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  1. #1

    Does anyone know of a "Simple" free game engine to try to learn how to make games.

    Like the title says dose anyone know of a "Simple" free game engine to try to learn how to make games.

    I'm not looking to make anything major I just want something to play around with and try to learn on.

    If system requirements matter here is my current PC.
    My Computer Spec Is|Motherboard: Foxconn A74GA|Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit|Processor: AMD Athlon(TM) II X2 B22 2.80ghz |RAM: 6GB DDR3 PC3-10600|Video Card: XFX 7750 Core Edition 1GB DDR5|Resolution: 1280 x 720.

    I am looking to make maybe a RTS or ARPG or Maybe a FPS.

    I am just bored and wanting something to mess with.

    Sorry If I didn't post this in the right form. Also to be clear I want it to be 100% free so I'm not looking for watered down versions of UDK or Cry Engine.
    Last edited by Jtbrig7390; 2014-06-17 at 08:49 PM.
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  2. #2
    Over 9000! zealo's Avatar
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    RPGmaker. Unity if you are interested in actual programming. Making a game is something very complex though.

    If you have no experience with programming it might be a better idea to look into basic scripting and programming though, jumping straight into making a game is not a very good idea unless you mean the type where its all done through menus and click and drag.

  3. #3
    Old God -aiko-'s Avatar
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    Unity 3D for sure. RPG Maker is the most beginner-friendly but is limited in what it can do. If you want to try making a simple 2D RPG then it's perfect but otherwise you'll want to look into other options. There is not much out there if you don't know how to program.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by zealo View Post
    RPGmaker. Unity if you are interested in actual programming. Making a game is something very complex though.

    If you have no experience with programming it might be a better idea to look into basic scripting and programming though, jumping straight into making a game is not a very good idea unless you mean the type where its all done through menus and click and drag.
    True. But sadly Unity isn't free "Besides the free version" but I could check those out. I have no experience with programming and I'm just wanting to mess around a bit.

    A program where I drag and drop to start would be nice and then get into it deeper as I learn more.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by aikoyamamato View Post
    Unity 3D for sure. RPG Maker is the most beginner-friendly but is limited in what it can do. If you want to try making a simple 2D RPG then it's perfect but otherwise you'll want to look into other options. There is not much out there if you don't know how to program.
    Ok thx and ya I don't know how to program.

    Its mainly something I want to start learning as a side hobby. Isn't RPG Maker on steam and cost money? Also lets say it is and I got it can I upload my "Game" to steamworks and like the public gets to check it out?
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  5. #5
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    Unless it has changed, Unreal Engine is still free to use. A lot of groundwork already in place to allow you to throw things together.

  6. #6
    Over 9000! zealo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darzhan View Post
    Unless it has changed, Unreal Engine is still free to use. A lot of groundwork already in place to allow you to throw things together.
    Unreal engine 3 is still free. 4 have a subscription attached to it.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Darzhan View Post
    Unless it has changed, Unreal Engine is still free to use. A lot of groundwork already in place to allow you to throw things together.
    Thats good to know ty.
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  8. #8
    Unreal Engine 4 is much simpler than Unity because of their blueprint technology. You can make a complete game with just blueprints. The downside however is that you need to subscribe every time to want to update the engine. You will still have access to your current version even if you unsub though.
    UDK is free but not as extensive as UE4.
    Last edited by Lillpapps; 2014-06-17 at 08:58 PM.

  9. #9
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    Gamemaker. Eases you in to the concept, and helps you understand a lil programing too.

    https://www.yoyogames.com/studio



    I'd suggest XNA afterwards but I've lost track as to whether it is still relevant anymore.

    Otherwise just stick to your hard programming courses in C# or C++ (not for the weak hearted like myself....)
    Last edited by mmoc472a5d728c; 2014-06-17 at 09:03 PM.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by chosenkiwi View Post
    Gamemaker. Eases you in to the concept, and helps you understand a lil programing too.

    https://www.yoyogames.com/studio
    Cool.

    Thx for all the replys everyone. Still looking around a bit and reading all the feedback
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  11. #11
    Old God -aiko-'s Avatar
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    RPG Maker is probably the best place to start if you don't know any programming. It introduces you to some basics like conditions, variables, loops, if/when, etc. I think they are all translated now and thus have a cost but you can find some of the old free fan translations of RPG Maker 2000/XP. I guess it's sorta pirating though. :/

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by aikoyamamato View Post
    RPG Maker is probably the best place to start if you don't know any programming. It introduces you to some basics like conditions, variables, loops, if/when, etc. I think they are all translated now and thus have a cost but you can find some of the old free fan translations of RPG Maker 2000/XP. I guess it's sorta pirating though. :/
    What one on steam would you recommend? I know it has some but I really don't know what one to look at. If its only like a one time cost of $20 or something I don't mind paying for it.

    I just didn't want to pay a LOT or monthly.

    - - - Updated - - -

    In ur guys opinion would it be better to try to mod a game before making one? Do you like learn the basic's by modding games?

    I own Torchlight II on steam and I was wondering would that be a decent place to start. Figured learning to mod will help and would be easer. I could be wrong tho.

    I got a lot of games on steam so if any of the tools there would help just tell me the game
    Last edited by Jtbrig7390; 2014-06-17 at 09:35 PM.
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  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Jtbrig7390 View Post
    In ur guys opinion would it be better to try to mod a game before making one? Do you like learn the basic's by modding games?
    It's a decent way to start. I know several people who started off modding in Morrowind or Oblivion that have gone on to work in real games.

    Mind you, most of them still wound up taking courses...

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by unholytestament View Post
    It's a decent way to start. I know several people who started off modding in Morrowind or Oblivion that have gone on to work in real games.

    Mind you, most of them still wound up taking courses...
    Cool Beans. ill give it a shot first with modding. Like I said figured that would be a decent stepping stone.

    Now I just need to find a game to start with. I got Torchlight II with there GUT system I figured I could give that a go. I do kinda want to just make mods or something and the community could check it out.

    Just bored atm and this idea poped in my head figured I could give it a shot.

    80 Some steam games and no clue where to start or if I should buy one LOL. Maybe Garrys Mod?

    Edit: Messing with GUT from torchlight II atm.

    Edit: But ya I wouldn't mind something simple just to creat some kinda content for the community to play with. Like someone said early'er drag and drop. Was kinda hoping to have it in Steam Works just as something to play with and go from there.

    Edit: Thx for all the help guys. Going to figure out where to start LOL.
    Last edited by Jtbrig7390; 2014-06-17 at 10:10 PM.
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  15. #15
    It truly sucks that Project Spark is stuck on the XB1 and Windows 8. DLed it for the xbox and quite enjoyed it, played some guys tower defense game which worked out pretty well. I tried to create something but using the controller was quite painful. Don't have a need for Windows 8 so I'm stuck playing other people's creations.

  16. #16
    Old God -aiko-'s Avatar
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    Project Spark is a great idea if you want to play around. It's all about sharing though If you want to sell games you should get used to another platform.

  17. #17
    Unity if you don't want to have to read up on a bunch of programming guides and get migraines just to make a simple game.

    However...[The following is a small cut-and-paste from a letter PMed to another person who inquired about video game development. ]

    ...It really depends on what you want in your game. First off, pre-made game engines such Unreal Engine, Unity, RPGmaker, etc, have been developed by very talented programmers who have been working on them for many years. If you are looking for a pre-made, professional written engine; it will almost always be better for you to obtain licenses rather than take the time to make your own (Mass Effect, Hawken, and Far Cry use pre-made engines). It should be stated that many game engines such as UDK or Unity will allow you to utilize some form of their engine for free until you start making profit, in which case licensing will be required to do some licensing, but these engines require far less time to develop games for. It should be noted that there is no 'best' engine; each and every single one will be written and designed differently and have various strengths and weakness's. Do research before committing to one...

    ...The other option for creating your engine is to simply write one from scratch. Many indie as well as top AAA developers have used proprietary (custom made engines owned only by the devs) specifically built for a single game project (ie, Minecraft, Skyrim, Cube World, etc). The advantage of this method is that your engine can run your game exactly the way you want it (in some cases, this is far better than using pre-made engines); given of course that you engineer it just for that game. The disadvantage though is that an engine is only as good as the programmer who writes it, and it will take time to make a prototype version. However, as the creator of the engine, you will not need to make any deals or licensing agreements to utilize it...

    ...As far as budget goes, the only particular expensive aspects of an engine are the lighting, AI, physics, and particles. In the past, game makers simply changed the colors of their textures to make fake lighting, implemented very basic "physics", and scripted AI behavior. Today however, there is much, much more involvement in these features such as light-maps, dynamic AI, ultra realistic particle effects, etc. Although you can write that into your engines, it is often difficult for many game developers to do it effectively on larger projects and instead opt to pay licensing fees to use pre-made plugins (ie, Havok, Nvida Physx, etc). Often times, the plugins are more complicated then the actual engine, especially the AI...

    ...Also, here is an example outline of a game development cycle:

    1. Plan plan plan, this cannot be overemphasized. If you don't get this down right, you will be in big trouble.
    2. Develop a working prototype engine, and build up from there. Be sure to fix bugs before adding new features or optimizing.
    3. Start creating game content and mechanics as you outlined in your plan.

    ...

    ...There are also guides on the internet; they are on youtube channels, engine fourms, blogs, etc. There are also very detailed books in libraries. Some colleges offer free or cheap game development boot camps. If you are serious about your project, you can always consult them...
    If you have any questions about video game development, programming, etc, feel free to ask!

  18. #18
    The Quake engine is open source now.
    unity, i wouldn't recommend since it's got a very heavy footprint.

  19. #19
    If you know how to program, LibGDX.

  20. #20
    The free version of Unity is very powerful. The pro version ($1500) is beyond what you will need for a few years. The free version will definitely let you know if you have the chops to make an actual game, and nothing you buy in the professional version makes things easier, they just add a lot of very complex stuff on top of an already powerful engine.

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