When it comes to the term game engine all i know is that it''s a component that every modern FPS has. As i intend to code a game engine for a 3D FPS, i was wondering if anyone could give me some links that will help me get started and understand what will be involved in making one. Thank you for your time.

The engine is that part of the code that has nothing to do with the particular game you are making... IE, it is all the foundations...

Additionally, I believe that an engine has to have the game loop...

In you''re case, you''re engine would need to:

Get Player Input and DO it (modifys world)
Run all of the NPC + strategic AI''s (modifys world)
Run any Physics simulations (modifys world)
Render the display

An engine must do all of this (and more), every frame... It may decide that it doesn''t need to calculate AI every frame, but it must do it at some interval, and it still needs to make that determination...

Tony

ok thank you. Do you have any links for where i can get some info on how to go about developing one? Thanks, i''ll do my own searching in the mean time.

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Original post by iaretony
The engine is that part of the code that has nothing to do with the particular game you are making... IE, it is all the foundations...

Run all of the NPC + strategic AI''s (modifys world)

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hmm, I''m curious. How is the engine supposed to run all of the NPC + AI if it is also supposed to have nothing to do with that particular game?

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hmm, I'm curious. How is the engine supposed to run all of the NPC + AI if it is also supposed to have nothing to do with that particular game?

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Just because AI is run through the engine, doesn't mean that the routines are hardcoded.

It also runs graphics, but different games have different graphics!

[edited by - sirSolarius on April 15, 2004 10:45:11 PM]

Actually game engines are found in most games, not just FPS. FPS are the best known since they are easily reusable.

Essentily the engine is what drives the program.

Here is the minimum list of what you''ll need.

1)A level archetecure - This is the classes,and variables that store and access the data that makes up a level.
2)A renderer - This handles the displaying of the level and entities.
3)Proccess input - At least allow basic movement throughout the level.
4)Collission detection - At the most basic level the user shouldn''t be able to walk through walls, and objects.

everything else is optional.

-----------------------------------------------------
Writer, Programer, Cook, I''m a Jack of all Trades
Current Design project: Ambitions Slave

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Original post by TechnoGoth
Actually game engines are found in most games, not just FPS. FPS are the best known since they are easily reusable.

Essentily the engine is what drives the program.

Here is the minimum list of what you''ll need.

1)A level archetecure - This is the classes,and variables that store and access the data that makes up a level.
2)A renderer - This handles the displaying of the level and entities.
3)Proccess input - At least allow basic movement throughout the level.
4)Collission detection - At the most basic level the user shouldn''t be able to walk through walls, and objects.

everything else is optional.

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ah, this was a very helpful list for me, thank you. Now that level architecture part... this is how the engine and the level editor "talk to each other"? The level editor outputs a file that the engine can read?

now if you had to ask a question like that, them my questions are how many games have you made? have you ever programed anything in 3D (even if it''s just a bouncing ball or rotating cube)? how many games that you made are in 2D? 3D?

if you answered the first question with 0, then start with the usual: make tetris or pong, then move on up. but you can do so in 2D or 3D using DirectDraw/SDL/Allegro or OpenGL/Direct3D.

Yes so to speak. The engine proccess a level file and the level editor creates a level file. Technically the tool programmer who makes the level editor should only need the level archetecure to be able to build the level editor.



-----------------------------------------------------
Writer, Programer, Cook, I''m a Jack of all Trades
Current Design project: Ambitions Slave

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Original post by Alpha_ProgDes
now if you had to ask a question like that, them my questions are how many games have you made? have you ever programed anything in 3D (even if it's just a bouncing ball or rotating cube)? how many games that you made are in 2D? 3D?

if you answered the first question with 0, then start with the usual: make tetris or pong, then move on up. but you can do so in 2D or 3D using DirectDraw/SDL/Allegro or OpenGL/Direct3D.

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yes, i've made 0. But i'm in a group and they want their first game to be a FPS with mechs. And they want to produce something in 8 weeks. What do you think? My idea was an advanced version of pong :T

I"ve programmed in 3D and 2D. I can make a bouncing ball and a rotating cube.

[edited by - tieTYT on April 15, 2004 12:20:58 AM]

[edited by - tieTYT on April 15, 2004 12:26:36 AM]