As some of you are aware, DOSP Project-Trio is divided into 3 distinct phases Engine, Editor, Game. I often find myself defending this design methodology from the following question `
why not build a game first?` I'd always justified myself by referring to well known game Engines such as UDK, Torque, Unity, and others, Or by stating `
you cannot build a game without a engine`.
With a smirk on my face, I wondered how soon-to-be game developers did not know what a game engine is, why editors are needed, how a game is made. I thought I knew it all, but, recently I took time to think about why is this question so popular. Then it dawned on me. The order of the stages doesn't matter because it all requires planning, testing, and implementation. Ultimately, you have all three at the end.
So with that said, the I'm proud to announce that the DOSP Core Team has shifted our design model slightly. We have elected to develop a simple Multi-player FPS based on Capture The Flag, Coppers and Robbers. This game will server as our testbed evolving as we build up Super 3D Game Engine, Editor, and World.
At the end of it all, we wont have a simple FPS. In fact, the content and name will change over the course of development. Our ultimate goal is to produce a All-in-One
Visual Game Creation System for RPG, RTS, Fighter, Sports, Puzzle and many other genres.
IMO, developing a game engine isnt the tough part, its the content for the game to be used by the engine. The lack of plentiful
unique Media Assets for models, textures, music, etc has pretty much killed most of my game ideas. I would be willing to bet that this is the problem that most would-be-great game developers face.
Providing Super 3D Game Engine with Editors to create unique content in a very easy to use manner has become my highest priority. Inspired by tools like Spore Creature Creator and others, I believe that models, textures, music, scripts, etc, can all be created with modularity, inheritance, layers, lots of modifiers and automated tools. I also know that all of this can be provided using the Game Engine itself.
Yes, I know it sounds like a massive under-taking, and to be honest, i know it is (and has been thus far). However, I truly believe that consolidation in every aspect of the development process is the key to pulling this off, and will ultimately payoff with the rapid development of games with unique content.
