Should I use a game engine?

[Aventro]

 

Should I use a game engine?

Game engines give you some code that works, the basic functionality your games needs. If you’re using one of the popular ones you can also install modules which gives you yet some additional functionality. You can tweak these, and then you have your game. Great! Right? No?

You’ve successfully created one of the games that look and works exactly as the other games built on the game engine you’ve used. Your options now are to either tweak the modules further, build your own modules or pay someone to do it. As you realize no one really is interested in helping you out, because

a) You don’t have a great budget.

b) They don’t want to work with that code.

It goes back to: doing it yourself. You probably have little to no experience and as you learn you realize, god damn the code is really bad written. It’s old, it gives you errors. It’s hard to understand and developing new features gives you complex bugs you cannot solve. You’re stuck.

This analog is not entirely true, if you’re determined you could probably solve and develop new stuff and succeed, but be sure it will be a bad experience. You’re starting off with something old, out-dated and not even supported by its own creators.

To answer the initial question: No, you should not. There’s better ways, and I’ll post about that sometime in the future.

Do you agree? If not, why?

[Dominion]

I agree in part. Most of the time people who aren't willing to work with a framework/engine won't work with your own code either. So that shouldn't effect your decision and any engine you choose will be up to date or something you can work with. Otherwise what's the point?

I think your over simplified it. I do see your point but using an engine isn't a dead end. It's a short cut that, in the end, just stops your writing the basics. You shouldn't end up with a clone unless that's the path you take. When creating a game it should be fully planned out long before you consider the engine you wish to use.

[Aventro]

I agree in part. Most of the time people who aren't willing to work with a framework/engine won't work with your own code either. So that shouldn't effect your decision and any engine you choose will be up to date or something you can work with. Otherwise what's the point?

Well, depends. People having coding experience would probably favoring working with a popular framework as Laravel, or Symfony rather than working with a game engine, due to the fact that the code in the engines are old and are just transaction scripts up and down with mixed HTML and PHP. But of course, if you're hiring a old MCCodes veteran they would obviously probably prefer coding with that game engine then using a framework, but again, these game engines are pretty much 'dead' and it would be hard to find.

 

I think your over simplified it. I do see your point but using an engine isn't a dead end. It's a short cut that, in the end, just stops your writing the basics. You shouldn't end up with a clone unless that's the path you take. When creating a game it should be fully planned out long before you consider the engine you wish to use.

A shortcut is not always the right solution. With a better "foundation" it should be easier to build the game further. I fully agree with the planning. We use agile development at work, and I've recently adopted doing that on my personal projects - which gives me much better results and also, finishing my projects.

[Dominion]

I thought you were speaking generally about using a base to work on a project. If we're limiting to text based games (so mccodes/NWE etc) the reasons shrink quickly.

[SRB]

The never-ending influx of bots. Sure looks a little feminine for a dude named Kenny though.

[ags_cs4]

lol they come from time to time, at least this reply looks like a solid answer tho, the link looks sus but ther than that i think what is said is right 😄 

[SRB]

Bots have probably been armed with AI by now, so at the very least, I suspect bots become far more factual when spamming.

[ags_cs4]

2 hours ago, SRB said:

Bots have probably been armed with AI by now, so at the very least, I suspect bots become far more factual when spamming.

Definitely