Ambrosia might be ale to get some things moving,
Beenox is the actual developer.
however CGE hasn't been a prority since summer 1997, the first stable usable build.
during its final stages of development, it was delayed for about 8months while they partenered with Pangea to bring about CroMag Rally.
They've since ported 2 tonyHawks, 1 kellySlater (all 3 for Aspyr), become a certified xBox developer, created a GOLIATH of an engine which is now awaiting a home (also a game to demonstrate its power,VATZ..I see a pattern), and a new project announced last Thursday codenamed Twister..
Its nice to see them grow, but it appears that coldStone was their way of breaking into the industry.. a stepping stone.
I'd could see CGE 2 contracted to a new developer, built from the original conceptual stage. With new ideas solicited via an CGI/PHP/HTML form eMail asking for input in a structured, clear,succinct, orderly fashion. Such could be distributed to registered users of the existing community.
Many of you who have;
the capability to design in 3D,
OSX.1+
could release a moderate game, establish yourself as a name, and move on to;
(url="http://"http://www.igame3d.com")iGame3D(/url)- cryptic shorthand, similar basic english syntax*. Subject-Predicate, object-indirect Object, adjectives, etc. It took me about an hour to read through the documentation, it has a good basis, the dev. team is very accessible (input form on home page, next day response), (url="http://"http://www.igame3d.com/phpBB2/index.php")And they now have a forum(/url). Quick hint: i call it shorthand because " , "/commas are used in place of prepositions/articles of speech. features 3D sound, GUI, hints at a weaker engine (active 3d model capacity)
(url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/shavendave/Menu3.html")DIM3(/url)- Uses standard JavaScript with added custom commands/functions, which as we all know is a language worth learning especially if you have a website**, learn a markettable life skill. Then use your game to exemplify it. It has a growing community at the (url="http://"http://www.idevgames.com/forum/")iDevGames Forum(/url). Its the more complex of the 2, but its stronger(5000+ vertex models), has a better support base (being that it's JS).
Both have everything you need to create something better than FinalFantasy7 or 8. Oh, very important, i think both support keyframe posing/morphing, meaning that you create a fnishing pose, oh say with the character's hand outstretched (as if shaking), and then create another pose with the character's arms akimbo, and it'll fill in the intermediate positions...as always the more keyframes the better. Both use the (url="http://"http://www.codenautics.com/meshwork/index.html")MeshWork(/url) file format (you can import pricey models).
if you happen to have a 90+ page script lying around cough. Don't want to have to shrink/gut your prerendered sprites cough.
Tired of rendering/ capturing angles.
enjoy the reduced file size of 3D versus renders (30k for one static image, 30k for a infinitely poseable model with 8 textures and any angle without worrying about perspective/shading.
its an option you should know about, especially for projects that fall under improbable in CGE, its time better spent than whittling it into the square peg, and certainly better than throwing away your brain child.
*syntax (sžn2taks1) n.
1.a. The study of the rules whereby words or other elements of sentence structure are combined to form grammatical sentences. b. A publication, such as a book, that presents such rules. c. The pattern of formation of sentences or phrases in a language. d. Such a pattern in a particular sentence or discourse.
2. Computer Science. The rules governing construction of a machine language.
3. A systematic, orderly arrangement.
**{ Standing fee for a basic 5 page website with minimal javaScript,build once, custom graphics,no frills, see 'folio, sell for $500. I recieved several emails from web design firms offering to build me a website, i anonymously visited their websites, and asked for a quote describing the bare specs of my old site ( (url="http://"http://ellrx.web1000.com/fleur/index.html")fleur(/url)/(url="http://"http://ellrx.web1000.com/yard/index.html")yard(/url)/(url="http://"http://ellrx.web1000.com/lemon/index.html")lemonODD(/url) ) }
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... paper(draw,conceptualize,finalize)photoshop(texture)-- >3d(model,capture,render,build,optimize,rotate,redesign)-->photoshop(alpha mask, tweak,scale,convert)-->graphicConverter(strip resource fork, color correct(PSv5) optimize)-->finder(naming,organizing)-->engine/coldstone(animate/script animation), do that 349 times fast, nyah nyah, ny-yanh yah, nener nener nener.
{ edit: spontaneous materialization of the iGame3D forum link }
(This message has been edited by ellrx (edited 06-30-2003).)
