There are other alternatives, you can crosscompile java to native with gcj for example. (Only tested that with a hello world so far, but that was kinda intresting to see a .exe in native assembler being compiled out of a .java)
@EmpirePhoenix said:
There are other alternatives, you can crosscompile java to native with gcj for example. (Only tested that with a hello world so far, but that was kinda intresting to see a .exe in native assembler being compiled out of a .java)
Ooo very interesting.
@HeroHero said:
but when it comes to other details such as testing and deployment, the major packages seem to be far more full-featured.
We have a one checkbox deployment scheme for exe , applet, webstart for linux,osx, win, and android apk in the SDK. Ok there is no IOS, PS3 or Xbox but heh...that's not bad IMO.
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In my opinion UDK is more like a toolbox with plenty of tools inside, but if something isn’t there - you are pretty screwed. jME would definitely my choice, because it’s opensourced, it let me do whatever I want.
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I agree, there are certain things I do the UDK would already explode with. (For example for y logic I use serverside a 64bit double Scenegraph. (basically just replaced all foat with double and I was ready) Try this with the UDK without sourcecode access.)
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Hey everyone,
Just thought I would give my 2 cents as Current UDK Team that is migrating over to J Monkey.
Here is why we are choosing J Monkey Over UDK for our project.
- Limited only by the hardware that I can run my game on.
- Open Source (AWESOME!)
- Supports Linux, Android, Windows, Mac, etc. (No 50k Licensing Agreement per platform)
- I can redistribute our code and tool set for modding with out worrying about legal stuff.
- I can make money off a game without having to pay royalties to a major company (Epic Games, Crytek, etc.)
- It’s Java
- Very Active and helpful forum.
Vs.
Unreal Dev Kit
- Lots of tools! Not enough samples…
- C++ Back-end
- Unreal Script ( Not Enough Documentation on it - How it works, why, etc.)
- Very Active and helpful forum but also very competitive
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Thanks for the insight headclot.
Since you guys have been working in the UDK for a while, from the sounds of it, it’ll be nice to hear what you think of JMonkey after spending some time with it. You’ll be able to compare the tools and capabilities of both and report back! 
@HeroHero said:
Maybe it's just me, but I find it obvious that JME, still being solidly in beta, 100% open source, and non-profit, is not really meant to be a real competitor to fully featured commercial packages like Unity or Unreal. At least not yet.
Currently I see it as an educational platform. I have learned quite a lot from JME and when I have more time after school I hope to actively develop for/with JME. But if I had to make a commercially viable game today by myself, given my inexperience and JME's incomplete state I would also have to go with something like Unity. I just don't know enough about the low level parts of making a game to do it on my own. But without communities like JME I would know very much less.
So it's important to keep the support for this project going even if you use another package for "real" game making, because if projects like JME aren't supported they die, and if they die then we don't get to make this choice anymore.
And who knows, maybe one day we will have a fully featured open-source package that rivals even Unreal in ability and ease of use and it will be completely free to use and community maintained. But that can only happen with support.
I disagree. In fact, I'm putting my money behind it. Once I've got bank funding and found an artist/modeller I can work with, I'm quitting my job and will be making a JME game fulltime. I think its plenty ready.
My only concern actually is Nifty. I'm not sure its ready for commercial games yet. But as for JME itself, I'm confident that I can make a successful game out of it, and get it to run on more than platform to boot.
@ancalagon said:
I disagree. In fact, I'm putting my money behind it. Once I've got bank funding and found an artist/modeller I can work with, I'm quitting my job and will be making a JME game fulltime. I think its plenty ready.
My only concern actually is Nifty. I'm not sure its ready for commercial games yet. But as for JME itself, I'm confident that I can make a successful game out of it, and get it to run on more than platform to boot.
And I wish you the best of luck! Can't wait to see what comes of it :)
Thanks! Hopefully in about 2 months I will have some actual screenshots and concept art.
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