Making My Game

I will now think which programme I am going to make my platform game with. I will consider all pros and cons of each programme.

Flash

My first option is Adobe Flash, a program that I am familiar with, as I have used in past projects. Many indie developers that create games to publish on the internet use flash because it’s widely available and fairly simple to use.

However, although I feel confident with flash, there are many reasons why I do not want to use it for my final project. For example, I think it would be hard to import 3D models into flash. Also, in the last year or so, there has been a lot of talk about flash becoming obsolete and that it may be replaced with html 5. Because of this, I feel that I should keep researching into something more relevant to use.

Although I may not use flash for my final project, I may use it to make a prototype to my game, in order to experiment with game mechanics and ideas.

Yoyo Game Maker

I also considered using “Game Maker” to create my project, as it is known for being easy to use. Its appeal is that it can make interesting games without having to use any scripting or code. However, there is a built-in programming language, so that the user can make more advanced games. In Games Maker can make use of both 2D and 3D graphics, and is free to download.

However, I am hesitant to use this programme, as I have heard from internet forums that it’s 3D support is poor.

Torque Game Engine

I have heard very good things about the Torque Game Engine (TGE) as it is a powerful engine, capable of generating good 3D graphics. There is a good online community for help and it has a built-in scripting language.

However, I think this programme would be too much trouble for me to use. TGE seems to be limited to only creating first-person-shooters and third-person-shooters. I would have to modify the TGE source code (in C++) if I wanted to make a platform game.

Unity

I decided to use Unity to build my game in the final term for several reasons. Firstly, I was drawn to Unity because of the fact that the program can import 3D model and animations from Maya. This leaves me with more choices of what I can create for my visuals.

I also like the fact that the Unity engine can process game for various platforms, including Wii, XBOX 360, PlayStation 3, Google Android or an iPad/iPhone/iPad App. Although I have not thought about putting this game on any devices, it is useful to know that I can.

Also, Unity’s interface is very simply laid out and easy to navigate. My only worries about using this program are using scripts to programme to game mechanics and characters. Therefore, I will invest some time into researching Unity further, until I am more confident in using the engine.

Finally, the programme is free so I can use it at home, as well as in University.