karmacomposer

I hate to ask this again, but if I own version 3.0 of Leadwerks (not STEAM edition), do I need to pay to upgrade to 3.2? I looked at my purchases and in April I upgraded to 3.0 for both Mac/PC and IOS/Android. Mike

Before I consider upgrading, what features were added to 3.1? Weird that we have to pay for a .1 update. I don't see a comparison list anywhere on the site. Mike

I noticed that there is now a terrain tab and the terrain editor is back (awesome)! I JUST updated to the latest version. So, I loaded up Leadwerks 3 (Darkness Awaits) and added a terrain (1024x1024). I did a bit of sculpting and then loaded a dirt texture (in the dirt folder) for the terrain diffuse setting (layer 1). I run the game and get the following error: Map file version 17 not supported. What does that mean? Obviously, the game never comes up after that error. How do I fix it? Is terrain not ready for use? Mike

When you say 3D maze game we instinctually think of very old games because we don't really call them maze games any more. However, all underground dungeon games, indoor FPS games and anything made by FPS Maker (thegamecreators) is considered a 'maze game' Mike

Wolfenstein (old one) was a classic 3D maze game. Mike

So, in your opinion, almost all games' inspiration comes from previous games, movies or books? If so, where did the ORIGINAL inspiration come from to create those first games, movies or books? I remember playing some interesting games when I was a kid, like Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Defender, Missile Command, Galaga and the list goes on and on. I have NO DESIRE to recreate those games - EXCEPT for Dig Dug. I have wanted to create a FPS Dig Dug for a long time. I think it would be so cool to play that. I also have a bit of inspiration coming to me from the ghost shows I watch on TV. Kinda like Mario's hunting for ghosts, but not nearly as cute. Mike

How depressing. Mike

So here is something that is rarely talked about. We can whine all day about the features of our engine and what we wished it had, but more importantly, where does the inspiration and ideas come from for the game project to begin with? Other than clients paying you for a corporate game or advertising gimmick, the rest of game projects are likely personal projects. So, where do those ideas come from? I own at least 10 engines and languages capable of creating 2D and 3D games - which is DEFINITELY my main hobby - but my mind is an utter blank about what game to create, why create it, etc. The only idea i've had is from almost 10 years ago. 10 years have past and I am no closer to creating the game than I was 10 years ago. Technology has vastly improved, my tools could not be better. I am more knowledgeable than I was a decade ago. I am a better programmer (mostly doing database, web work and mobile apps) than I was 10 years ago. My graphic design skills have vastly improved since then and my sound effect and music composing abilities are pro level. The only thing I cannot really do at this point is model objects in 3D very well. I can create levels with pre-made objects, but I cannot whip up my own. So, technically, I could create a game with just me at the helm and some good model collections. But one thing is missing . . . the idea! So, how can I get ideas? Yes, this is a personal and opinionated question and I am pretty sure there is little I can do other than playing other people's games to get an idea, but I do that already and NOTHING. What kills me is that I am a VERY creative person who works in several creative fields on a daily basis. I have no shortage of ideas for my clients on their projects, web sites, music, etc. But, for myself, I am a blank. What do you all do to get started on a game? Where does that inspiration come from? Mike

Is it safe to assume that the light mapper only works on CSG stuff made in the editor and NOT on imported assets? I ask because I cannot get one imported object to be lit with lightmapping. I created a room around it - placed some lights and used the lightmapper. I can see the room just fine, but the object is black as night. In non-lightmapped mode (just textured for the window), you can easily see the object and its texture. Is there any way to lightmap objects? If not, then I see LE3 as a complete waste of money and time. Mike

Too bad you MUST own a Mac to develop for IOS (and Mac). All engines that support IOS deployment export to XCode, but you still need a Mac to do the final Xcode compile and submit to the Apple App store. DAMNIT. I only own PCs. It's a crying shame you can't compile XCode projects on an iPad - that would be sweet! I own two of those. Mike

I bit the bullet and bought 3D Coat. I want to use it to create weird terrains and other models. This thread is very useful. Thanks. Mike

I am VERY excited the hear this. GO JOSH! Can't wait for it to come out. Is there a way to get push notifications when a new version of leadwerks 3 comes out? Right now I just have to run the updater to see if there is anything new? Mike

I'm going to put my 2 cents in here. I really don't need tutorials, per se, on how to create a game. What I would like to see is LE 3 TEMPLATES for specific game types. For example, an FPS script template, 3rd person shooter template, 2D side scroller template, RPG template, MMORPG template, AI template for bad guys, etc, etc, etc. I would rather have something like that to build off of so that I could build my graphics, characters and levels and then drop in some scripts and customize the hell out of them (in Lua). There are a zillion engines that have done this - but Leadwerks is a BETTER ENGINE, graphically, and more fun to play with thanks to the built in editor. I also know there were some of these for LE 2.5, but they don't work with v3. That's what I would like to see. Let me also add that I would be more than willing to PAY for these scripts. Mike

Thank you for these. I will watch them with complete interest. I'd rather code in Lua. Mike

Since 3DWS has it, I assume adding CSG back is not a massively big deal. Am I right? Mike

Perfect! Do you still need me to convert these now that you found it in 3DWS format? Mike

Damn it. This will be the fifth time I write this. I have both Cartography Shop and 3DWS. Neither recognize the MESH format, whether I LOAD, IMPORT or just copy and paste the downloaded model folder into 3DWS's models folder. What version do I need to run to be able to load the MESH file format? Mike

Sorry - been busy as hell. Will work on it this week. Mike

Just curious, in Leadwerks 2.5, could I export terrain (with roads and vegetation) to OBJ or FBX formats for 3D stuff and PNG or JPG for 2D stuff? Mike

Yeah, that's a pretty crappy mobo. If you have anything less than the core 2 duo, throw it away. All of the other supported processors are just too low end. A raging video card may not help you. It does support up to 8GB of ram, so that's not terrible. Mike

+100 for gizmos for the camera and lights. Mike

First find out if you have PCI, AGP or PCI-Express then buy any Nvidia Geforce card that has shader 3.0 and preferably Cuda and Physx onboard (although those two are not truly necessary, but a very nice addition). You can find this out by googling your Motherboard model number (usually printed on the Motherboard in large letters). By searching for that model, you will gain access to the specifications. Look for expansion slots or video slots. Once you know what you need, order it off of Amazon (trust me - they have it ALL). Have someone install it for you if you are not comfortable doing it yourself, but it is pretty easy to install. Just be aware of the connector type and NEVER force anything into its slot. Make sure notches line up and ALWAYS touch metal before handling any computer components (static electricity and shocks will permanently kill your computer). I have a GeForce 360M (laptop model) and a GeForce GTS 250 and both work swimmingly well with Leadwerks 2 and 3. Avoid ATI like the plague. There ALWAYS seems to be some kind of problem with ATI and game engines (no one flame me - this is from personal experience). Believe it or not, my low end touch-screen laptop with a core i5 and a intel video card also work very well with Leadwerks 3. Go figure. Mike

By the way, to the OP - Buy It! It's a great engine only to get even greater and Leadwerks is a standup company with a decent reputation and creates seriously cool engines and tools. This one is sure to be a game changer once all major features are in there. For me, at this point, all they need to add is terrain and water and it's ready for serious games. Mike

Hmmm. I did not know the particle editor was there either. I have to read the manual one of these days! Mike

How would I do this in Lua? Can you assign more than one shader to a camera? For example, I want Bloom, DOF and Water Droplets - is this possible? Where can we get other shaders that would work with Leadwerks 3? Great update, by the way! Now for terrain and water!!! Mike