What CAN I do with the SDK? (gamers)

[Netherscourge]

Is the SDK nothing more then an editor? Or can you actually play around with it somehow? (create custom levels, try them out, etc...)

What the heck can Joe-Blow fan do with the SDK?

Just wondering.

 

[Brian Damage]

Make levels and add new models with hammer, add weapons and enemies with the code, make models and so on with XSI.

It really all depends on how far you want to go.

 

[Quixote]

I don't think you'll be able to try it out when the SDK comes. It's more for the mod community to get started modeling, map-making, and tinkering with whatever code they ship it with.

 

[Netherscourge]

Hmm.

Well, as a pure gamer I'd rather have the benchmark program running the E3 demos then the SDK.

But that's just me.

I just want to see this game in action on my PC. That's all. And I don't mean just videos - I mean the actual game engine.

 

[Brian Damage]

The SDK won't have the engine as a part of it at first... so you might have to wait a while if that's what you want it for...

 

[The Dark Elf]

The SDK is basically a lot of examples and instructions and information on coding and working with the engine and software. SDK's have always been known for not being UI friendly, as in the few actual executables that come with them are more often than not command line and run via other programs or part of some programming setup. It's certainly not for gamers, or hobbying map makers, its really only geared towards the serious mod teams/users who want to do more than the basic stuff.

 

[Brian Damage]

Like us, eh Fenric?

 

[Sprafa]

The Far Cry mapping tool is supposed to be n00b friendly, with some sort of 3d view of the map you're creating in real-time 3d lk some strategy games mappong tools.
I hoped HL2 would come lk that too

 

[The Dark Elf]

Like us, eh Fenric?

hehe, yep, like us
-
Sprafa, I'm glad HL2 wont be like that for editing.. I'm reminded of the sorts of games that are churned out from those newbie friendly game making apps. Very basic and naff

 

[SidewinderX]

Well, TESCS (The Elder Scrolls Construction Set) was one of the best mod making tools I have ever used in my life. Simple, quick, easy.


It was quite veristile as well, though it didn't have great-your-own-geometry functionality.

 

[Chris-008]

The Far Cry mapping tool is supposed to be n00b friendly, with some sort of 3d view of the map you're creating in real-time 3d lk some strategy games mappong tools.
I hoped HL2 would come lk that too

dude, that would lag like the NWN editor on a 32x32 map.

 

[ComradeBadger]

It's not for Joe Gamer

Sorry.

Is for mod teams etc It won't have the engine. Ever

 

[The Dark Elf]

The advantage to a user-friendly editor is that teams can focus more on creating, rather than interface wrangling. Sure, they can probably do it anyway, but it means there is less of a barrier to the team's creativity. Yes, it would probably mean that the mod scene was flooded with crap, but it would mean that dedicated mods could produce their work more quickly and efficiently.

Unfortunately the side effect is the user friendly editors begin to think they can do everything, and out goes support for external apps.. Worldcraft went that way and lost its import geometry feature forcing you to use that alone to create maps until people wrote their own halfway apps to fix the problem

I'd prefer the complex candomore method than the makeitalltoosimple way. I like to be able to get under the hood and mess with things than have something do most of it for me without my knowing. I guess I just like complete control rather than being limited

-

Sidewinder, I've only briefly looked at the Elder Scrolls editor, does look good, seems pretty in depth letting you make lots of changes. I'll get around to playing with it properly one day I'm sure

 

[babywax]

The Far Cry mapping tool is supposed to be n00b friendly, with some sort of 3d view of the map you're creating in real-time 3d lk some strategy games mappong tools.
I hoped HL2 would come lk that too

It will be "n00b" friendly because Far Cry uses heightmaps, the editor gives you just as much control as with a program 8x more complex. You have to make buildings etc in 3dsmax, giving you even more control than in most games.