For a wee bit of news, I just wanted to let you guys know I am in the process of leaning C++ and OpenGL.
What does this mean? How does it affect the project?
C++ and OpenGL are much, MUCH more powerful than the Game Maker program I have been using for Ballad of the Windfish. The Windfish project has pretty much pushed Game Maker to its limits, and thanks to the physics and 3D collision detections, the project has hit a wall in terms of gaming performance.
Also, OpenGL is support cross-platform, making the porting of games possible.
I must learn C++ and OpenGL for my work and commercial products, and in order to master this, I will most likely be rebuilding the Ballad of the Windfish game engine from the ground up, completely from scratch in a programming language and environment I have very little experience in! =D
But Jerrel, you say, why would you need to recreate the game engine you won't be able to commercially benefit from? On the contrary! I originally built the Windfish game engine as a universal game engine for all of my 3D action adventure games, and I was even able to refine this gaming engine into a Resident Evil 4-5 game clone. By rebuilding the game engine in C++/OpenGL, the game will not only run smoother and on more machines, but I will be able to casually take a step over the graphical limitations that were holding me back while working in Game Maker. Not to mention, I have been learning new, more advanced 3D modelling programs, such as Maya.
The Windfish engine will evolve into the new "Windfish 2" engine, and I will then use that new engine as a base for my commercial projects.
The new game engine will most likely feature :
- Higher definition / smoother / higher polycount 3D Models
- Enhanced Lighting and Texture Effects
- Hopefully improved animation-linking
- More reliable 3D collision detection
- Faster/more reliable Speed
- Sexy post-screen shading effects
- Dynamic Shadows for models
- Shadow Maps for terrain and architecture
- Overall increased sexiness
- More Hawaiian Punch
Thanks for sticking around!
Colon Capital P!
Jerrel
