   Side scrolling adventure: What C++ engine to use?
  What would be a good game engine for a 3d environment sidescroller, which allows C++ programming?Although new to the game development area, I am searching for an engine I can start to learn and continue to use after covering basic and intermediate game principals, design and programming (I.E. I'm looking for a long term sollution).Unreal development Kit (UDK) seems more like a modding tool for unreal games than a game engine. I've browsed there forums and learned that making a side scrolling game requires more advanced engine configuring, meaning the engine is kinda "inclined" towards FPSs rather than a genre free engine. I have also learned the language used is a variant (or fusion) of Java and C++.Circumstances have led our team to favour C++ rather than C# and other languages, due to resource issues (we are in brazil you see...). All we need now is a proper game engine to begin learning how to combine scripts with graphics, and preferably maintain that engine for future projects.Forgive any newbish remarks I've made should there be any and thankyou for your time.edit: A friend has recommended beginning game development with more "friendly interface" game engines (like Unity 3D, although in C#) before jumping to softwares like Panda 3d and Ogre. Is that true? If so/not, why?   
Quote:A friend has recommended beginning game development with more "friendly interface" game engines (like Unity 3D, although in C#) before jumping to softwares like Panda 3d and Ogre. Is that true? If so/not, why?Hm,  this just came up in another thread as well. Personally, I don't see why you'd invest time and effort in one engine or framework only to switch to another engine or framework at a later date. Unity (for example) is perfectly suitable both for developing prototypes and for developing shippable, production-quality games, so there's really no reason (that I can think of at least) to start with Unity and then switch to something else down the road.That's setting aside the language issue though. I'm not sure why C# isn't an option for you, but if you're constrained to using C++ for some reason, then Unity may not be the best choice (at least not as things stand now).   ;Quote:Original post by jykQuote:A friend has recommended beginning game development with more "friendly interface" game engines (like Unity 3D, although in C#) before jumping to softwares like Panda 3d and Ogre. Is that true? If so/not, why?Hm,  this just came up in another thread as well. Personally, I don't see why you'd invest time and effort in one engine or framework only to switch to another engine or framework at a later date. Unity (for example) is perfectly suitable both for developing prototypes and for developing shippable, production-quality games, so there's really no reason (that I can think of at least) to start with Unity and then switch to something else down the road.That's setting aside the language issue though. I'm not sure why C# isn't an option for you, but if you're constrained to using C++ for some reason, then Unity may not be the best choice (at least not as things stand now).Would Esenthel be a good game engine for long term development?   ;Quote:That's setting aside the language issue though. I'm not sure why C# isn't an option for you, but if you're constrained to using C++ for some reason, then Unity may not be the best choice (at least not as things stand now).I am vehemently persuading my team team in changing to C#. Problem is, you see, they are still covering the basics of c++ (still on "computer guesses my number" game).- Is the C++/C# language difference too much a contrast for this learning stage?- Would it be smarter to continue learning C++ and learn C# later on?- Is there a good C# book DIRECTED for game developers?Thank you.   ;Quote:Original post by millennium-foxI am vehemently persuading my team team in changing to C#. Problem is, you see, they are still covering the basics of c++ (still on "computer guesses my number" game).well in that state they have not learned any language specific things and actually the language doesn't really matter that much. i think it has something to do with personal taste when choosing a programming language. anyway you mentioned panda3d and ogre as game engines. panda3d might be called a game engine but ogre is definitely not! its a graphics engine nothing else. keep that in mind when choosing. i have actually never tried unity3d or the udk, so i can't help on that one.   ;Quote:Original post by millennium-foxQuote:That's setting aside the language issue though. I'm not sure why C# isn't an option for you, but if you're constrained to using C++ for some reason, then Unity may not be the best choice (at least not as things stand now).I am vehemently persuading my team team in changing to C#. Problem is, you see, they are still covering the basics of c++ (still on "computer guesses my number" game).- Is the C++/C# language difference too much a contrast for this learning stage?- Would it be smarter to continue learning C++ and learn C# later on?- Is there a good C# book DIRECTED for game developers?Thank you.C# is generally easier to learn than C++. I would actually start with C#, this would make learning C++ much easier later. As for Unity, if they know &#106avascript or boo (python variant), they could use those instead of C#.;Quote:Original post by Sudiwell in that state they have not learned any language specific things and actually the language doesn't really matter that much. i think it has something to do with personal taste when choosing a programming language. anyway you mentioned panda3d and ogre as game engines. panda3d might be called a game engine but ogre is definitely not! its a graphics engine nothing else. keep that in mind when choosing. i have actually never tried unity3d or the udk, so i can't help on that one.Thank you for the heads-up there! I really couldn't tell the difference between both. Unlike Unity3D, it doesn't have a "friendly interface".Quote:Original post by JroggyC# is generally easier to learn than C++. I would actually start with C#, this would make learning C++ much easier later.Thanks for the info!.So we have come to the conclusion Unity3d is way better. The team finally decided to learn C#!Thank you for the replies people! One more question for now:-Is there a good site, tutorial or book about C# for beginners, focusing on game development?   