From:	"Jeff Lander" <jeffl AT darwin3d DOT com>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp,alt.games.programming
References:	<37ADC441 DOT 8FFD9C8D AT sprint DOT ca> <7okm59$1i3$1 AT pegasus DOT csx DOT cam DOT ac DOT uk> <37ADF176 DOT CC809F3F AT sprint DOT ca>
Subject:	Re: Question about 3D Engines
Date:	Mon, 9 Aug 1999 14:19:37 -0700
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If you are after a game like Dark Reign, a Quake style engine will
not help you at all.  Quake is entirely based on a closed interior
environment.  It is completely special-cased for this and the amount
of code you could extract to use on an exterior terrain game like
Dark Reign 2 would basically amount to what you get with OpenGL
in the first place.  You would completely need to scrap the BSP system
used for collision and VSD.  You could use the character flipping code
but that is a simple triangle list in GL anyway.

A better bet is to learn a 3D immediate mode api like OpenGL or D3DIM
so you can draw 3D triangles and set up a camera system and such.  Then
research methods for terrain VSD such as Lindstrom or Hoppe.  I have links
for these once you have the basics down.

Rendering a terrain is pretty easy.  I suspect your problem will be working on
the units and AI and such.  That is what bogs most of those games down.  Also,
camera control is a huge issue.  Expect to waste some time there.

Don't get hung up thinking that Quake source will enable you to make 3D games.
It will help you make Quake.  You can change textures and some features but
underneath it all it is only good at doing what it did.  A truism about all game engines
I believe.  Plus, remember id's source was never meant to be read by anyone other
than id.  Just ask the engine licensees.  Don't expect to learn a lot.  You don't see
a lot of people churning out engines from the Doom source do you?

BTW: While I did code some on Dark Reign, I have nothing direct to do with DR2.
I just know the team and the techniques used well.

Jeff

Derek Sauer wrote in message <37ADF176 DOT CC809F3F AT sprint DOT ca>...
>Thanks for the suggestion.
>
>I have allegro and it is what I use for my 2d work but I find its 3D
>capabilites are a bit lacking for what I need to do. I'm making a game that
>will be similair to Dark Reign 2 (engine wise I mean), so therefore I need a
>rather powerful engine.
>
>I wish ID would get their act together and release the Quake sources.  I
>practically know its engine inside out from all the editing I used to do in
>it.
>
>Anyway, thanks again.
>
>Murray Rogers wrote:
>
>> There is some 3d capability with the allegro library - definitek=ly woth
>> getting - thou I don't know if its any good
>>
>> murray
>

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