&S), and many other "timelines" that tie in together through history. Also I am reseaching accurate weapon and transportation information. It is intended that the character will have 4 major battle areas: melee, ranged, magic, chi (think martial arts and etc). The melee(swords,etc) can be controled by the mouse, no more predefined swings, and hopefully can include built in combo type moves. The closest I can compare the martial arts fighting to is like that of wrestling games or shenmue as far as the depths of the moves available. The magic options I''m still working on. I''d love to be able to have "real weather options" like water with mass (imagine having rain drip on you from roofs and ditches overflowing if it rains too much (ex. flooding of the Nile could have all new meanings for the player) The "learning" level is intented to be having the player play as random citizens in the great war on earth that ripped the city apart (imagine giant flames and lighting and the like streaking the sky as the gods fight while your joe blow down in the bottom) there would be mythical creatures and etc there that you see later in the game. And when you die you''d just reappear as someone else. The camera setup I''m going for is one like that of GTA3 I guess also the player would after completeing their own timeline be able to go to the city and the void and recieve different subquests from gods and people there while still following the big plot. Good and Evil both develop a hero/avatar but it is the player who decides if they fight, join together on one side, fight all of the gods, etc, as they will be controlling both of the characters, plus several other hunters/avatars who were chosen to protect time. Anyway that was really freaking long but.....(taking breath of air) I have discovered how huge this is for one person. I would love any advice or help you guys could give me on attempting an engine or maybe one that might already work. Also modeling and any other help would be great. If anyone is interested in hopping on board or just help screw around on it for awhile that would be great since I go to school fulltime and this going to be something the side that if I can convince somebody to publish/develop would be great. either reply here or email me at jameyer@uark.edu

I recommend licensing a cheap 3D engine. That will save you a lot of work. Besides, you are more interested in making this game than making 3D engines, right?

if some programmer insists on making a new 3D engine, he''s not helping you