Some advice with ImpactJS

[Hamilton]

Greetings All,

New to this site, but not new to game development. This site caught my interests from the searches I made researching ImpactJS and Isogenic of which one to go with. The tutorials here are very helpful which is what is making to side with Impact. But I have some questions I hope can be answered if what I would like to do, can be done with Impact.

I had originally attempted to develop a game on Facebook, but when the new Facebook API came about, it broke my app. Since going about redoing things, I decided to update the game as well with HTML5. What I am attempting to do is still a RPG-like game which is mostly static in nature, but combat would be multiplayer and action-like. From the good tutorials here (have not watched all of them yet), Impact would be able to perform the combat capabilities, but as for the rest I do not know.

So, would it be possible to use Impact for both of essentially a menu driven game (or using Iconic Buttons to perform actions (ie: travel to new city)), but then go to the action part of combat? Additionally, for the server-side, would PHP be possible to use or would Java be required (due to Node.js)? The reason for that question, is most of my server files are in PHP, and just would like to avoid retyping them out if possible.

Isogenic does seem good all-a-round, but Impact seems more mature as an engine.
Any advice is appreciated.

[Jackolantern]

Welcome to the forums!

ImpactJS and Isogenic Engine really don't take up the exact same space. Impact is a general game engine while Isogenic is a MMO engine (although they say it can be bent into non-MMO games). While you will probably have more work to do in Impact, the general nature of it would probably allow you to make non-traditional games with it easier. And while I am not sure it is important, Impact is much cheaper than Isogenic (at least it was last time I checked).

Impact could definitely be used that way. You can either add the menus inside the Impact canvas, or you could make the interface in traditional HTML outside of the Impact canvas.

You could use PHP as the back-end and make AJAX calls to it from Impact, but many people are turning to Node.js (which uses Javascript, not Java) to make their games more real-time. AJAX is really just one-way (client-to-server), so "server push" communication is difficult. Depending on your game's design, you may need server push.

Hope this helps

[Hamilton]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Well that did help and also made me look up some more things between the two engines. But in the end, it will be Impact that I will go with. There seems to be a lot more documentation available than Isogenric. Thankfully as you mentioned, it is in Javascript and not Java, so that shouldn't be too much of a headache converting things over from PHP.

So yeah, going to go with ImpactJS... getting it now and go through those tutorials once again...

[hallsofvallhalla]

I think you will be happy with Impact. I have yet to regret the purchase.

[Jackolantern]

Sounds good! I don't actually know anyone who has gotten Isogenic, so all I have to go on with it is the marketing information. Impact is probably a better choice; at least for now.

[Hamilton]

(while waiting on the new VM build with the download and installation of files...)

That is one the key selling points I would have to say, is the amount information and documentation. That unfortunately was one of the top learning items for me when I was dealing with the Multiverse platform (I was in one of the early developer teams). Had to figure things out without much information to go on.

Plus some of the links on Isogenric appear to not work.

[Jackolantern]

There is even a small, inexpensive book written all about ImpactJS with a very misleading title that leads most people to miss it or think it is about something else, and that book is called "Introducing HTML5 Game Development". It is pretty cool and can really teach you the engine. Plus, if you are alright with getting it on Kindle (including Kindle on PC/Mac), you can basically get it for $8! Granted, it is only a bit over 100 pages, but it is tutorial-style and teaches you to make a side-scrolling game with multiple weapons, multiple screens, etc.

[Hamilton]

Yuppers, I picked that one up from the Impact site and also have the following, which seems useful:
"Beginning Facebook Game Apps Development" Useful for knowing how to use the Facebook API (which is what got me interested with HTML5)
"Making Isometric Social Real Time Games with HTML5, CSC3, and Javascript" Interestingly enough, this does not use an engine such as Isogenric, but goes through of making one.

I'm hoping though I don't need to get more books...

[hallsofvallhalla]

Ah yes the Multiverse days. No documentation on the engine or the "Mars" combat system. Plagued with issues....