recommended C++ game engine?

[Gunner]

man, I have been literally struggling so hard with this C++ all just so I can use the Unreal Engine. I was learning C++ for like 2 weeks and then started installing Unreal. Oh damn, Unreal doesn't work on Win 32-bit!!!!!!!

Well that truly pissed me off. This is what all my struggles in learning C++ for.

I have an indie game competition coming up and I want to make my game in C++ for performance reason and for another practice to the real development world.. I will not be making COD or GTA V but I just want it to be with C++ as for some reason beside performance I have spent my time with it and currently don't want to learn another for now.. (really, Pascal; Java; and C++ is just too much for me.. I don't think I can do more for now. [even only the basics ])

OK, I have spent 1 week trying out Game Maker but man.. I feel so weird.. idk if it's just me or the game actually has some weird frame rate issues and some weird workaround practices that barely makes any sense, like one guy on youtube told me to do the collision system on this way, and the other guy told me to do it on that way for performance issues and effectiveness and they're all debating on the youtube comments.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnt-MMAkXDk

Well ok so anyone has any recommended C++ game engine? I'm new around here so no hate pls

I want it something that has GUI as nice as Unreal or Unity, and not just 'C++ game library'. But I'm okay for 'C++ game library' as long as someone tells me that a particular library is noob friendly enough or if you some have experience with it and might want to share the good things of it to me

[hallsofvallhalla]

Weird but I have had an itch to learn C++ as well.

top pick
http://www.esenthel.com/

but also
http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/
https://www.madewithmarmalade.com/
http://angel2d.com/
http://www.shivaengine.com/
http://murlengine.com/

[a_bertrand]

If you have issues with C++, and would like to have something like unity why not use unity? Sorry but even if it's not C++ (maybe you could actually run managed C++) it offers a lot more than anything I have found so far. You can already use multiple language to code with it (JS, C# and others) so I really have an hard time understanding the need to use something only in C++. Sure if you want later on write your own engine or want to learn C++ to be able to use it professionally then it could make sense (but you can then learn C++ by doing other kind of software), beside that it has little sense in my opinion.

[Gunner]

If you have issues with C++, and would like to have something like unity why not use unity? Sorry but even if it's not C++ (maybe you could actually run managed C++) it offers a lot more than anything I have found so far. You can already use multiple language to code with it (JS, C# and others) so I really have an hard time understanding the need to use something only in C++. Sure if you want later on write your own engine or want to learn C++ to be able to use it professionally then it could make sense (but you can then learn C++ by doing other kind of software), beside that it has little sense in my opinion.

Yes I have issues with C++ as I'm pretty new around real programming stuff like this, but hey I have love in C++ and I think that is why I don't want to put this language down for a while.. The headache C++ gives to me releases some kind of extra dopamine in my brain and that I just love it and makes me keep coming back and.. get more headache

As for Unity it is probably cool, but I'm like, really, C#? In this very limited development time (I have only another 1-2 months left before the deadline), I don't think learning a new tool would be that good of an idea.. Also I know Java already.. some said that it would be very unpleasant to move from Java to C#? idk. Besides, performance is a big issues. I have no idea how these stuff work but as far as I know I only know the basic rules of "C++ runs really fast".. So I have been playing 7 Days to Die recently and man it lags pretty annoyingly (but still playable) in my PC. I then got curious and wanted to prove the 'C++ is fast rule', and I googled it and found that 7 Days to Die was created on Unity by an Indie Dev, and not C++. I don't quite have a killer PC so this kind of thing really bothers me a lot, and so this makes me understand that not everyone has that beast PC. Weird thing if I run some other games in the same scale or higher than 7D2D I can just run it much much nicely and gameplay is smoother. Eg, Dota 2 (Source engine, though performance is getting worse as Valve is constantly putting weird stuff upon it), Skyrim, Left 4 Dead (I & II), Torchlight 2, etc. These games run flawlessly (maybe not that 'flawlessly', but much better) on my PC and for some weird reason 7D2D has lags!!

So I'm thinking like..
Well that is screwed up for people who only have below average PCs like me and I want to play 7D2D so bad. That's when I started avoiding and anticipating 'other than C++ games' (or close to how C++ works).

But that is only my newb analysis, and who knows there's a gem behind the rock that some can probably explain my false understanding about the performance of C++ that I might change my mind about

Weird but I have had an itch to learn C++ as well.

this one too

[hallsofvallhalla]

Unity is a great tool but EXTREMELY overrated. Yes it does have many development flaws but is a great tool for indie devs. There are numerous large companies that picked it up then dropped it after performance issues with AAA type games. They stick with Source, Unreal, ect..

I do not really want to learn C++ for game development as I will never need the power where the difference in a C# game engine and a C++ might lie. For my little games anything will do. I want to learn it more for hardware programming and such. Assembly type stuff.

[Gunner]

Why do you like your games to be with C#? Is it like.. an easier and less complicated version of C++?

Me too for little games anything will do, but I hate having to go back and forth to review allll my code over again just to get that tiny bit of 'performance' where I could just use C++ and screw it.

[hallsofvallhalla]

C# is much easier to use and I doubt you will ever see any performance differences in anything you build. I could see a Call of Duty or something having issues but nothing we would ever put out. I have seen some pretty mind blowing games made with XNA and MonoGame.

[Gunner]

but why in my case, the 7D2D is struggling with performance? in the case of 'C++ and C# not being so different in performance'..

also, halls, is esenthel demo really a thing? I mean can I actually create real games with it? Or it's just some demo of a demo?

[hallsofvallhalla]

As far as I know it has been a pretty popular powerful game engine but I cannot name any games completed with it.

7D2D's issues have nothing to do with C#. Unity is built on C++. Only the scripting is in C#. It is bad programming by the developers would be my guess or limitations by Unity itself.

[Gunner]

ok I think I will use the irrlicht engine, looking pretty good so far, though it is mainly for 3D games and my game is just 2D, I hope there will be no issues in the long run.

just some random question though, what is it do you think that qualifies an engine to be called 'good'?

also, Bastion was made with XNA and MonoGame if I'm not mistaken, but wikipedia told me that XNA is dead.