I've been looking at and learning Irrlicht for the past little while, and it seems to be honestly the easiest 3D Engine to use that I've seen so far. It's so easy, that I've decided to start my first real programming project using it. However, I'm going to need everyone's input on other modules to use for other parts of the game, i.e net code, etc. What I'm looking for is: ease-of-use, easy-to-read documentation (like the irrlicht tutorials - a real life-saver), and open-source.
I'll list the libraries/languages I've been looking at for each section.
Scripting:
Perl with Swig (just because I know and love Perl already)
Angelscript (because it's light and based on C++ syntax, which everyone knows)
Lua (because everyone's talking about it... and it seems to support coroutines well, which is great for game scripting)
Network:
Raknet (some are saying it's the easiest to use, and deals with everything for you already)
Audio:
???
Physics:
??? - Do I really need collision detection outside of irrlicht? For an arcade-style tank game?
Any ideas, guys?
Recommendations for other modules
Audio:
Audiere
FMOD (http://www.fmod.org/)
OpenAL (http://www.openal.org/about.html) -- they have a good list of applications that uses openal, like unreal and postal 2
Networking:
GNE (http://www.rit.edu/~jpw9607/gne/)
HawkNL (http://www.hawksoft.com/hawknl/)
Audiere
FMOD (http://www.fmod.org/)
OpenAL (http://www.openal.org/about.html) -- they have a good list of applications that uses openal, like unreal and postal 2
Networking:
GNE (http://www.rit.edu/~jpw9607/gne/)
HawkNL (http://www.hawksoft.com/hawknl/)
Audiere is the easiest audio library to use I think. You can have it working minutes after downloading it
HawkNL is quite powerful but you'll have to write more low-level networking stuff.
GNE is incomplete and hasnt been updated in years now.
I've downloaded RakNet but never actually got it to work. its feature list does look very impressive though, and it has a nice OO design unlike hawk.
I'd use Newton for physics if you're going to use anything. It depends on what your vision of the tank game is like. Perhaps you could write a movement model for the tanks using irrlicht collisions (this will be easier than doing it in newton) but then use newton physics when a tank gets blown up so you could make parts of it fly off into the air then collide realisticly when they land
HawkNL is quite powerful but you'll have to write more low-level networking stuff.
GNE is incomplete and hasnt been updated in years now.
I've downloaded RakNet but never actually got it to work. its feature list does look very impressive though, and it has a nice OO design unlike hawk.
I'd use Newton for physics if you're going to use anything. It depends on what your vision of the tank game is like. Perhaps you could write a movement model for the tanks using irrlicht collisions (this will be easier than doing it in newton) but then use newton physics when a tank gets blown up so you could make parts of it fly off into the air then collide realisticly when they land
.: http://www.mercior.com :.
Hello.
I am not so sure if writing a script to move a tank is easier or better than with the physics engine. Take a look at this.
http://www.physicsengine.com/downloads/forkLift.zip
This was made with Game Studio using Newton Game Dynamics. Is is very simple. if you put more efforr you could problably improved it
use w, s, a, d to move the vehicle,
use r, f, g, t to control the palette.
use the arrow key to follow it
f10 to quit
Roberto
I am not so sure if writing a script to move a tank is easier or better than with the physics engine. Take a look at this.
http://www.physicsengine.com/downloads/forkLift.zip
This was made with Game Studio using Newton Game Dynamics. Is is very simple. if you put more efforr you could problably improved it
use w, s, a, d to move the vehicle,
use r, f, g, t to control the palette.
use the arrow key to follow it
f10 to quit
Roberto