[Hystaspes]

Hi guys,
I'm a Software Engineering student and I have decided to build a game engine for my final year project, I have to make my decision and start it exactly one year from now and I'll have ~7 months to finish it.

I've built a simple platform game engine with ActionScript 3.0 recently and it was successful (it was my first ever ActionScript programming and I used only and only Adobe’s official AS3.0 reference), since I finished it, everyday some new solutions and ideas comes to my mind and I think I will be able to build a full game engine with AS3.0 (and Java for the engine’s UI) for my Final Year Project.

But my question is that do you think it is really worth it to do my project with AS 3.0 and Flash? I have looked at some books about AS2.0 and AS3.0 and one of the most disappointing things about AS and Flash for me was that even the authors of some popular books doesn't have a clear idea about programming and object oriented design, most of them (at least the ones that I saw) just do some routine coding to finish the job and that's not a good thing for me at all since it is supposed to be a university project that officially makes me a Software Engineer! So I'm a little unsure about whether is it a right choice or not to use AS3.0?

What is your opinion about a SilverLight game engine (using C# and Microsoft’s Expression Studio)?

I really really want to get into video games industry and I really really want to get into a top university for my Master's degree, so I need my project to be something that shows my programming and problem solving skills.

So in short words: What would you do if you were in my place?

[johnmatthais]

No Silverlight. If you're going C#, go C# and XNA Game Studio.

Honestly, if I were in your position, I'd go for a variation of C. You're going for your college degree. Doesn't it seem a bit elementary to be working with Flash still?

I fully recommend C++ with SDL and OpenGL. However, I'm not sure how well that would go over with your professor, seeing as a lot of people tend to go DirectX > OpenGL, even though OpenGL is more flexible, cross platform, and arguably more powerful if the PS3 vs 360 comparison is worth anything.

This post has been edited by johnmatthais: 09 May 2010 - 11:41 AM

[lesPaul456]

There aren't too many Silverlight game engines out there, so I actually think that would be a neat project.

[Oler1s]

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But my question is that do you think it is really worth it to do my project with AS 3.0 and Flash

Worth is a different question, and one we cannot answer. You need to look into what you invest and what you get back in return, and determine if that tradeoff is acceptable to you.

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I have looked at some books about AS2.0 and AS3.0 and one of the most disappointing things about AS and Flash for me was that even the authors of some popular books doesn't have a clear idea about programming and object oriented design, most of them (at least the ones that I saw) just do some routine coding to finish the job

Don't be surprised by this. This is both visible in books as well as real libraries you use. It's easy to criticize others too, but can you do everything right with real world constraints (time, expertise, etc.)?

The point is, treat your work like a debate. Everyone has ideas about what is good design and bad. About what makes sense and what doesn't. About what is feasible and isn't. There are plenty of libraries where the authors said: "everyone else is doing it wrong". What makes you an impressive developer is when you can actually do what you say. If you think others do it wrong, show what correct is.

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So I'm a little unsure about whether is it a right choice or not to use AS3.0?

Problem isn't AS 3 specific.

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What is your opinion about a SilverLight game engine (using C# and Microsoft’s Expression Studio)?

Would work and compete in a space with limited competition. A good game engine would get a lot of eyeballs for that reason. That said, you need to look at your actual competence. You aren't going to pick up C# and Silverlight in a flash.

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What would you do if you were in my place?

So I have to ask you, you say you are a "Software Engineering" student. Because computer related degrees aren't so standardly defined, can you tell me what the objective of your curriculum is? In particular, how much of the degree's focus is on computer science (theory) and how much on practicals (languages, programming design principles, tools used by programmers)?

Furthermore, you want to continue onto a Master's degree. That usually implies further focus on CS (i.e. you want to spend more time on theory). Is your interest then, in particular, on theory?

[dsherohman]

Hystaspes, on 09 May 2010 - 06:13 PM, said:

But my question is that do you think it is really worth it to do my project with AS 3.0 and Flash?
...
What is your opinion about a SilverLight game engine (using C# and Microsoft’s Expression Studio)?

If you're looking to do something that runs in a browser, Javascript and the HTML5 canvas are pretty well-supported today (IE needs a plugin for it, all other major browsers have native support), so I'd go that direction. It remains to be seen whether canvas really will be a Flash killer, but it's definitely a sparsely-populated area so far. Plus it's an excuse to work with emerging technologies.

I would stay clear of Silverlight in any case. Silverlight support is poor on non-Microsoft platforms and nonexistent on non-x86 hardware.

Hystaspes, on 09 May 2010 - 06:13 PM, said:

I really really want to get into video games industry

If that's your primary goal, then I'd suggest leaving the browser space entirely and writing an engine in C/C++ that will run for users as a standalone desktop client (either as a self-contained desktop game or as a network client for a server-based game). For the most part, the video games industry doesn't make browser-based games, so a browser-based game engine won't be the most effective way to pursue a goal of working for them.