Rwhat game are you looking at making?
Aah apple, how we love that you choose stuff no one else uses because why should you be able to easily port applications
Aive only seen a bit of objective c and it looked HORRIBLE
RI think before we can make a really good recommendation would really depend on A: your experience with engine dev and rendering. B: The game you want to end up making and C: the full extent of what you are expected to target. D: what the team after you will be doing
RLike IMHO, I aint going to suggest you build an engine to get a framework down, and then leave the entire rest of your team to pick up the pieces of an early incomplete game engine base
Rto write their next game
RCompetent game engines by one person can take weeks or months of hard work by an experienced dev and typically they are good for basically one game
RBecause Silk.net is not an engine, it is not a framework, it is just wrappers and bindings
Rthat is all
JNothing too too crazy, it's a serious mobile game that's supposed to help the players with living in a more sustainable, eco friendly way:
A simple 3D environment where you can do some simple customization (Terraforming terrain, putting down plants/rocks/other props, some animals): An extremely simplified version of Equilinox basically
Then a GUI that informs the player of the impact their real life actions have and challenges them to change something about it. Performing this challenge (Manually inputted) unlocks one more plant/rock/prop/animal.
I have a fair bit of experience with framework level game dev and the rendering stuff: At the very least I'd be able to setup the 3D environment rendering and UI rendering needed for this game with OpenGL. Anything beyond that would be new for me.
I've also already made a few serious mobile games (With way bigger scopes), but that was with Unity, so this is on a completely different level
The goal of making this game is not so much the game itself, but for the company to get experience with game development, and perhaps setting up the very very basics of software that can be expanded upon.
I realize that Silk.NET is just wrappers and bindings, for me that's exactly what makes it so appealing: Getting the ability to implement higher level concepts the way you want, getting control over that. The obvious downside being that building that takes an insane amount of effort, time and knowledge. But if it's feasible to setup the described game with Silk.NET within 9 months, then it's at least worth investigating that possibility.
A simple 3D environment where you can do some simple customization (Terraforming terrain, putting down plants/rocks/other props, some animals): An extremely simplified version of Equilinox basically
Then a GUI that informs the player of the impact their real life actions have and challenges them to change something about it. Performing this challenge (Manually inputted) unlocks one more plant/rock/prop/animal.
I have a fair bit of experience with framework level game dev and the rendering stuff: At the very least I'd be able to setup the 3D environment rendering and UI rendering needed for this game with OpenGL. Anything beyond that would be new for me.
I've also already made a few serious mobile games (With way bigger scopes), but that was with Unity, so this is on a completely different level
The goal of making this game is not so much the game itself, but for the company to get experience with game development, and perhaps setting up the very very basics of software that can be expanded upon.
I realize that Silk.NET is just wrappers and bindings, for me that's exactly what makes it so appealing: Getting the ability to implement higher level concepts the way you want, getting control over that. The obvious downside being that building that takes an insane amount of effort, time and knowledge. But if it's feasible to setup the described game with Silk.NET within 9 months, then it's at least worth investigating that possibility.
ROK, making sure, the other two you listed were engines, so it did cross my mind you possibly would not be aware
Lfor an actual experienced developer, creating something like that in 9 months is 100% possible
Rmhm
Rtotally
Rwhere I am concerned is in this bit:
"The goal of making this game is not so much the game itself, but for the company to get experience with game development, and perhaps setting up the very very basics of software that can be expanded upon."
"The goal of making this game is not so much the game itself, but for the company to get experience with game development, and perhaps setting up the very very basics of software that can be expanded upon."
Rnot sure this is exactly the best way of going about it. If it works and they can further actually use it, it is a powerful option
Rmy worry is more will they be able to use it and extend it as needed on their own
Rbecause one game is likely not going to set up a complelely usable engine that will be flexible enough to make different games and themes and be easy enough for unexperienced devs to use
JYeah I totally agree. I could just use Unity and you have something that will (probably, hopefully) be pretty solid for the next dozen years or so.
Essentially starting the development of a inhouse engine is a huge task, and if it's written by me, an intern, barely a junior programmer, there's obviously going to be some questionable code in there
Essentially starting the development of a inhouse engine is a huge task, and if it's written by me, an intern, barely a junior programmer, there's obviously going to be some questionable code in there
JThat said, for them this is also just inventarization for if they even want to expand to doing game development. It could also be that I setup the most holy code you've ever laid your eyes upon and they decide to not do anything with it anymore
Rnot exactly saying that
Rthat is just unrealistic, even if you were carmack himself
JAbsolutely
R@techpizza what were you going to say?
Lbruh
Rhe was typing for a little bit, I kinda wanted to hear his opinion
JI'm just saying there's many ways that the usability of a "engine" I write might not matter at all, so it might be okay to take a bigger risk on it
This is of course something I will have to discuss with the company, it all boils down to what they want.
This is of course something I will have to discuss with the company, it all boils down to what they want.
not sure this is exactly the best way of going about it. If it works and they can further actually use it, it is a powerful optionI agree, but I'm not sure what would be a better way, except having a team of experts that know what a game engine needs
Ti wanted to say that it would be a big undertaking to make a game engine, especially a mobile one
Tand not to shit on your abilities, but a junior would not have a fun time
J;D
RUse an engine designed by a team of experts, who knows what a game engine needs and how to implement those systems efficiently
RIf they are going to use your engine to make any other meaningful games
Rit has to be usable by the way
Rnot to mention you need to document and explain everything, so that they can understand what is going on
Rnow, it is great for job security, if they feel forced to use it though
Rthey will have to keep you around to make their stuff work
Rto fix this, implement that
Tdon't forget about the seven eleven million bugs on mobile platforms when it comes to rendering
L:^)
Rahh yep
Ror compute shaders 
RI hope I gave you PTSD
Tcompute shaders are a joke on adreno gpus at least
Rfor loops intensifies
RGPU VIDEO MEMORY CORRUPTION GROWS
JYeah, that does make the most sense then, doesn't it? 
I think using Silk for something like that would be fun, but maybe that should just be a hobbyist project. There's also definitely a "I don't know what I don't know" aspect here which is preventing me from really grasping the scope of such a project.
I'm not quite closing the book on Silk for this, maybe there's still some cool things to be done with it.
I saw your PM's and Stride3D looks really promising, I'll definitely be checking that out too
Thanks y'all for answering my questions and having the discussion, I really appreciate it
I think using Silk for something like that would be fun, but maybe that should just be a hobbyist project. There's also definitely a "I don't know what I don't know" aspect here which is preventing me from really grasping the scope of such a project.
I'm not quite closing the book on Silk for this, maybe there's still some cool things to be done with it.
I saw your PM's and Stride3D looks really promising, I'll definitely be checking that out too
Thanks y'all for answering my questions and having the discussion, I really appreciate it
Lnp
Lgood luck on the project
Rwelcome, but yeah I would suggest godot or stride. Silk is fine for hobbiests or if you are in a positition to build an engine, but most of the time sadly, especially with work people aren't. Its a large time-sink and costs quite a bit
RI would not completely give up on silk, I would just have a backup plan laid elsewhere