Monday, March 1, 2010

Project moving to C++ and OpenGL? Most likely!

Howdy do!

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

10 comments:

  1. Let me do you a favor and save you a LOT of time: use Unity. http://www.unity3d.com

    It has built in Physics, shaders, it can produce graphics akin to Modern Warfare (google "interstellar marines") and best of all? It's free!

    It's easy to code and/or script for, it has a terrain editor, it's backed by documentation, and there is a full community for it.

    If you're "switching engines" anyways, at least give it a look. I think it'll suit this project well

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  2. To Bryan:
    I believe he wants to use C++\OpenGL also as a test of skill, as he will need to use both of them in the future. Practicing them on this project will make him more proficient in the other he has.
    Also, since he builds the engine, one can assume he won't switch again - at worst, he will rewrite the engine and port the information between its revisions. Not something major.

    By the way I have to comment about Link's appearance, because replying to older posts is ineffective most of the time and I just need to stick it somewhere: Lower the hair volume. I know, in the games his hair is huge, making up to 20% of the character's size, but in 3D it just looks silly, and the puffy hair just does not fit. I think it may relate to it looking very inflexible and built as spikes. But the point is that while the entire model of the Blue Tunic looks great, the hair needs some serious work. Otherwise, it's a great project and I hope the N corporation will just turn a blind eye on this one, good luck and all.

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  3. OK so this will slow down development a lot but I am all for it. Perhaps we could make this open source. That would speed up development but I suppose you wouldn't want to...

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  4. this game's birthday is in 4 days

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  5. You should consider using Unity Engine, it's pretty simple and a quite powerful engine, and it also have a free version

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  6. Hey there!
    Great project and a Zelda addict! :D
    Ever considered to check out/help/advertise another great Zelda project? Hope to see you at glZeldas HQ (http://bit.ly/aYKkIu) aswell!
    Regards the Master

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  7. http://3dnes.blogspot.com/
    I'd like to bring to your attention this 3D FPA Remake of Zelda II.

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  8. OpenGL sounds much more promising than the original plan. I really can't wait until the project is finished. Is there anyway I can become an alpha tester for the game?

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  9. aka "I'm losing interest in this project, and I'm trying to grasp onto the hype in any way possible without letting people know I don't want to work on it by saying I'm devving it in another language."

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  10. It's just in megaupload T-T can you re-uploaded in mediafire or something?

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