What game engine would you like to see used in an rpg?

[Sceptic]

The engine I'm thinking of would require well integrated and unified physics for almost all in-game objects, as well as the capability to stream large amounts of procedurally generated content.

You've just described Oblivion engine.

More seriously: a combination of ToEE's gorgeous backgrounds with SS's use of 3D would be heavan. For an RPG/first person combo, STALKER's engine with some of the dynamic stuff from Dunia (like fires).

 

[deuxhero]

Source seems viable. Have to wait till DotA2 to see how well it really does overhead view though.

Rather like Alien Swarm, I imagine; simply orient the camera at a 60 or so degree angle. Source could be a decent RPG engine, I think-- at least for interiors (or a game like Dota).

I bet it would translate exceptionally well to dungeon crawling. But open-world type exteriors would be very limited, I reckon.

And if one was going to use Source, it would be all about coding, and building RPG-ness-- into the combat, into making a party system, into creating functioning 2D assets, etc; the 2.5D visuals are all there already: just map like you would for a shooter and then point the camera down on it.

When they released Alien Swarm I thought about making a fantasy dungeon just for fun, just so I could see how it would look quasi-isometric, but didn't get around to it.

Edit: has anyone messed with the NEBULA3 engine? Out-of-the box ready for 3d RPG-makin', right? And free?

I meant more of an adjustable camera (I have Empires downloaded, but I never played it, perhaps the commander mode does over head better). Alien Swarm's is annoyingly static.

 

[likaq]

This:

Silent storm also.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

I want another Fallout game from Obsidian, using id Tech 5.

 

[zeitgeist]

On released engines: Silent Storm as POOPOO says. It's criminal that such a good base wasn't taken to it's logical conclusion; namely a great TB rpg.

This. From what I've heard the game is very difficult to mod though, which I guess also means lack of decent development tools tied to the engine. Can anyone who's done any modding on Silent Storm or H&S give some more insight into this, am I totally off base here? I never did anything more than playing around with various props and such on character models. But there must be a reason that there are so few mods (not to mention total conversions) out, and I doubt it's the lack of fans?

 

[made]

Exult.

I thought so too, but then I saw http://www.teudogar.com and my enthusiasm quickly waned.

I always liked Infinity. With updated graphics and animations it could hold up even to modern standards, and it's apparently very flexible and easy to work with as the huge modding community shows.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Onyx Engine.

What has Obsidian said about this engine?

 

[Deneidez]

My own engine! ^^
( http://cs.joensuu.fi/~ppakar/seka/neonS ... esting.jpg )

Seriously C4 would be nice choice.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Source Engine

 

[Admiral jimbob]

Silent Storm

I would try it out, but it would still need a lot of tinkering to the engine. Probably the nearest of any stock engine I can think of. Did you get around to playing Hammer and Sickle?

Haven't yet, I'm a bit burned out on Silent Storm gameplay after playing through it and Sentinels in quick succession. I'll probably pick it up at Christmas. Definitely agreed that the engine needs improvement, though; invisible enemy turns take way too long, and the game chugs terribly in places even on my new-ish computer. And if I see another fucking pistol roll down a hill and bob backwards and forwards at the bottom for twenty seconds...

 

[Truman]

This:

Beautiful. What was that supposed to be?

 

[DalekFlay]

id Tech 6.

Yup. Judging from Rage screenshots and video, Bethesda better switch to that engine or I will kick them in the gonads.

 

[Roguey]

Onyx Engine.

What has Obsidian said about this engine?

DS3 has low system requirements, no loading screens, a smooth frame rate, and looks pretty. I don't expect them to use it for anything other than action games though.

Beautiful. What was that supposed to be?

Troika's post-apocalyptic RPG. No publisher wanted it.

 

[AlaCarcuss]

I remember thinking that the Commandos 3 engine would make a pretty fucking sweet RPG when I played it a while back.

Absolutely gorgeous combination of 2D/3D (2.5D?), although the max res of 800x600 would have to be increased for modern systems and of course a proper TB combat system implemented.

Also, the new 3/4 perspective Lara Croft game - Temple of Light would make for a pretty nice action RPG engine.

 

[Excommunicator]

After seeing the presentation of Dark Messiah in Source, I would be pretty happy to see a proper RPG done in that engine, although I am not too sure about how well it could handle large areas with lots of NPCs and interactive/physics-controlled objects

 

[majestik12]

M&B engine.

 

[commie]

M&B engine.

This would be good indeed. Simple, runs on anything, easy enough to mod on, probably has a lot of overhead spare because of it's basic nature, meaning you could pack on a lot of extra stuff without slowing down or overwhelming the engine. Good transition between overland and FPS mode. Ability to render large numbers of NPC's.

Imagine an RPG where evil army X is massing at the borders: In the first part of the game you go around, trying to rally support for the defense of the realm from reluctant barons who have a grievance against your ruler. You do quests, try to raise your own legion at the same time and occasionally raid the enemy at the border to disrupt their plans and give you more time. Eventually the enemy invades and it becomes a kind of RPG/strategy where depending on how you do you can order baron x to move army to this town or that and try and delay the enemy. You personally can help out during battles there or go and protect something yourself, or even take the fight to the enemy. All of this combat would be EPIC(tm) what with hundreds of combatants, rather than the 20 or so we get these days at any time that supposedly simulates Lord Fuckwits army of darkness. Depending on how well you do, eventually there will be a stalemate of sorts and the third part of the game starts: back to RPG mode where you and a select band(or alone) do quests, infiltrate the enemy camps for information about the whereabouts of big bad, his source of power etc. and then you explore around, hitting supply convoys, attacking castles in his kingdom, eventually confronting and defeating him. His army paralyzed as rivals try to claim power, you can negotiate surrender or lead the nations armies to battle against still powerful but now divided enemies, to victory.

Damn, wish I had some programming skill and start up capital: I'd make this in a flash!

 

[Lockkaliber]

Onyx Engine.

What has Obsidian said about this engine?

DS3 has low system requirements, no loading screens, a smooth frame rate, and looks pretty. I don't expect them to use it for anything other than action games though.

On the contrary, I think they said that they made it specifically to use for their RPG's.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

JA2

 

[deuxhero]

After seeing the presentation of Dark Messiah in Source, I would be pretty happy to see a proper RPG done in that engine, although I am not too sure about how well it could handle large areas with lots of NPCs and interactive/physics-controlled objects

Bloodlines was made with an early version of Source (so if Bloodline's engine did something, Source should as well) and even large NPC fights in Garry's Mod don't have any system slowdown. Garry's mod does largeish maps with lots of objects well and when the map allows it (That is, there isn't stuff in the way). Source also runs on almost anything now days.

Wonder if it would be possible to code Source to use an adjustable overhead third person camera (ala AoD's demo) and turn based combat (There is 1 RTS made and one in the works, so the first sounds reasonable, perhaps I'll learn the mod tools when I get a computer that will have the resources to use a map editor and have a tutorial up at the same time).

 

[Rhalle]

Wonder if it would be possible to code Source to use an adjustable overhead third person camera (ala AoD's demo) and turn based combat (There is 1 RTS made and one in the works, so the first sounds reasonable, perhaps I'll learn the mod tools when I get a computer that will have the resources to use a map editor and have a tutorial up at the same time).

The camera change is easy; you simply set the camera at whatever height or angle you want. I imagine it's not too far from there to get it to zoom in and out a bit and rotate and shit, which is what it does natively anyway in the map-creation software.

For a traditional RPG in Source it would be about coding everything-- a ton of coding. 2D interfaces, party systems, rulesets and pretty much everything.

The RTS part, though-- not sure how that would work, exactly. AFAIK there isn't a 'grid' or anything, so pure turned-based combat would have to take account of who could act first and and at what distance and in what order-- & etc. etc. etc.--then monitor player activity and limit or allow it accordingly. Movement in combat without a grid might be something like letting the player whose turn it is walk for a certain amount of time (or move and attack once-- or whatever), while monitoring player action and detecting hits and stuff. It would be something like Arcanum combat, where it's turn-based pretty much, but you can still run about, sort of. Although a NWN-style realtime with skill bar and pause would be even easier to implementt, I'd guess.

Maybe Source is capable of limiting player action to little squares or hexes in a kind of overlay or whatever rather easily, but I don't know how to do that.

I'd imagine if someone was really clever and knew Source basics and something about coding that they could poke around in VtMB, Dark Messiah and Alien Swarm and figure out exactly what they needed to do.

 

[Scream Phoenix]

Whatever Wizardry 8 used. Either that or Nethack/ADOM

 

[HardCode]

I'd like to see Avernum 1 to 5 on the Avernum 6 engine. I made the mistake of playing 6 first, and the quirks of the 5 and back make it hard to play. Shit like no remapping keys.

 

[ironyuri]

Has no one mentioned the Age of Decadence engine yet? :>

 

[kingcomrade]

Unreal Engine 3. It looks pretty and it runs well.