I started making a

• 3:rd person
• Large map
• Network, 4-8 players in each game
• Many different classes
• Strange physics
• Many different weapons

game in XNA. But I found myself spending a lot of time just trying to make basic things work. Such as jumping (not falling through the floor too much) and running smoothly uphill (did it with linear interpolation). I was wondering if I perhaps should use something instead of XNA?

• How about Unreal engine for example? Is it flexible enough? I want to make something original.
• Perhaps Unity?
• Perhaps a good XNA game engine?

All suggestions appreciated. I'm new to this

Thanx

Switching the Engine/Framework won't change much for you.

As you said, you spend a lot of time trying to make basic things work. The given examples will be the same in URE or Unity or elsewhere.

If you are new to game developing, you should be prepared in your mind, that you have to work these things out. Once you know how they work it will be easier.

Also, as much as i know, the URE is only available for C++. So to use it, you would have to learn a new language and a new Framework.

But don't forget the positive aspect: It's always way more satisfying to see how your own solution works, instead of seeing how a re-implemented solution of someone else works.

Switching the Engine/Framework won't change much for you.

As you said, you spend a lot of time trying to make basic things work. The given examples will be the same in URE or Unity or elsewhere.

If you are new to game developing, you should be prepared in your mind, that you have to work these things out. Once you know how they work it will be easier.

Also, as much as i know, the URE is only available for C++. So to use it, you would have to learn a new language and a new Framework.

But don't forget the positive aspect: It's always way more satisfying to see how your own solution works, instead of seeing how a re-implemented solution of someone else works.

Thanks, I guess I stick to XNA then :)

I find it interesting that, for example, a person running around smoothly and jumping in a 3d world with some topography is not included as a template in XNA and Unity since there are probably hundreds of thousands of people that would use this as a starting point for their games.

C++ is not that big of a problem since I use it at work every now and then (business application, not games) but I still prefer C#.

Yes I agree, I don't want it to be a re-implementation, but mostly because I think it would stifle my imagination. But still, some help on the most common features of a game would be nice (XNA actually provide some of this, for example double buffering but I could use a little more, it's a fine line).

Personally I would go cross platform and try Torque 3D or such, but I'm a Ubuntu user...

The reason why

a person running around smoothly and jumping in a 3d world

isn't implemented per default in XNA is because XNA is a framework, not an engine. It only provides the base to you.
Apart from that there are many different ways to implement an environment and the way of implementing the feature depends on the way your terrain works.

I think in Unity it is implemented in the first-person-camera-asset, isn't it?

P.S.: You don't have to quote my full post, especially not when it is just above your answer.

Switching the Engine/Framework won't change much for you.

As you said, you spend a lot of time trying to make basic things work. The given examples will be the same in URE or Unity or elsewhere.

Have you ever used an engine or written a game that has such a feature set from scratch ?

Engines like Unreal Engine, CryEngine and I think Unity too, will take care of a lot if not all of the mentioned things.

Using such an engine will leave you to almost only asset creation, value tweaking(in case of physics) and very little programming in comparison to write everything from scratch.

Unreal Engine has a very good documentation with lots of examples, for example how to create a 3rd person camera.

Unity has its asset store where you can buy scripts, meshes and anything else, so you could also cut asset creation time.

If your primary target is to create a game and not to learn the technology I highly recommend to evaluate the available engines and go with one of them!

Personally I would go cross platform and try Torque 3D or such, but I'm a Ubuntu user...

Well, according to Gabe Linux is the new big platform for games. I might check out Torque, thanks.

Apart from that there are many different ways to implement an environment and the way of implementing the feature depends on the way your terrain works.

Ok, I think see what you are saying: It's hard to make a one-size-fits-all.

If your primary target is to create a game and not to learn the technology I highly recommend to evaluate the available engines and go with one of them!

Interesting. My primary target at the moment is indeed to create a game. Which engine would you recommend? I would like to have something more on the programming end and less on the value tweaking end since I want to be able to make some unique features.