So what if we take gdevelop and scrap it’s buggy wxgtk visual coding editor and instead had a html5 based gdevelop visual code editor within superpowers. Then you will have more focused dev effort, it will be possible to create 3d games as well as 2d games, and best of all - it will be possible to work collaboratively with others! The editor will be easier to run on different platforms too
Note that changing the game engine is mostly a huge breaking change, making any project made with GD not compatible with a new version based on another game engine.
So, are you actually interested in replacing SFML with something different and you are open to discuss this further and hear more opinions, suggestions what engine could bring what features and improvements to GDevelop, or you just sort of open to hear more arguments?
Remember that the current game engine of native game is heavily based on SFML (which is normal) and the HTML5 one on Pixi.js, which are both rendering engine so quite flexible.
Full game engine are more complete but less flexible so architecturing GDevelop around one is a huge task involving lots of breaking changes.
In my opinion, instead of replacing the existing engine with something new, you should focusing on make it better what you already have and just try to make the most out of it unless, you feel limited by your own engine and SFML and Pixi.js and you really think it is necessary to throw them away.
Other engines may have better iOS and Android support but otherwise, GDevelop is a pretty solid game engine.
Instead of replacing the game engine I would suggest to focus on some of these features: online store integration to be able to easily publish games to Steam and MS App Store for example. advertisement on Windows, MS ads can be used in desktop apps published in MS Store in-app purchase on Windows, MS Store offers in-app purchase integration also for desktop apps but I believe
Steam is also about to introduce something similar through workshop. shader support normal and specular map support dynamic lights, the one currently available only on native platform and pretty basic blend modes masking Spriter and or Spine support
Android and iOS support may difficult but how about Windows Phone and Ubuntu Phone (convergence) export?
Windows and Ubuntu already supported, maybe to support the mobile versions could be possible, I know it still a different architecture but not a completely different system (I guess)
Game Maker Studio got a very useful feature called “surfaces”, this is basically somewhat similar to layers in GDevelop, except unlike layers, each surface can have it own fill color, transparency, depth, size and blending mode and masking and you can basically blend multiple surfaces and sprites together and draw it on the default surface or even draw it on to a sprite.
It is make it possible along with many other possibilities to change the look of the sprites or create fake lights, shadows, day and night cycles for example without using any shaders or extra sprites.
It a great way to do cool staff without using shaders and filters, very useful.
Well, I think the best way would be to abstract visual scripting engine from GDevApp, making it effectively a library, and then just integrate it into Superpowers as a plugin or into the core, effectively making GD and SP using same visual scripting interface, but keeping them separate.
I’m curious about what is the results of your research about those points I made earlier this year. I know finally you decided to experiment with Cocos 2D to bring better mobile support and a single code base to maintain, and it great but how about the points I made? Does any of those features going to come to GD? Native Android, iOS and Mac OS support probably coming with Cocos 2D but how about my points? Have you though about any of them? I believe Cocos 2D also got fluid simulation…would be great to see it in GD.
Judging from the commits on Github experimental export with Cocos has been merged, also native android export (But I don’t know to what extend).
I guess a new version of GD will be released soon, at least a version bump was committed.
Nice to see 4ian and victor are still active. I was a little worried when I saw the last commit was in februrary.
Thank you very much for spending your freetime
No real new feature will be provided by these new exporters - it’s quite a lot of work to set them up. But hopefully this should allow more export options - Android with SFML (native games) is really performant, Android/iOS/Mac/Linux/Windows (HTML5 games) with Cocos2d is really good too.
The downside of these two exporters is that setting up the tools to compile the game is quite complicated. Victor is writing a page on the Android export with SFML, I’m trying to do it for Cocos2d export too. In both case, it will be for advanced users at first - hopefully things will be easier in a few months if we manage to create automatic installers/exporters.
I didn’t expect any new features right now, I know you are busy with the exporters and probably it is going to be like that for some time. I’m appreciate all your efforts for native mobile export, I was waiting for it for a long time and I can’t wait to give it a try
But since you have mentioned earlier you are going to make some “research” about the things I have mentioned, I was a bit curious if finally have you considered any of them to come in the future at some point… But that’s fine if you have not.
I’ve seen the draft of the article on the wiki about native android export, Victor is really making something good. I can’t wait to test it. I hope we can also get soon other extensions (particules and lights).
I guess a new extension might be necessary for example using admob or display other html stuffs ?
I wonder how Godot devs managed to get it down to a simple export template zip package that the user imports to the engine
It is literally almost a zero setup process there to get it to compile to android
