   Find an engine before or after designing the game?
  For about two years I have had a crazy idea to create a game that is in some ways bigger than anything done so far even commercially. But very quickly I realized that this is not possible. First of all, I would start it on my own - without a team - and work slowly in my free time.But now I had the idea to minimize the requirements and the scope to a manageable level. I chose to replace my idea of a 3D presentation with a simple 2D top down view (kind of tile based but with a twist, maybe using a bit of 3D). After the first iteration it wouldn''t even have any animation or sound.And also, in the design process that I''m about to start, I want to eliminate most of the ideas that I''ve developed during the last 2 years to make the games scope realistic.One thing I''m not sure about is what to start with:- searching for a engine or libraries suitable for my current ideas & decisions- writing design documents & models till I reach a state where I can already imagine with some precision how everything will workSo can anyone with experience here help me with this simple (or not so simple) question? 
  Unless you''ve got an engine already written/licensed and as such would prefer to use it, pick an engine after the design is done.Bear in mind the 80/20 rule though - only 80% of your design work will actually be ''done'' before development starts. The remaining 20% will happen throughout the project as you encouter unforseen problems with the design and have to rework things.So do enough of your design that you can build a clear criteria for the engine you need, and then some. Would be my suggestion.   Superpig- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3;quote:Original post by superpig   The remaining 20% will happen throughout the project as you encouter unforseen problems with the design and have to rework things.Yes, I am aware of that.[deleted because I found there already is a discussion in another thread about what I wrote here]   [edited by - Erkki on August 2, 2003 1:58:17 PM];  Definitely write the design first.A lot of the problems with the stuff you have in your head will come out when you put it to print. ;  I''d pick an engine early on in your design or least decide the basic of what it will need if your going to make your own. Simply because the engine will have major impact on your desgin because of what you can and cannot have in diffrent engines.   -----------------------------------------------------Writer, Programer, Cook, I''m a Jack of all TradesCurrent Design projectChaos Factor Design Document ;  Thanx everyone. I started with the design first.For some reason I hadn''t noticed all the design document articles and examples found on this site, but now that I found Chris Taylor''s template, I found that writing the document is easier than I thought. I didn''t even know how many ideas were already stored in my head about this game, but now only with about 2-3 hours of writing, I have a clearer picture of it. And it becomes very clear that I have to cut a lot of it if I want to get somewhere.I may put this document online in a few days if anyone is interested. ;  I reached a place with the design document where I feel like it''s hard to go on without having something to play with. And since what I''m currently designing is more of a prototype or demo than a full game, I think it''s ok to spend some time on the technology in the middle of the design.But I haven''t found a suitable engine yet. I have thought of using Clanlib and making my own engine.I want to have vector graphics mixed with bitmaps. The game will have vehicles (probably just one at first) and a lot of roads and I think it would be easiest to do the roads with vectors because I don''t want to limit it to straight roads that go either north-south or east-west. With vectors it would be easy to customize the specific roads without needing new art.Yet I''m thinking if it wouldn''t be easier to take an existing 3D engine, just use one big plane as the 2D terrain and have the objects in 3D rather than 2D.Either way, I would have to find some free art (bitmaps or 3D models) as I don''t have an artist. 