So..Which Engine Should I Take?

[vitinho444]

Hey all!!!

Ok.. at this momment i think you are saying to yourself: "Wait a second.. i saw this guy on the PHP section, C++ and now at 2D engines... He doesn't know what to do.."

Well you are right Im not sure to what programming language i should follow.
I know:
C++
Vb6
vb.net
PHP (&Mysql)
HTML (of course.., Not 5)
C# (im learning now for XNA xd)

And that's all, i know a bit of Python very little.

So but im not here to report my programming skills, im here with a "request" to you all.

I've checked the posts about what's the better 2D Engine out there, and i notice that the best ones are Eclipse (Used it for 2 Games) and NetGore(Used it only the VB version that got discontinued).
So as im learning C# i dont mind to turn myself into NetGore, but im more confortable with eclipse.

What im here to know it's

What 2D Engine do you recommend for develop the engine itself from the point that it's now, Eclipse or NetGore.
Please dont have in mind the confortable programming skills..

You may think: "Oh.. another post to choose from eclipse or Netgore"
But i ask to halls, if this post gets many views and answers to stick it so new users can see the choice of the community.

Thanks a lot

PS: When i said Eclipse it is the last version, Eclipse Origins 2.0

[MikeD]

I don't know from experience in creating them, but I've seen quite a few pretty solid 2D HTML5 games.

[Xaleph]

I know neither so no help from me. However, I do think you dont either. Well, I don`t think, I know. You are currently in a crisis, you have some basic understanding on a couple of languages and you want to make a game. The thing however is, you don`t know how. I`m speaking for myself here but i`ve been in the same situation. I don`t know how to make a game. In fact; few people here have. We all know some languages, we all have a favourite and we can all start new projects just as easily as you and like you, we don`t finish it so we start looking at new things we don`t yet understand in the hope that the new thing will trump the previous project and we can finally make that game! But guess what, it doesn`t.

I think we shouldn`t start discussing code problems and engines yet. I believe we first need to make some tangible documents maybe do some research and dive in the project to see how advanced or easy it is to make. Most if not all games require some sort of database for example, why not figure out how to construct that first? That way you can "visually" see connections, level-of-depth, relations and scope of your game. And the thing is, you can still decide to do it in that awesome <fill in language or engine>! I mean, i`m running in to these problems all the time, my creativity gets the better of me and i dive in deep. My first concepts are done quite fast really but after that? Meh, it collapses. Maybe start working from a different angle, it might help. I know I will next time

[Jackolantern]

I realize this isn't an option in the list, but I would suggest against either one. In the end, there are dozens of games made with both engines (hundreds in the case of Eclipse), and most are born, live and die never having more than 1 or 2 players logging in. It is just extremely hard to get anyone to play these types of games. Why not work on traditional game development with XNA? I like the XNA platform, and you can use what you learn there to expand out to pretty much any traditional game development platform you want later.

However, if you are definitely sure you want to use one of these 2 engines, I would suggest NetGore. VBGore proved that it was the better of the 2D MMO engines to me, largely because it has at least a mostly pleasant community (the Eclipse community reminds me of...man...I can't even think of anywhere that is as bad; I got banned because I used too many words when helping someone with a programming question. Seriously.). EDIT: There is also the issue that Eclipse is still written in VB6! With each new release of Windows, it is getting harder and harder to make VB6 run correctly, and I am assuming that if this trend continues, it will become completely unusable by Windows 8. VB6 is also completely unsupported and must be downloaded illegally to use today. NetGore on the other hand uses the modern, OO .NET framework, one of the most supported and popular platforms available today!

[hallsofvallhalla]

There is no comparison between Netgore and Eclipse.

Eclipse is old tech that barely runs on Win7 anymore. Nothing special about it, Community is by far the worst I have ever experienced 100000 fold. Very small chance to gain any players as everyone is burnt out on eclipse.

Netgore has a great community, is far more advanced, is more stable, has more capabilities, and is just all around better. The side scroller option is a real plus as well.

[vitinho444]

wow i must said, i identify myself as Xaleph said.. I just start things and now i see that i haven't finished any of them! well only one.. But it was a serioud simple game made with C++. Its like you got an island in one side of the screen, and there are boats (pirates) comming, and you send them bombs from above to explode them. Basicly its just basic collision and basic movement.. that makes me sad

So i never tried NetGore or VBGore.. xD And if you say Eclipse's Community is "bad" i imagine how the NetGore is xD

I think i might get Jackolantern's advise and follow XNA tutorials.
BTW if you got nice tutorials to get me into XNA i would appreciate

Now i got 3 game projects xD

"This guy is crazy..."
And even more stupid: Im doing 2 of my own, and the other with a little help :S

Im basicly in the 65% of the game completed, now its the research part and the content addition ("easy")

So... thank you for your replies and i think i will delete the Poll and edit the first post to the resume of this discussion:
If you are trying to make a full game with support try NetGore, But remmember, it's hard to someone play a 2D game nowadays.. xD

[hallsofvallhalla]

But remmember, it's hard to someone play a 2D game nowadays.. xD

Actually they are coming back with a vengance. Look at Terraria, several hundred thousand copies sold. Steam's 2d games sell very well but they have to be done right. Web based 2d games of course are easier to get people to play.

[Jackolantern]

If you include the browser-based and mobile market (and why wouldn't you when they are outselling console games?), then the vast majority of games today are 2D. Only a small fraction would be 3D.

As far as XNA tutorials go, you could check out this XNA RPG tutorial series. There is a long series for XNA 3.0, and then he started up a new tutorial series for 4.0. I believe they may be more at an intermediate level, so you may want to get a bit more experience if that is the case. But I am not totally sure, as I have not had the time to go all the way through it yet.

Oh, and about the Eclipse vs. NetGore communities, as Halls touched on, NetGore's is MUCH better. I am not completely sure why Eclipse has such a terrible community, but I wish you well if you ever need to ask a question in there...or try to answer a question...or try to say anything. You will get chewed-out by kids and then warned of being banned by a mod. I have never been banned from any of the dozens of forums I have been apart of, and was amazed at the people they chose to be mods over there. You would think they would have been the dredges of the community, but you would be surprised again lol.