Hi and thanks for a great site. Apologies: I found this place while looking for something specific: I have checked the forum pretty thoroughly and found loads of space resources (including the "space" sticky). My needs however are very specific and I hope I'm not out of place by putting them here. I read the "noobs read this" post carefully to make sure I'm not being an idiot with my first post.. I also did a search for similar posts (there are lots!!) but I didnt find anything that I could use, beyond some great general advice about keeping it simple. I think thats what I'm doing. So here goes: I am currently looking for an (preferably) isometric engine to deliver a proof of concept for a scifi multiplayer game. DungeonSiege, Neverwinter, Warcraft.. all the fantasy games have world builders: is there any equiv for scifi/space games? It doesnt need multiplayer or massive eye candy: It can be as primitive as toast. Im not going to build my game with it: just run a VERY rough emulation of how such a game would appear. My background: I have done a bit of modding with dungeonsiege: Making a DS siegelet would have been ideal were it not for the lack of scifi textures/models in the DS scene: I am a musician, not a graphics artist. The game: I have worked out a lovely little plot-based gameplay mechanism for a multiplayer RPG game. On paper it's extremely adictive, with a trade dynamic that "should" be impossible, but works in a roleplay environment, encouraging rts-like behaviour between players. That's the pitch anyway. Unfortunately even With 130 pages of design document I have trouble getting some of the basic ideas across. Thats where a little demo would come in handy. The doc as is is complete: but I need to get it off of paper and onto the small screen. Basically I have been drafting the design document for a number of years and have chiseled it out to a point where it can work on paper (play testing with a few colleagues in a paper&dice setting). What it should do: I just need something simple and brightly colored to demonstrate in-game ship movement through space, and on planetary terrain, as well as character & craft customisation screens etc. I could use screen capture to make illustrations within the design doc, or even create small avi's to show gameplay type movies. What i need now is a simple (!) iso-engine with a few spaceship models, terrain textures etc: literally something equivilent to the starcraft map builder: perhaps with a bit more flexibilty with regards to specifying gui, graphics and rules (speed, addons etc). I just need to make superficial customisations to demonstrate the various points of the design document: it doesn't need to actually work :-) The purpose of this Proof.o.C. would be to develop a living design document for artists and coders etc and to "emulate" as much as is possible the eventual look and feel of such a game. Disclaimer: The intention is not really to steal another games look: but to demonstrate what exists, and how to do it. Any eventual project would be designed from the ground up on a robust platfrom. A worry for another day. As its just me: I don't mind working within the format of another game for now, so long as it is scifi (spaceships :-) Can anyone point me in the direction of something like this? Also: if there already exists some open source/low cost engine (as opposed to piggybacking off of someone elses work) that I could even use as a basis for a "beta test" that would be great. Does anyone know of anything? Thanks for your help and patience. P.S. If anyone has something semi-developed in this area, perhaps you would consider a skills exchange? I am a pro-studio based musician and would be happy to write stuff for your project, in return for any help on getting the aforementioned iso-engine. Check out www.stabbingpixies.com for mp3s of what I'm up to.

Check out Starcraft. --- nevermind. What's wrong with the Starcraft map builder?

Umm.. where to start?


Developed in 1998 so....
Runs in 640 x 480 256 colours - if it runs (not on my old w2k machine). That was a few years ago. Doubt I could run it now..

IIRC: No customization of values outside the "starcraft gameplay" (editor is too basic). I need to be able to change values for ships, and add variables with values (or at least pseudo-variables).
I'm looking for more functionality... check the games I referenced... DS and NWN are possible to mod outside the box. I guess I need basic scripting on the side. Most world editor types come with that these days.

Also: where to find it? is SC even sold anymore? (Don't want to try a cracked version). Not that I would, for all the above reasons.

I need something basic sure, but a bit pretty if poss. It can be primitive - but not 1998 primitive.


Thanks for your quick reply tho.

A quick google search indicates that with updates Starcraft can run on XP.

Have you considered adapting an editor?

For example, why not use Dungeon Siege Tool Kit to add your scifi models and a space based terrain?

And don't forget the world of google: isometric map editor.

I guess you've never really used the SC editor. It has built in boolean variables and then there are plenty of ways to mimic integers and others. For example there are 8 players in the game. Let's say that you make a 4 player game. You have four players that aren't used. Each one has a gas and mineral total, which can be used just like an int. That is just scratching the surface. The pros of SC editing can do more with that editor than a lot of people can do with C++. Of course it will run on XP. There are so many people that STILL play SC that it would be a bad move for Microsoft to release an OS that doesn't run it. Yes, even for MS. Now whether SC meets your needs or not I don't know (I bet that you could script most if not all of your game into SC with the editor) but if you don't find anything that you like I'd pick up a copy. Game stores still sell it, because it still sells.