Question Regarding Indie Developing Programs
polycounter lvl 6
Does anyone know what programs are typically used for indie developing?
I'm making 2 lists right now:
- A list of programs for the long run (commercial licences of Maya, Zbrush, etc)
- A list of free program alternatives for starting off (while I save money towards the programs in the first list)
I was thinking of holding off on buying a Unreal Engine license until UE4 was released. But at the same time I don't know if most indie developers even use Unreal Engine, or if they just stick with Unity, or create their own 3d/2d engine.
I want to have the potential in the engine/programs be able to make visually outstanding games like Trine 2 (But I do understand that it was their own engine that they made)
I basically want to have a lot of visual potential in the engine and programs that I use.
I'm making 2 lists right now:
- A list of programs for the long run (commercial licences of Maya, Zbrush, etc)
- A list of free program alternatives for starting off (while I save money towards the programs in the first list)
I was thinking of holding off on buying a Unreal Engine license until UE4 was released. But at the same time I don't know if most indie developers even use Unreal Engine, or if they just stick with Unity, or create their own 3d/2d engine.
I want to have the potential in the engine/programs be able to make visually outstanding games like Trine 2 (But I do understand that it was their own engine that they made)
I basically want to have a lot of visual potential in the engine and programs that I use.
Replies
Also, at the end of the day, it is not software, but your personal skills that allow you create beautiful game like Trine 2. And it takes years to develop those skills.
You seem the use I a lot in your post suggesting your working on this alone, that is still quite a feat, most indies do have a few people in there teams. Also acquiring an Unreal license is also something beyond a lot of indies other than going the UDK route.
Take a look at Unity, UDK, Crryengine and there's the other lesser known engines like Phyre Engine and Vision Engine.
i'm a huge fan of unity, its great for quick prototyping and has a lot of flexibility when it comes to expanding the toolset and visuals (not to mention unity 5 rite around the corner). Plus a pro license is very affordable (with no need for royalties after hitting a specific profit point)
No 3d package will be able to give you better quality art over the other, its all down to how you use it. That being said, you might find faster workflows with certain packages when paired with certain engines.
Maya, Photoshop, and unity are my personal bread and butter
I use...
Blender for 3D
GIMP for pixel graphics
Inkscape for vector graphics
Audacity for audio recording and editing
Unity as my primary game engine
This is fairly bare-bones, and definitely leans toward a budget-friendly development environment. But this makes sense, as I'm just dappling and not throwing myself into it full-time.