Why isn't there a serious, modern Adventure Games engine?

[Armageddon]

Now please explain how to do events and set up rooms and room changes and everything else. All the files you need to preload and the function names and everything it's too much.

[Anian]

Now please explain how to do events and set up rooms and room changes and everything else. All the files you need to preload and the function names and everything it's too much.

Is it really more complicated than AGS? LOVE2d has less tools for p-n-c adventure games (well it actually has no tools at all), but I think with a bit of organising a project, it could be very easy to create stuff.
I've started learning Lua because of it and seems like one of those easy to learn, bit harded to master things (though I know nothing about programming, so take from it what you will), but besides that, a lot of stuff uses Lua now days and personally I can't wait to see what Calin comes up with.

[Monsieur OUXX]

Nooooooooo! Not this conversation again! "it's so easy to do everything yourself from scratch! Why don't you?".

Because it's 2013 and we want to share tools that allow developers to focus on the actual game, not on making the engine. If making a fully functional, cross-platrform engine with an IDE was so easy, it would be common knowledge
So now, shhhhushhh Calin! You scoundrel!

Adventure creator is the closest thing to what I had on mind when I started this thread.

[Calin Leafshade]

When it comes to making large games a lot of devs *do* make their own engine because its faster than retooling their pipeline to fit existing tech.

[Monsieur OUXX]

When it comes to making large games a lot of devs *do* make their own engine because its faster than retooling their pipeline to fit existing tech.

Yes, but I could argue two things :
1) we also want a nice IDE for non-commercial games.
2) maybe they've been developing their own tools because Adventure Creator wasn't out there
Middleware is an actual market, let's not argue about that. A world with Adventure Creator is better than a world without, for point-n-click makers.

[Adeel]

Then for the Chris Jones' sake, Monsieur. Please buy it right now (if you've not already) and live in peace!

[Armageddon]

Nooooooooo! Not this conversation again! "it's so easy to do everything yourself from scratch! Why don't you?".

Because it's 2013 and we want to share tools that allow developers to focus on the actual game, not on making the engine. If making a fully functional, cross-platrform engine with an IDE was so easy, it would be common knowledge
So now, shhhhushhh Calin! You scoundrel!

I disagree with all of that. Don't you have any sense of pride/prestige with your work? Don't you want to make the very best thing possible and to do that you have to make every bit of it yourself?

[Monsieur OUXX]

Don't you have any sense of pride/prestige with your work? Don't you want to make the very best thing possible and to do that you have to make every bit of it yourself?

To me, it's like Van Gogh saying "my painting is twice better because I collected the flowers myself to make the pigments".

Powerful middleware is the key to success, in order to focus on the contents, not on the technique. Having said that, it's not the middleware's fault if some developers then get lazy and stay in the template offered to them, hence producing something boring, standard, and not ambitious at all. But you could say the same for the AGS "lucasarts" or "sierra" templates: "I want to create my own Lucasarts template, the game will be twice better". Meh?


Side note: The only exception to that creative process would be when the game is at the brink of existing research (e.g. GTA V/Skyrim/Assassin's creed, where you need to create new powerful algorithms for crowd effects, distant rendering, etc.). But come on, point-n-clicks? All the theoretical aspects and technology are mature since around 2000.

Damn. I broke my own rule and fed the troll.

[Armageddon]

I wasn't trolling but while reading your post I had an idea about using XNA to make a Grim Fandango type engine. I wonder how well Unity could use 2d prerendered background with 3D characters.

[Babar]

If I'm not mistaken some guy at Double Fine submitted, basically as his job application to Double Fine, Grim Fandango coded in XNA, so that it'd run on the xbox.


Not really related to what you are saying, but still. Although isn't XNA no longer being supported by Microsoft now, or something?

[Monsieur OUXX]

I had an idea about using XNA to make a Grim Fandango type engine.

There is an actual AGS sort-of clone made with XNA somewhere around these forums (I can't remember its name, though).

[Stupot]

I had an idea about using XNA to make a Grim Fandango type engine.

There is an actual AGS sort-of clone made with XNA somewhere around these forums (I can't remember its name, though).

Are you talking about XAGE?

[Monsieur OUXX]

Are you talking about XAGE?

yes