My nomination was for "Cross Platform Game APIs" (which applies to neither OpenGL or DirectX, incidentally [wink]). Looks like there's going to be a lot more engines/libraries/APIs considered on-topic here than I though. [cool] I assumed this would be mainly an Allegro/SDL forum, but it seems like some other libraries might fit the same category. What should be the definition of an "on-topic" API here, do you think?

"Alternative Game API's" works too, I suppose ...

Quote: Original post by coldacid
SDL is a step above DX and OGL too, but it's also just an API. Still, APIs come in libraries.

[rolleyes]

The need I've seen around is not for a new forum to discuss a bunch of alternative libraries, but to discuss libraries meeting the following criteria:

1) Meets a critical-mass baseline - there must be enough functionality established to make it useful in development.

2) Meets one of two availability baselines - it is either a) open-source or b) free as in beer. Both is better, of course.

3) Meets a widespread need. For ODE, this is physics, for SDL graphics, for OpenAL sound, for OpenAI (not that it exists now, but anyways) artificial intelligence. Other examples have been mentioned above.

In decomposing a design, I would call the above "subsystems".

So maybe "Game Subsystem libraries"?

ld

Quote: Original post by clum
And I think mentioning ClanLib is a bit rediculous, who actually uses that?

Myself, and several others.

I like "Cross Platform Game APIs", but that would technically disclude third party libraries that are not cross-platform... not that I can think of one like that.

I didn't read all the posts, so sorry if someone already mentioned this but my vote goes to "middle-ware".

Quote:
OpenGL or DirectX, incidentally

I wouldn't quite go as far as saying opengl isn't cross-platform:
http://opengl.org/documentation/implementations.html#os

Quote: Original post by The Etwinox

Quote:
OpenGL or DirectX, incidentally

I wouldn't quite go as far as saying opengl isn't cross-platform:
http://opengl.org/documentation/implementations.html#os

He never said OpenGL wasn't cross platform. He said neither OpenGL nor DirectX are "Cross Platform Game APIs."

Call it 'Other gameprogramming libraries'

Quote: Original post by Magmai Kai Holmlor
I like "Cross Platform Game APIs", but that would technically disclude third party libraries that are not cross-platform... not that I can think of one like that.

Anyone making a third-party lib is probably smart enough to make it cross platform. If ever one is found that still might be considered on-topic, we could just look the other way. [smile]

Quote: He never said OpenGL wasn't cross platform. He said neither OpenGL nor DirectX are "Cross Platform Game APIs."

Right; OpenGL is usually used with some other API like DirectX, Allegro, SDL, etc. doing the "game" stuff while OpenGL handles graphics ... you should have caught that, Etwinox! [wink]

EDIT: Now that I think about it, the scope of the forum has been expanded to include more than just "game" APIs, hasn't it? FMOD is a music lib, for example ... anyway ...

[Edited by - 23yrold3yrold on July 7, 2004 6:56:35 AM]