I need informacion about Leadwerks

[Manuel]

Hi all.

I have some questions about Leadwerks Engine.

Currently I have several game engines (Unity, Torque3D and UDK), I'm testing these game engines for finally, staying with one of them. For now, all work very well, but I want to know how Leadwerks.

I want know:

Is it Leadwerks a good game engine for video games?

Is it possible to create a similar video game like Left 4 dead on Leadwerks engine with a good performance?

Can I create big maps with many object in the map, many lights, good materials and postprocess with good performance?

I have tried Leadwerks engine demo and I liked, but I need know the answers to the previous questions.

 

Also I want know about the buy of Leadwerks and the sell of videogames.

If I buy the current version of Leadwerks, do I have to pay full price for next version? or exist some discount?

About the sell videogames created in Leadwerks, do I have to show a logo or pay something more than Leadwerks engine? (apart from the 3D desing tools, etc.). Maybe I need to pay another licenses for sell my videogames?

 

I think that is all, thanks you very much!

PD: I need to know all this with utmost sincerity, please.

[Josh]

I will let the community answer the first set of questions themselves. Here are my answers the the second set:

 

If I buy the current version of Leadwerks, do I have to pay full price for next version? or exist some discount?

If you buy the current version, the upgrade cost for version 3.0 will cost less than waiting for version 3.0 and paying full price. I don't have plans for any paid upgrades before then.

 

About the sell videogames created in Leadwerks, do I have to show a logo or pay something more than Leadwerks engine? (apart from the 3D desing tools, etc.). Maybe I need to pay another licenses for sell my videogames?

The standard license allows you to make commercial games with no royalties due. You are not required to show a splash screen or any other advertisement. I don't understand what you mean by "(apart from the 3D desing tools, etc.)".

[Mumbles]

Is it Leadwerks a good game engine for video games?

 

It's a great engine for almost anything. But you will need some decent programming skills (C/C++, C#, BlitzMax, Lua are the most common languages)

 

Is it possible to create a similar video game like Left 4 dead on Leadwerks engine with a good performance?

 

Yes, but it will depend on your programming skills

 

Can I create big maps with many object in the map, many lights, good materials and postprocess with good performance?

 

It depends on the graphics card. Newer cards should be able to do all of that, with a good frame rate. Cards below a Geforce 8800 (or ATI Radeon 3870) may not have such good performance

 

If I buy the current version of Leadwerks, do I have to pay full price for next version? or exist some discount?

 

Leadwerks Engine 3 -WILL NOT- be a free upgrade but there might be a discount.

Upgrades to Leadwerks Engine 2.x (the current version) are usually free, but there was one upgrade that had to be paid for. If you buy the engine now, the non-free upgrade will already be applied, so you will not have to pay for that.

[Roland]

Just want to tell that I have licenses for Torque 3D and Unity 3, and they are cool engines for many things. However I always ends up in using Leadwerks. There are several reason for this such as the stunning graphics thats is possible and also the very logical and easy to understand Engine API. Bugs (and they of course happens here as in both T3D and U3) are fixed fast. Josh also listen to the community about requests etc. Another very important aspect is this community which is the best one you can get. Very helpful and free from BS

[Raul]

Leadwerks is one of the easiest engine to work with and all the community here will be glad to help you if you will have any issues.

[DaDonik]

1) When you're about to make a FPS, thats the type of game where leadwerks really

rocks. Built in character controller and very nice lighting options are awaiting you

 

2) The performance mainly depends on the screen resolution and the amount of post processing shaders you use. For the shaders, those can be simply set on/off by one line of code. Same for the resolution of course

You can easily let the end user choose how much performance they want to sacrifice for all those neat effects. Anything below a Geforce8800 will not be able to run in FullHD resolution with all shaders on, but that is just technically impossible.

 

3) Several thousand objects in a scene are no problem for LE. At least when they are not all visible at once.

[Manuel]

I don't understand what you mean by "(apart from the 3D desing tools, etc.)".

I meant that I assumed it had to pay the licenses for other tools.

If you buy the current version, the upgrade cost for version 3.0 will cost less than waiting for version 3.0 and paying full price. I don't have plans for any paid upgrades before then.

Cool! I had thought that I need buy the current version, and then the 2.5 version, then 2.6, etc.

 

It's a great engine for almost anything. But you will need some decent programming skills (C/C++, C#, BlitzMax, Lua are the most common languages)

No problem, I'm programmer and I love C++!

 

It depends on the graphics card. Newer cards should be able to do all of that, with a good frame rate. Cards below a Geforce 8800 (or ATI Radeon 3870) may not have such good performance

So, I guess that my graphic card is good for Leadwerks Engine. I have a Geforce 260GTX of 216 cores.

 

Just want to tell that I have licenses for Torque 3D and Unity 3, and they are cool engines for many things.

I have license of Torque 3D and I have the Unity free, both are great!

 

Leadwerks is one of the easiest engine to work with and all the community here will be glad to help you if you will have any issues.

Thanks! I believe that when you finish the tests I'm doing, I will test and buy Leadwerks engine.

[Manuel]

Hello again!

I have read several post for know how is the network library, and I read that is poorly developed. So I have more questions!

1. The network library have any limitation?

2. Support vehicles?

3. How many players are supported?

4. Can I have my game in my personal server, like Left 4 Dead (to give an example)?

 

I have projects that need a good network library with very well performance. Leadwerks can offer this?

Another question..., about AI, Leadwerks don't have this, but have waypoints. Leadwerks have any solution for created pathfinding through waypoints? or do I have programme it by myself?

 

I think that's all for now, thanks again!

[Mumbles]

I don't understand what you mean by "(apart from the 3D desing tools, etc.)".

I meant that I assumed it had to pay the licenses for other tools.

 

The Leadwerks Editor is free with the engine.

Other tools though, like 3D World Studio are not the same product, so you have to pay separately for that. However, you do not need it to use the engine

 

So, I guess that my graphic card is good for Leadwerks Engine. I have a Geforce 260GTX of 216 cores.

 

That card can handle Leadwerks whilst sleeping. You should not have any problems there.

 

I have read several post for know how is the network library, and I read that is poorly developed. So I have more questions!

1. The network library have any limitation?

2. Support vehicles?

3. How many players are supported?

4. Can I have my game in my personal server, like Left 4 Dead (to give an example)?

 

The networking isn't poor as such, it just does not have some very basic features that I want

1-> No TCP support

2-> Yes

3-> Can't remember, but I would guess at 32 - 64, maybe more

4-> If you mean a dedicated server, not really. The -only- problem with Leadwerks is that, the computer running it must have a graphics card with Shader Model 3.0 (or higher). Datacentre servers do not have this. But, if you have a normal computer set up with a very good Internet connection, and it does have the required graphics card, then yes you can.

 

For number 4, you can download Newton for free, and make your server using that instead. But Newton is not the nicest thing to learn from scratch.

 

 

I have projects that need a good network library with very well performance. Leadwerks can offer this?

 

The most common alternative is RakNet. Try the Leadwerks networking first. If it does not give enough performance then try RakNet (It's free).

 

Another question..., about AI, Leadwerks don't have this, but have waypoints. Leadwerks have any solution for created pathfinding through waypoints? or do I have programme it by myself?

 

Right now, yes you have to code this yourself. Many users here want the engine to handle for them, so it may appear in a later update. But at the moment, I don't think it's planned.

[Josh]

Version 3 will have a pathfinding system built-in for AI.

[ESP]

"Version 3 will have a pathfinding system built-in for AI. "

 

Now I am excited

 

Robin

[Naughty Alien]

..LE is a fine system, and i can highly recommend it...dont be discouraged with low network support simply because, you can plug in, any available network solution and get desired results of your choice..finest moments of LE you as a programmer will feel is a freedom to code way you like it..from game itself, up to tools of your own choice..thats something most valuable you will have in your hands, and combined with renderer flexibility and graphical output, you must love it...high high recommendation from my side, and just small note, as other mentioned, final output entirely depend on your programming skills, so if that is polished out, everything else will be a dance..

[niv3k]

Version 3 will have a pathfinding system built-in for AI.

 

are we talking about the autodesk kynapse?!

[Manuel]

Ok, thanks for the answers! Leadwerks engine must be very good if all speak so highly of it!

[Josh]

are we talking about the autodesk kynapse?!

Probably not.

[Jordan]

Probably not.

 

Can't imagine Kynapse would be affordable, so that's not a bad thing.

[Davaris]

Hopefully its Recast with OpenSteer. Unless we put it in first.

[Josh]

Hopefully its Recast with OpenSteer.

People might want more than just cow AI.

[niv3k]

People might want more than just cow AI.

 

lmao...definitely wasn't thinking about animals.

 

what AI middleware or idea thing you going with Josh?

[Josh]

I like recast.

[niv3k]

any videos of recast in the works would be nice...