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LEBuilder enables Modders to become Developers


Canardia

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Modding games is a popular sport, and very productive, since you don't have to code usually much, maybe some little additions only.

However, modding has its limits, as you are usually bound to a quite hardcoded game genre environment, unless you use Garry's Mod or something, but that has then it's own limits too with the engine features.

 

Since I am currenly building a GameLib FPS template for LEBuilder, these thoughts came up. What the template will do, is to create a simple FPS game with one mouseclick. After that, you can compile it, and it just works. You can open the level1.sbx or level2.sbx in Editor, and it just works. However, since the time critical game logic is done in C++, you can't play the game in Editor, but you can edit it in 3D WYSIWYG very well. I think that is good enough. LE3 Editor will be done that way anyway also.

 

From a modder's perspective, you basically create a vanilla game, and then you "mod" it with Editor. You don't necessarily have to code anything in C++, but you can, if you want. Nothing is hardcoded in GameLib, you can choose which commands to use and when, and you can even choose to write your own commands which you use as standard GameLib command replacements. The C++ part of coding gives an unlimited possibility to "mod" the game to your imagination, and time critical routines will never be a handicap, because it's C++. With Lua or other slower languages you might encounter problems with time critical routines.

 

If you don't want to learn C++, you can also ask me for new GameLib features in the Werkspace Forums, which I will then implement as Editor Thingoids or Models. So basically most feature requests from artists and modders are about adding new GameLib Thingoids to Editor, and I have then to check myself, if the vanilla FPS template C++ code needs also some additions. But you don't have to care about that, it's my job, and I love to do it.

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Hi glad to see that kind of help,

do you have a third person view in mind also ?, for a driving car game i would like to make.

perhaps you could put some tutorials for these templates when you are done, because right now i don't have a clue how it will help or drawn me.

thanks

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The LEBuilder templates will help with those things too.

 

It will be much easier to write a tutorial, and it's much easier to follow, when using a LEBuilder template, because you can focus on the actual tutorial, and don't have to write 10 pages of how to setup a C++ compiler first.

 

And once I have this first template ready, it will be minimal code change to make a RTS, Platform, Car, and other game templates from it, because 90% of the template is identical.

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Guest Red Ocktober

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i dunno... while i think this is a real good direction you're heading in, there seems to be a few key things you've overlooked... critical things that'll cause big concerns down the line...

 

first.. the obvious...

modders mod existing games... Leadwerks is not a game engine, therefore there is no dedicated game to mod...

 

so... your proposed "templates" will, by necessity, wind up being dedicated games... for example, in order to whip up a FPS Template, you'll have to write a decent first person shooter...

 

for argument sale, lets just take a look at what the base abstract class (type, whatever), which will be the FirstPersonGame class itself, is gonna have to take into account...

 

a "smart" first person player,

a "smart" default player character(avatar, whatever),

at least one "smart" bot,

a set of "smart" guis,

default sounds, effects,

"smart" meshes,

"smart" weapons, pickups, power ups, etc...

networking considerations (i think all games should default to net multiplayer anyway)...

 

and much, much more...

 

and then you'll have to make sure that it works in the editor... so, if i as a developer decided to make a FPS using your .Net Templates... i could open up the LW Ed... select add FPS .Net Game Template... and then make my level and press play...

expecting to be able to run around and fire my ray gun weapon... and have burn marks on all the scenery the ray touches...

 

if you could do just that... my hat'll be off to you...

 

anything less would be just another addon ontop of the already involved workflow we already have with LW...

 

unfortunately... the way i see it... a carefully constructed lua based system is the only way any of the above is gonna happen... and i really have no love lost for lua...

 

i've just spent the last 2 days learning and playing with one of these real game engines... it was an eye opening experience what i was able to do in a short period of time using basically nothing of my own at all except my imagination...

 

this is what you are embarking on doing...

 

good luck...

 

--Mike

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That vision is not too far away, because I'm sometimes amazed myself how well the foundation libraries work. The source code for Flow for example, is ridiculously small. I will publish the source code soon too, after I have added a few LE2 integrated features into it. Every day a litte coding here and there pays off over the years, as with each cycle things get easier and more powerful.

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