Seeking advice on tools and technology for my new game [closed]

Posted by k.k. slider on Game Development See other posts from Game Development or by k.k. slider
Published on 2012-10-03T21:09:19Z Indexed on 2012/10/03 21:56 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 275

I'm a C# developer who has been programming a game in my spare time using XNA and Visual Studio. The game's logic is mostly done and I've completed a prototype that has most of the functionality of (what I envision to be) the final game. However, having heard about the uncertain future and (possibly) limited audience for XNA games, I'm looking to switch platforms... but I don't know what technology would best suit my needs.

Below are some specifics about my game and what exactly I'm looking for, if you're interested:

  • The game is a 2D turn-based tactical RPG (strategy game) for two players. It is a basic sprite and tile based game with animations and sound. 3D capabilities are not necessary.
  • I'd like to allow players to compete with others online, and have a basic ranking/matchmaking system. I will probably need something that can interact with a server and a database (the game is turn-based and has no RNG, so cheating would be easy to detect even if most computation is done client-side and minimal data is sent to the server).
  • Ideally, I would be able to release an early version of the game and have people give feedback as I develop additional features (similar to Minecraft). I'd prefer to have a way to release periodic updates to the game instead of releasing an absolute final product.
  • To reach the widest possible audience, I'd prefer technology that allows me to release on PC, Android, iOS, and (maybe) Mac. This is a game with simple mouse inputs which can fit on a mobile touch screen.
  • The game should be monetizable. If I find success with this game, then I may consider becoming a full-time indie game developer. I have several other game ideas and have learned quite a bit from my first attempt at game development. My first thought was an F2P/microtransaction model, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Language isn't a primary concern of mine, since I have a decent amount of experience using several languages to program large projects. I'm willing to spend money (e.g. on a developer's license), but the more expensive it gets, the more hesitant I am to use it.

I've looked into the following solutions... there are a LOT of tools out there... if anyone has experience with any of these and would like to recommend/reject any of them, it would be helpful.

  • C#/.NET (XNA/MonoGame/SDL/SlimDX/Xamarin/ExEn/ANX?)

  • HTML5/JS (AppMobi/PhoneGap/Marmalade/FlashCanvas/Cordova/libRocket?)

  • Python (Pyglet/Pygame/Kivy?)

  • Java (JavaFX/libGDX?)

  • Unity/Construct 2/Cocos2D/NME/Corona/other game creation software? I'd like something that can do 2D and isn't limited by being too high-level.

  • Other languages (Lua/LOVE? Moai?)

Thanks for answering this rather long and tedious question...

© Game Development or respective owner

Related posts about XNA

Related posts about engine