Leadwerks 3 Features

[Pixel Perfect]

So without committing yourself in anyway Josh ... what are the key additional features you have in mind for Leadwerks Engine 3.0 ? What should we be looking forward to?

[Canardia]

http://leadwerks.com/werkspace/index.php?/blog/1/entry-508-week-2/

[Pixel Perfect]

Thanks Lumooja, just what I was looking for

[Pixel Perfect]

One more question regarding the new development. For all of us who have currently invested heavily in version 2.x development how long can we expect support to continue for this and will it simply be dropped on the release of version 3.0 or is there some intended support plan for version 2.0 users above and beyond that point?

[Josh]

I don't think there will be a lot of new features added to 2.x, but when a bug arises it will be fixed.

[Pixel Perfect]

OK, that's reassuring. Thanks for the confirmation.

[cassius]

as a hobbyist the question for me is whats in it for me with regard to le 3.I don't need to program for lower end computers and have no interest in developing for other platforms.Also I have barely touched on all the functions available in the le 2 api.What is in version 3 for the hobbyist?

Also will there still be much discussion on the forum about le 2 once le 3 comes out, or will it become a backwater?

Can someone list the advantages of upgrading.

 

ps I probably will anyway.

[Pancakes]

as a hobbyist the question for me is whats in it for me with regard to le 3.I don't need to program for lower end computers and have no interest in developing for other platforms.Also I have barely touched on all the functions available in the le 2 api.What is in version 3 for the hobbyist?

Also will there still be much discussion on the forum about le 2 once le 3 comes out, or will it become a backwater?

Can someone list the advantages of upgrading.

 

ps I probably will anyway.

 

v 3 is going to have weather and sky and much better water. that alone is worth an upgrade as far as I'm concerned.

[Marleys Ghost]

v 3 is going to have weather and sky and much better water. that alone is worth an upgrade as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

 

Depends on the cost.

[Laurens]

Depends on your game as well. My game is based in space. I won't spend $1000 on features I can't realistically use

[Paul Thomas]

Not to mention it's only a predicted feature with unknown quality so at the moment it isn't worth anything. You can already create a sky and weather with the current engine; you just have to do it yourself.

[Wchris]

Depends on your game as well. My game is based in space. I won't spend $1000 on features I can't realistically use

OUCH ! if it costs $1000 no feature will make me upgrade ! LOL i'll run away !

 

Maybe Josh's Streamed terrain will be powerfull enought to achieve "space to planet" flight ? That would be cool

[Laurens]

I was just pulling that number out of my hat really

[Rick]

If Josh truly gets everything on that list my guess is the engine will cost around $500 if you don't already have it, and if you are an existing customer it'll be a $100 upgrade. Of course that's just a guess

[Marleys Ghost]

Of course that's just a guess

 

 

 

based on?

[Rick]

based on?

 

I didn't say it was an educated guess, just a guess Does a guess really need to be based on anything?

 

I was just thinking he wouldn't let it get to the thousands since that would just seem to high for the current community and he would lose a good number of the current base. Yet he has to charge more than it currently is ($250), so just doubling that would seem like a decent number. Not saying exactly $500, but around it somewhere. Within $100 or so. Maybe we should start a poll to see what most people think. Could give out a price to the person who is the closest

[Naughty Alien]

..i assume those features are PC based..is there anything on sight for cross platform compatibility , and im not talking about phones but Xbox360/PS3, this next gen engine should be actually suitable for ? Just curious..

[Marleys Ghost]

I didn't say it was an educated guess, just a guess

 

 

I never afforded you that much credit rick

 

But still, cost will be a key factor, trying to justify making the upgrade on cost would, for me, have to be considered along with the reality that there are options for other engines, which boast an impressive array of inherant tools and game mechanics, and which reside in the $zero bracket. It would, for me, boil down to the old equation of "bang for bucks".

[Rick]

for me, have to be considered along with the reality that there are options for other engines, which boast an impressive array of inherant tools and game mechanics, and which reside in the $zero bracket

 

Given that statement, why do you use LE then? You should be using UDK because it meets those criteria you have far better than LE does and most likely ever will. If you have added criteria if having an amazing looking engine with real-time lighting that allows you to program in a variety of languages then I could see why you use LE, but you didn't mention anything like that above.

[Marleys Ghost]

The key part of that was "trying to justify making the upgrade" .... nothing to do with what I do or don't use now.

[Josh]

..i assume those features are PC based..is there anything on sight for cross platform compatibility , and im not talking about phones but Xbox360/PS3, this next gen engine should be actually suitable for ? Just curious..

I am very interested in supporting XBox and PS3, and the source code is being written in a way such that support for those platforms can be added in. If your company is interested in contracting me to develop a port of the engine for those platforms, I would be interested. I do not have a dev license for either and cannot get one of my own yet.

[gordonramp]

v 3 is going to have weather and sky and much better water. that alone is worth an upgrade as far as I'm concerned.

Same here, at the moment my terrain scenes are a little static. Some moving sky with day/night and the occasional squall coming through would make things very realistic.

[Naughty Alien]

I am very interested in supporting XBox and PS3, and the source code is being written in a way such that support for those platforms can be added in. If your company is interested in contracting me to develop a port of the engine for those platforms, I would be interested. I do not have a dev license for either and cannot get one of my own yet.

 

..reason why i was asking is initial talks on forum, about V3.0 as a completely new system, oriented to be cross platform in its essence, including Mac/Linux as well as consoles, out of box, instead of just PC, so after i saw features set exposed, with no mentioning about cross platform compatibility, including Linux or Mac, i wanted to know whats actually going to be like V3.0, apart from VFX exposed, what are actually doable in current versions with some workarounds (im not sure about terrain, never used it, but other stuff is doable)..and eventually if cross platform compatibility is not planned for first release, are there such plans for Linux/Mac in some reasonable future, when we talking about V3.0 ? My interest in growth of this engine in correct direction is very big due fact that 2 of my games using it, so my concern/questions are reasonable, and my personal/professional growth require also other horizons on sight than PC, and thats why V3.0 growth is something I need to know more about. I know there is at least 2-3 guys more here, whos seriously working on their games and similar questions, most probably rolling trough their heads. I really think real LE 'arena' and playground should be heavy consoles or if not at begining, Linux/Mac.

[niv3k]

2 more years till new consoles. i don't really see the reason to produce anything for consoles, unless they actually get better hardware.

[Naughty Alien]

2 more years till new consoles. i don't really see the reason to produce anything for consoles, unless they actually get better hardware.

..if you know that upcoming PS4 is fully compatible with PS3 code and that basic introduction will be more powerful GPU with more shader pipes then now (28), then I think nothing to lose with development cycle for it..as for Xbox360, I assure you, you will not see nothing new in next 2 years for that matter, rather than small upgrades..