Does AGS export to Flash or anything other than .exe?

theSynapse · Mon 19/12/2011 17:15:33

As per subject line.

I'd really like to use AGS for something, but I've been looking on the forums and feature list and couldn't find any evidence of AGS being able to do something other than an .exe file. Ideally I was hoping AGS can export to Flash format (I know it can't do iOS - is there something in the works for that?).

Many thanks for your time.

Ali · Mon 19/12/2011 17:29:00

At the moment it doesn't, but there are several projects working on ports for other platforms.

I don't know much about these things, but I think exporting to flash is unlikely (I think there might be licensing issues, and flash looks like it is being superseded by HTML5).

Clarvoyan's project XAGE is the closest thing I can think of to what you're looking for. It's still in the early stages of development but two of Ben304s short games are playable in a browser / facebook:

http://www.clarvalon.com/games/default.aspx

theSynapse · Mon 19/12/2011 17:47:55

Many thanks for your quick reply.

My issue is that I already use MMF and I may want to take games to iOS and/or Flash/HTML5 in the near future. Of course, so many things are automated within AGS cf. MMF where I'd have to build a custom engine. LOOOOONGGG project!

Maybe I'll just keep my fingers crossed? :-)

TheMagician · Sun 25/12/2011 00:11:16

May I suggest you have a look at GameMaker (is that proper English??).

Lots of things are automated and they plan on releasing a HTML5 / iOS branch soon. It's not free, though. And it's not targeted at adventure games.

Still, I've switched from AGS to GM and I'm very happy with it.

theSynapse · Thu 29/12/2011 09:11:15

Many thanks for your suggestion Magician (English is perfect by the way!).

I have already used GameMaker and it is indeed a very good package. However, since MMF is more powerful on balance and I have to use it for other projects already, I'd be better of implementing something in MMF rather than GM8.

I was just hoping that I might not have to build the engine/assets in MMF first before the content! Ah well, it's all good for the soul....

Ghost · Fri 30/12/2011 09:42:06

"Construct" used to be a good alternative to GM, and the original version has gone open source, with a new one planned for commercial release. This commercial version explicitely states it can make "Facebook games".
It's well worth a look, and maybe you can get something out of the open-sourced edition?

Free, open source
Commercial

theSynapse · Fri 30/12/2011 17:30:03

I've spotted Construct whilst out and about on the web.

Not sure how it's better/worse/different to MMF2. Have you used it at all? If so, would you be able to comment for me?

Thanks for the suggestion.

Mehrdad · Sat 31/12/2011 10:31:33

Construct Classic: very fast (GPU base) - open source - very buggy - not updates any more

Construct 2 : only HTML5 and not exe support yet - used webGL - updates is awsome

MMF2 : very stable - many exporters ( exe,java,moblie,swf,IOS,Android,XBox,Mac,..) - updates is good - many good extensions - almost expensive - not any scripting(anythings is visual)

Ghost · Sat 31/12/2011 10:39:22

I have used Construct Classic and found it easy to use, stable, and pretty speedy. I don't own MMF2 myself, but saw it in action on a friend's computer. They feel very similar in terms of usage, that's about the best I can say. Construct's probably a bit more "recent" in terms of drivers and features due to its open-source nature.

theSynapse · Sat 31/12/2011 11:40:39

I think the answer is looking more and more that I have to build my own engine in MMF2 and then run with that if I want to make something for iOS and other formats.

I already own MMF2 (for my uni course) so cost is not a problem. I have no issue paying for the iOS exporter - it's still a cheap way to get games to iOS devices. Plus it has all the other exporters, so for cross-platform purposes (with minimum of recoding/fuss) it seems the best.

But I think that I'll use AGS for a bit to see how the tool does things well so I've got some idea of how to implement things in MMF2. I've always wanted to dabble in AGS for a bit anyway! As I said at AdventureX, an iOS exporter would be a real 'game changer' (excuse pun!) for many people I think.

I appreciate people's comments and time. Cheers. If anyone's got any other comments I'd like to hear them....

TheMagician · Sat 31/12/2011 16:11:22

Wow, looks like MMF2 has come a long way when you look at all the exporters.
I've lost interest in it because the pure graphical scripting just didn't allow for complex algorithms.
But when people now publish games for iOS with it this must have evolved as well...

theSynapse · Sat 31/12/2011 16:25:20

Yeah, that iOS exporter got released in the last year or so. Makes a big difference really! Plus at least ClickTeam are a professional company with some full-time support people on hand (although things like GM have an outstanding community).

I know you have to pay for MMF2, but it's really not a lot of money for what you get. Â£180ish pounds to export to xcode for iOS devices? Damn site cheaper than many other programs!

The only problem is that there aren't as many good examples of MMF2 games clearly on display as say with AGS or GM, which annoys me somewhat. Having said that, might that be due to the fact that MMF2 is slightly more commercially focused and people wouldn't want to proclaim their products in the open? I'm not sure.

I DO know that the people doing that Star Wars point and click have moved from AGS over to MMF2. I wonder how they found it making the engine from scratch though. Seems like a bit of a mission to be honest.

Does AGS export to Flash or anything other than .exe?

Ghost

Ghost