I am the creator of the not yet released StuckEngine. I plan to make a few games on the StuckEngine then release the source to all you lucky people on DC.
At the moment i'm working on the physics engine. I have the general mechanics of the engine sorted, but i've just calculated that to get past the hurdle that i'm currently on, it will take me approximately 8 hours of solid coding!!! And no, there is no better way of doing it, and have definitely already spent over 8 hours trying to find one
But the result should be worth it. You know on half life 2 you can tip a table over and bottles tumble off it and smash on the floor? Well stuckengine can do that
Edited by the Author.
Stuckboy
JC Denton: "I know your UNATCO killphrase: Laputan Machine."
Gunther Hermann: "I - am - not - a - machi --"
JC Denton: "Sticks and stones..."
The base structure that controls physics, AI and the generic behaviour of the game. It's basically a cca which i can keep and then create a game on top of the events that i've already defined.
I plan to put these features into it:
-A detailed, but fast 3 dimensional entity based physics engine (although not rigid body dynamics)
-An AI "brain editor" so that you can easily customise the way enemies, allies and neutral beings behave. This will also have opportunities for randomisation, so no two enemies will think exactly alike.
-A powerful level editor that allows for beautifully detailed environments (with paralaxing, weather effects, reflective surfaces, lighting effects etc.) and scripted events.
-An effects editor, which allows you to create visual effects that include particles and animations, and save them to be used in your game, for example you could create a special type of explosion with a concussive shockwave, then assign it to run when a certain type of ammunition detonates.
I will have a tech demo out as soon as the engine is finished. Beleive me, all of this IS possible in mmf.
Stuckboy
JC Denton: "I know your UNATCO killphrase: Laputan Machine."
Gunther Hermann: "I - am - not - a - machi --"
JC Denton: "Sticks and stones..."
That's the beauty of this though, i've programmed it so that it doesn't. Well, so far
The entities in the physics engine are very good at putting themselves in an "inactive" state when they are at rest, so no complex physics are caluclated for them in this state, only certain events which would "reactivate" the entity.
I am pretty sure that this is what the half life 2 engine does.
So if you had all 40 possible entities all swimming around at the same time, yes it would run like a pig. But most of the time no more than about 5 entities will be moving at the same time, so it will be nice and quick. The entities will also perform operations that deactivate them (if it is safe to do so) once they are a certain distance from the frame.
This is not to say that you will only be able to have 40 objects in your frame. Entities will only be used for some game objects such as crates and vehicles. Entities can collide with each other. I will make a type of object that can't, so it will be faster. I will make a special type of object exlusively for characters/creatures.
Reflective surfaces can also quite easily be fudged in mmf, and without a hit on cpu.
Edited by the Author.
Stuckboy
JC Denton: "I know your UNATCO killphrase: Laputan Machine."
Gunther Hermann: "I - am - not - a - machi --"
JC Denton: "Sticks and stones..."
Pete Nattress Cheesy Bits img src/uploads/sccheesegif
Dont hype it and then end up not delivering. Made that mistake with iPublish 1, if you can - screenshots, videos & non interactive demos can silence the critics.
And take it one step at a time; Dont say i will have complete physics, start with making a simple collisions system, then work upwards - dont try to make ragdolls on your first go
What i mean is; you should be ready to shut people up demanding evidence or whatever. Its also fun to surprise people with cool features never seen before.
<signature> err... </signature>
Assault Andy Administrator
I make other people create vaporware
Registered 29/07/2002
Points 5686
4th February, 2006 at 23:02:06 -
I'm confused, is this a platform engine, or a top down engine?
Sorry andyuk, no can do at the moment, otherwise i'd have submitted a preview. I'll release a tech demo when the engine is near completion.
Gizmostripe, i dont want to sound like i'm flaming you or anything but this certainly isn't my "first go". I have been trying to make a decent physics engine for about a year, and this is better than anything else i have done so far. It's not ragdoll (rigid body dynamics). I spose its fun to surprise people, but since noodle asked...
Basially, to calculate a 3d collision, it simply tests to see if two objects are overlapping, then also checks to see if they are overlapping along the z axis (via a calulation). I have a friend who works for crytek in germany, and he sometimes helps me out by suggesting equations.
I spent most of today working on a liquid dynamics feature, which can be used for blood. You define a height map of the relief of the land and certain other properties like viscosity of the liquid. When blood is created it will trickle down, if it is on a slope. It looks really cool.
If you don't believe me now, i don't blame you. i have no evidence or anything that im going to show you right now. I just felt like telling people a bit about what i've done so far and what i plan to do.
Stuckboy
JC Denton: "I know your UNATCO killphrase: Laputan Machine."
Gunther Hermann: "I - am - not - a - machi --"
JC Denton: "Sticks and stones..."
I think it'll help a lot of people, like me. I keep wanting to sit down and make a game, but all I really want to do is level design and a bit of coding. After about an hour of trying i just ditch it.
I don't want to press you, but could you give me a general estimate of the release date?
Sorry, but no. The project is just finding its feet at the moment, if i gave you an estimate it would be way out. Bear in mind that i will not only be creating the engine, but creating a whole game with it (and not a short one either!!) before i release the source. The first glimpse of the engine will probably be a tech demo based on the upcoming game.
Edited by the Author.
Stuckboy
JC Denton: "I know your UNATCO killphrase: Laputan Machine."
Gunther Hermann: "I - am - not - a - machi --"
JC Denton: "Sticks and stones..."
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