What game development software do you recommend?

Discussion in 'Game Development (Technical)' started by Scott Broughton, Nov 3, 2014.

  1. Scott Broughton

    Scott Broughton New Member

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    Hello. Before I start programming, I'd like to ask for suggestions for the game development software that will best meet my needs. I'm willing to learn, so complexity isn't an issue. I'm looking for software that will allow me to do the following:

    - import text-file profiles of characters and places, so that the game can evolve with periodical updates
    - create mini-games to be played during the overall gameplay towards a final goal
    - save player progress and stats, and allow for multiple players to create their player profiles (but not play together or against each other)

    I don't really need 3d graphics, rpg, or fancy animations.

    I'm learning to program with the Game Develop software, and have also downloaded Construct 2 and Unity 5.

    Thanks for your input.

    Scott
     
  2. Xackery

    Xackery New Member

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  3. GaiaDreamCreation

    Indie Author

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    I'm also trying Unity. What you mentioned seems to be feasible in Unity. I'm just wondering if you found that Unity was not a good tool to do what you asked
     
  4. Scott Broughton

    Scott Broughton New Member

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    Thanks for the feedback. I haven't tried Unity yet, because I wanted to hear what others say first about different programs. I don't want to start my project, only to find out that the program can't do what I want. Any more feedback from your attempts would be appreciated.

    BTW, your Jigsaw Puzzle game looks very slick. Congratulations.
     
    #4 Scott Broughton, Nov 4, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2014
  5. CCHAudio

    CCHAudio New Member

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    Unity seems like the go-to development software at the moment
     
  6. AMAXANG-GAMES

    AMAXANG-GAMES New Member

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    You can use Unity 3D. It is good for serious game developers.
     
  7. kaufenpreis

    kaufenpreis New Member

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    The other option is to use Quartz Composer. It's a little more difficult to use, and may require you to know some javascript, but it should come with Mac OS (as part of the developer tools). If you don't have the developer tools installed, you can install them from your Mac OS disks. http://www.kaufmed.de
     
    #7 kaufenpreis, Nov 12, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2016
  8. Scott Broughton

    Scott Broughton New Member

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    Thanks for this suggestion, but I use Windows, not Mac OS. (Not exactly by preference, though.)
     
  9. kaufenpreis

    kaufenpreis New Member

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    Microsoft XNA Game Studio 4.0 makes it easier than ever to create great video game http://www.drogas21.es
     
    #9 kaufenpreis, Nov 19, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2016
  10. backlong90

    backlong90 New Member

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    A couple open source engines:
    • Genesis3D Open Source Engine
    • Irrlicht Engine - A free open source 3d engine
     
  11. Coder_for_life22

    Coder_for_life22 New Member

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    Because I am a programmer at heart and believe every "developer" should know how to somewhat program, I would recommend learning java and programming in LibGDX. It is multiplatform so you will be developing for iOS and Android.

    However, I am also a fan of Unity(Especially with its new 2D capabilities). I've used it to design quite a few games myself and would definitely recommend it.

    If you don't want to build a game from scratch fully in code, atleast learn the basics. At some point or another in your development career you will need to use programming.

    Hope this helps. :)
     
  12. IncrediBuild

    IncrediBuild New Member

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    Hey, my name is Uria, I'm a math student at Tel-Aviv University and I work for IncrediBuild, which is a tool for development acceleration used by most of major game development companies and game engine providers.
    I know that this is an old question but I'm rather new in here, and no one had mentioned it before.

    One of the problems I know game developers (indie and commercial) have to deal with is slow builds. IncrediBuild can reduce build times quite dramatically. It's also fully compatible with Epic's Unreal engine, Crytec and others. IncrediBuild offers a free-dev (which is not a trial version - it’s an actual free version of IncrediBuild, working on your local machine only) version as well as a paid commercial version.

    So I'd suggest anyone who is struggling with long builds to try it out.
    If anyone is interested in more details - you can contact me privately.

    Uria
     
    #12 IncrediBuild, Feb 24, 2015
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2015
  13. JMac

    JMac New Member

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    As someone who is new to game development, I decided to go with Unity for my first game project. A few of the reasons I choose Unity are:

    1. Being new, I know I will need help and Unity has many more tutorials available then Unreal. Also, there are more books published about Unity than Unreal. Go to amazon and run a search. I was surprised when I did this.

    2. There are other basic kits like Construct 2 but they dont have the power that Unity and Unreal have

    3. I found the asset store for Unity to have a larger selection and have lower prices than the Unreal store. They both have some free assets and you can find good deals at both stores but overall when I searched for a specific model, I felt the Unity store had a much better price.

    4. Unity has plenty of free art assets I can use when prototyping my game and some of the programming is already done for me in the script store. If I want an AI or a player movement coded, I can find a script someone has already created and paste it in. I dont have to reinvent the wheel.

    Those were the big selling points for me. I have started the process of learning Unity and hope to build a funny game with my 10 year old son over the course of the next year.
     
  14. arunthomas203

    arunthomas203 New Member

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    My recommendation would be Unity 3D.

    I also recommend tying the below

    Unreal Engine 4
    CryEngine
    GameMaker by Yoyo Games
    Havok Vision Engine
    Project Anarchy

    Cheers
    Arun
     
  15. izzetozkal

    izzetozkal New Member

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    if you want to devolope your game for multiplatform unity is the best choice in my opinion
     
  16. kaufenpreis

    kaufenpreis New Member

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    There is a good game making program called (wait for it) Game Maker. It's currently Windows only, but there is a Mac version in development. It's only a beta, terrible to use at the moment, and full of bugs. But I do recommend you get it when it's full version is released, or even now and just try it out, just be aware of the bugs. Currently the most recent version is available here: http://glog.yoyogames.com/?p=572
    You have to sign up for an account with the bug tracker to download it. It's free to sign up for an account.
    Game Maker itself has a free and a paid version, the beta gives you access to all paid features but it will stop working after a certain date. The free versions of Game Maker usually have plenty of features for the average new starter to make a game (for example a 2 dimensional side scroller). Paid features are mostly more advanced features.

    The other option is to use Quartz Composer. It's a little more difficult to use, and may require you to know some javascript, but it should come with Mac OS (as part of the developer tools). If you don't have the developer tools installed, you can install them from your Mac OS disks.

    Both of these options require a fair amount of effort to be put in on your half to learn how to use them, but both are worth learning.
     
  17. giomak

    giomak New Member

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    It depends on goals of your future game, if you want to develop small games I would recommend HTML5/JavaScript.
     
  18. lancerwonders

    lancerwonders New Member

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    There are lots of game development software available in market and our game developers are using some of the best from them. According to our developers Unity 3d is the best software for game development.
     
  19. jhocking

    Original Member Indie Author

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    Given that I've written a book about Unity, clearly I recommend that direction :p

    I wrote Unity in Action for people who know how to program but are new to Unity and/or game development.
     
  20. JamesKel

    JamesKel New Member

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