3D Sonic Game - Help getting started

[justin123]

I've been thinking about building a 3d Sonic Engine. I know how to do the graphics end, but I don't have a clue about the physics part. Is there any resource or book I can refer to?

[FanGameRevolver]

There's a simple 3D sonic engine for game maker that uses 2D top down collision masks.

I realize you're probably looking at another programing suite, but using 2D dimensional collision masks with simple height maps could prove to be a simple approach.

There's also that ogre package which seems to have a wrapper for every programing language (even game maker lol) It looks to be primarily for graphics but I would assume it would have some basic physics at least.

that's all I got for ideas... :/

[justin123]

There's a simple 3D sonic engine for game maker that uses 2D top down collision masks.

I realize you're probably looking at another programing suite, but using 2D dimensional collision masks with simple height maps could prove to be a simple approach.

There's also that ogre package which seems to have a wrapper for every programing language (even game maker lol) It looks to be primarily for graphics but I would assume it would have some basic physics at least.

that's all I got for ideas... :/

I'm strictly c++ now. I don't want to get back into the LIMITED Game maker world again. I'm making the graphics engine from scratch instead of using a graphics library (hopes this work out). I just need some idea of how the physics work.

[DimensionWarped]

For 3D Sonic physics, no, not really, there isn't any standard.

For 2D Sonic, http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_Physics_Guide

[Felik]

Please don't advice people using Gamemaker to make 3D games. Just don't.

[FanGameRevolver]

I never said he should use game maker, just stating the method I used with it.

[justin123]

Would good physics library like Bullet 3D work well for a 3D Sonic game, or should I go through the process of coding from scratch?

[Xaklse]

Use Bullet Physics and OGRE/Irrlicht/Horde3D, don't reinvent the wheel.

[DimensionWarped]

Don't re-invent the wheel? Don't get me wrong, I like all the various tools out there you can use to get started quickly, but when someone makes an engine from the ground up, it builds their understanding of how shit works far more than just trying to hammer what you want into some existing thing. This is supposed to be a learning experience, so don't discourage people from learning from the ground up.

Besides, he is probably talking specifically about Sonic-esque physics, and there is really not much use for a Physics IDE unless you want to do some gratuitous bullshit.

[Xaklse]

Well, don't get me wrong; building a 3D Sonic game engine from scratch is a titanic goal, so in case he wants to finish it within this decade I suggest him to not re-invent the wheel. There are some cool open-source libraries from which you can learn while using them, and I did learn a lot.

What are you (justin123) considering to use as a base for your game engine? Just C++ with STL and DirectX/OpenGL?

Bullet Physics provides you with a collision module that you can use alone but I would use the full thing.

[DimensionWarped]

Yeah, 3D fangames don't get finished period. Saying within ten years is a bit of a joke. I'd say your odds of success are actually quite a bit higher if you program something simple yourself rather than try to mold yourself to some professionally made tool which has professionally set standards.

And building a 3D Sonic game engine is a titanic goal regardless of whether it's from scratch or not if you want it to be better than crap. Really, compare how well SEGA has done working with their own engines compared to when they work on crap like Renderware and with Havok. It's night and day.

[justin123]

Besides the complex math, it may be easier for me to develop the graphics engine and the physics engine from scratch along side each other. That way I know exactly how both work.

[Snooky]

I don't know much about programming in C++, but the method I usually use for things like this is to use sine and cosine to calculate Sonic's angle and speed depending on what polygons he's colliding with, and move him forward relative to his current angle. The problem is, I don't know how you'd detect what Sonic's colliding with in C++...sorry I can't be any more help XP

Sine and cosine are very useful functions for things like this, if you don't know how to use them, learn now or you won't get far.

[justin123]

I know in c++ (or any other language) you will have to use bounding boxes around 3D objects to detect if another object is going to collide with it.

I was waken enough in school to know something about Sine and Cos.