View Single Post
Old 06-04-2004, 12:21 AM   #38
Enter the Story
I turn novels into games
 
Enter the Story's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Scotland
Posts: 307
Default comparing Sludge and AGS

Quote:
Originally Posted by Erwin_Br
Tim's already working on implementing a new library, a free one, but things are awfully quiet at the moment.
The last I heard, the new library would be free for shareware use, but not for a full commercial project. It must be a lot of work to change something like this, so I don't think Tim would go back and change it again just for little old me. I had resigned myself to having either a silent game or paying a ton of money. Then discovered that AGS has come a long way in the last couple of years.

My heart is still with Sludge, but I wonder if my head should rule my heart in this case. Here are the reasons why I chose Sludge over AGS, and why those reasons are crumbling:

1. AGS had limits on overall numbers, but Sludge typically offers 65000 of everything. Yet the AGS limits have increased and there seem to be workarounds.

2. AGS seemed to force people into doing things in a certain way, but Sludge allows more freedom (it's more like a programming language). Yet it now appears that AGS scripting allows a lot of freedom as well.

3. No offense to everyone here, but Sludge games generally look better than AGS games. However, I think the reason is ease of use: AGS is so easy that it encourages a lot of beginners. Only the serious users bother with Sludge.

4. AGS games seem to run slower that Sludge games, and I assumed that this difference would increase with a very large game. But it seems I was wrong - a thousand room game will not run any slower than a ten room game.

5. The legal stuff. When I checked (long ago), AGS seemed a tiny bit vague about the legal issues, but Sludge was very clear and open. However, the current AGS site is very clear and precise.

There were other reasons, but these were the main ones. There is also a big 'X' factor. My game will not be ready for at least ten years. I have to use a crystal ball. What will the future bring? I like to use lists, so here are some other issues:

1. Will people still use 32 bit Windows in 2014? I think 'yes', because of the huge user base, even if it is just emulated on Linux.

2. Will the licensing situation change? The Sludge sound licensing depends on particular company. It might be out of business by then. Or more likely, I might find it impossible to prove what the current licensing situation is. I plan to sell my game to a regular distributor, and these gray areas could be a real headache. However. the OGG license (used by AGS) is sufficiently well established that I think it will still be clear cut in 2014.

3. Will some new bug arise that kills my game? Something minor and unexpected that is incorporated in 128 bit Lindows perhaps? I find the big AGS user base to be very reassuring. I am beginning to think that somebody, somewhere will still be bug fixing AGS in ten years. Normally you cannot say that about any software product, commercial or otherwise, but it seems to me that AGS has the inertia to stay.

4. How important is speed and flexibility? In ten years, even the best technology today will look dated, and even the slowest programs will run smoothly. My game is based on story, not clever technology. If the medium looks dated, or is a little restrictive, that's OK. Being dated and restricted never hurt the printed book. Perhaps if AGS is a tiny bit more restrictive that might even be a good thing - it might make beta testing a little easier.

Just my POV.
Enter the Story is offline