FIFE - a cross platform isometric game engine

[User was nabbed fit]

Oh yeah, this is going to rock; now I just need to learn LUA.

 

[Spazmo]

Can Bethsoft use this engine>?

They could, at least in theory. The question is: why should they do so? Bethesda is a company that thinks that modern RPGs need some cool 1337 3D gfx and as they sold millions of copies of Oblivion, there must be some guys out there which agree.

Well, no, they absolutely couldn't, because your engine is GPL, so if Bethesda put out a game with it, their entire game would have to be GPL and that ain't happening.

 

[Abernathy]

I'm embarrassed to say I can't do ISO any more, I need camera angles and shit. I don't need glow or HDR or any of that crap, but really I'd be looking for something just a little more than this.

Fuck it, it's 2006, we've done the nineties already. I'm hanging out for Fallout 3 and JA3, and find myself really pissed off with what Chris Sawyer did with Locomotion TEN YEARS after Transport Tycoon!

Tiny steps, not great fucking stupid leaps that challenge our latest and greatest gaming machines, but progress nonetheless.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not dumping on this thing by a long way - there are a boatload of folks who have been hanging out for a tool like this for longer than I can remember. The guys who have been working on JA 1.3 deserve medals (especially because JA3 will probably be ALL graphic glitz with no gameplay, as usual - ditto for Fallout 3, I suspect).

What I fear is being missed is the 'middle ground'. On the one hand we have Total Graphic Whoredom, and on the other, Hardcore ISO retro. I guess the Bioware stuff bridged the gap a bit a long time ago in a way, but that WAS a long time ago!

But I rant. I love the idea of an RPG creation machine that favours gameplay, interraction, consequence, and all the things we all love. But (as I said up front) the graphics just look naff today. IMHO.

And to be quite honest, I'd much rather an antiquated ISO engine with a decent game attached to it than a shiny showpiece with no gameplay. But surely we can have decent gameplay with decent graphics? Please?

 

[mvBarracuda]

And to be quite honest, I'd much rather an antiquated ISO engine with a decent game attached to it than a shiny showpiece with no gameplay. But surely we can have decent gameplay with decent graphics? Please?

Sorry, but I guess you missed the point.

FIFE is no game, FIFE is a 2D ISO engine. So if you think that 2D ISO can never look as beautiful as modern 3D games, this engine won't be for you. The team really believes that 2D can be as beautiful as 3D so we're still developing this engine.

The quality of the gfx is up to the modders: if they create great gfx, the game will look good; otherwhise not ;-) Fallout had the problem that is that was limited to 256 colors because of the architecture of the FRM gfx format. FIFE uses modern formats like PNG for gfx and OGG for music. So modders really got the possibility to use high quality 32bit gfx and bring their music as OGG tracks into the game; this will give you a better quality than mp3 files.

So we're just trying to provide a good modding platform. We're just creating the tools, it's up to the modders to make a great game with them.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

And to be quite honest, I'd much rather an antiquated ISO engine with a decent game attached to it than a shiny showpiece with no gameplay. But surely we can have decent gameplay with decent graphics? Please?

Probably not. Ever seen Harbinger? It's 2D ISO, and it's friggin' beauimous. The game sucked huge amounts of ass, though. Still, the engine was amazinging pretty. If nothing else, it demonstrates that 2D can look fantastic.

So we're just trying to provide a good modding platform. We're just creating the tools, it's up to the modders to make a great game with them.

Can FIFE do angles of tiles other than the Fallout angles which were designed to facilitate the hexagon movment system?

 

[Mefi]

:shock:

I never knew you felt that way. Well, polish up your SS regalia, put on your best underwear and bring some flowers, my dear nazi roguelike geekoid.

I'm very impressed by your porn collection Twinfalls. :shock:

 

[mvBarracuda]

Can FIFE do angles of tiles other than the Fallout angles which were designed to facilitate the hexagon movment system?

Yep. As I've mentioned: FIFE supports all kind of different tile angles.

The code is already in place but we haven't created maps with a tile geometry different to Fallout yet. But we've planned a feature in the future map editor where you can select one example tile and the editor creates the needed map geometry files for you.

 

[Mefi]

Would this engine work with a game like Temple of Elemental Evil?

Odd question I know.

edit: obviously if the work was done to port it over - or is this engine reliant on something which ToEE doesn't feature? (eg hexes)

 

[mvBarracuda]

Would this engine work with a game like Temple of Elemental Evil?

Odd question I know.

edit: obviously if the work was done to port it over - or is this engine reliant on something which ToEE doesn't feature? (eg hexes)

Hmm that is really tricky. Even if it does not feature hexes, there must be a kind of coordinate system to place objects on. So as long as the game uses a grid for tiles and one for objects, it should work fine.

Supporting different RPGs really comes down to reverse engineer the original file formats (maps, gfx, sounds, etc.). I'm not familiar with ToEE but if you can reverse engineer it's formats it will be possible to support it with FIFE. FIFE is coded as modular as possible so it's easier for 3rd party developers to add support for new gfx, sound and map formats.

We've been lucky with the Fallout file formats because a Russian Fallout modding group did all the reverse engineering

Greetings to TeamX for their excellent work:
http://www.teamx.ru/eng/

 

[Naked_Lunch]

I'm going to learn how to code just so I can use this.

 

[Mefi]

Thanks for the reply mvBarracuda. Might have to link this to the technical types at Co8 and see what they think of it. Doubt they'll switch over but it is an interesting option.

Once again, best of luck with this project.

 

[Kraszu]

I'm embarrassed to say I can't do ISO any more, I need camera angles and shit

Whot is good about that? It just make you lose more time looking for staff.

 

[Hazelnut]

Question: When this is finished, will it be possible to play fallout using FIFE and the data files? You can obviously display the maps, but what about the gameplay. I'm just thinking that replaying fallout with larger resolution and some interface improvements would be nice.

 

[elander_]

Fuck it, it's 2006, we've done the nineties already. I'm hanging out for Fallout 3 and JA3, and find myself really pissed off with what Chris Sawyer did with Locomotion TEN YEARS after Transport Tycoon!

No mater how much 3d graphics and 3d whoring tech advances i will have to see the day when play a 3d game with the beauty of Planescape isometric. Don't let the hype make you blind. 3d graphics don't replace 2d graphics or isometric games.

 

[mvBarracuda]

Question: When this is finished, will it be possible to play fallout using FIFE and the data files? You can obviously display the maps, but what about the gameplay. I'm just thinking that replaying fallout with larger resolution and some interface improvements would be nice.

See here: http://wiki.fifengine.de/index.php?titl ... on_FIFE.3F

As long as we don't have the permission from Interplay, we won't be able to support the FO1 / FO2 campaigns. If any modder wants to take the risk: feel free to do so

 

[Hazelnut]

Question: When this is finished, will it be possible to play fallout using FIFE and the data files? You can obviously display the maps, but what about the gameplay. I'm just thinking that replaying fallout with larger resolution and some interface improvements would be nice.

See here: http://wiki.fifengine.de/index.php?titl ... on_FIFE.3F

As long as we don't have the permission from Interplay, we won't be able to support the FO1 / FO2 campaigns. If any modder wants to take the risk: feel free to do so

I kinda meant with original copies of the games - i.e. the original data files. I take it then that these would require some conversion to a FIFE mod by a modder. And then the permissions problem. Has anyone actually asked? I know it's not exactly a high priority, but I am curious.

 

[mvBarracuda]

Has anyone actually asked? I know it's not exactly a high priority, but I am curious.

There is a FIFE sister project called "Fallout Zero". It's the first Fallout-like mod based on FIFE; here is a first screenshot:

(and yes: we know that the tiles are still repetive; we just did not have the time and skill to create something better back when we published these first pics)

The FO: Zero project leader mailed Interplay one week ago. This is his mail:

Hello,

It seems, that this is the only available E-mail adress at the whole Interplay hompage.

I hope, you are able to redirect this E-mail to the right person.

I am the lead designer of a hommage to the Fallout-Series. We want to create a freeware computer game, that transmits the unique Fallout into a new (european) setting.

To reach this goal, we are very interested in using some content, that is covered with intellectual property rights by Interplay.

Namely, we want to use the design of the Vault-Boy and some item-designs (for example the stimpack). Furthermore we want to use the name of 'Fallout' as part of our game's title.

So we want ask, if Interplay would agree in using these content in a respectful freeware game or deny any fanbased use of their property.

This was Interplay's reply:

Topic: Out of Office AutoReply: a Question to Interplay

Thank you for your interest for Interplay.

Please be advised that technical support and customer services are currently unavailable. Interplay will post an announcement as soon as it becomes available.

So as long as we got no explicit permission, the team won't take the risk to work on a Fallout campaign for FIFE. If any modder wants to ask Interplay later again and work on it, that's fine by us too.

 

[Roqua]

I can tell you that I would be interested in playing games made by this engine. I would not be interested in making a game with this engine because I am retarded and would have to put effort into it. I'm sure that puts me out of your target market, but into the target market of your target market.

 

[Slylandro]

Excellent work. I'll be keeping tabs on this one.

 

[Lumpy]

Shouldn't you be asking Bethesda?

 

[mvBarracuda]

Shouldn't you be asking Bethesda?

Nope. If we should ask anyone: that would be Interplay. And it seems like they don't seriously answer mails ATM *g*

We've already discussed this @ NMA:
http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19087

Bethesda bought the rights to produce 3 games based on the Fallout license. They don't posses all future rights on the Fallout IP; these still belong to Interplay. So I'm sure they don't really like FIFE but I'm sure that they can do nothing when it comes to IP.

But they might fund Interplay so THEY can sue us :-/

 

[Higher Game]

And at this point, suing people is probably Interplay's only option to continue existing, until it ultimately burns out, which could take a long time. :evil:

Don't risk anything. The asshole(s?) at Interplay would definitely sue. There are more than enough artists out there. And believe me, most Fallout fans won't give a damn about graphics anyway. If it's ugly, it will still fit in the Fallout world anyway, so it's not worth stealing art.

 

[Gwendo]

I thought Interplay was already Kaput.

Anyway, isn't there a way to make the mod only playable with the original game? If yes, I don't see why producing mods would violate any copyright laws...

 

[Gwendo]

Btw, so many positive comments about the engine... But how many will use it? It would be a shame if all the hard work would fall into oblivion due to noone using it. It seems there's fallout zero in production, what else?

 

[Higher Game]

Making it playable just with the original game would exclude way too many people. There are tons of RPG fans who haven't played Fallout, but enjoy other games of similar depth. They would appreciate playing (and making!) freeware games with this engine without having to track down a copy of Fallout. Plus, there are Fallout fans who have lost their original disks, as well. :wink:

Interplay is so dead, they can't even afford web forums, but they still file with the SEC, so they're not fully dead yet, unfortunately.