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Tool Classification:
Functions=
(Engines - Game)
Qualifiers=
(Engine, 3D) (Console engine/support) (Mac OS version available) (Engine, w/authoring tools)
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The C4 Engine is a computer game engine created by Terathon Software that can be used to develop games for Windows (XP and Vista), Mac OS X (version 10.5), and the PlayStation 3 game console.
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If what you're targeting is a top-notch, AAA look to your game, with a scene graph that supports animation, effects, stencil and depth buffer shadows, cell/portal culling, reflection/refraction, a drag-and-drop shader editor, a drag-and-drop scripting language, and more, then C4 really should be on your short list!
The focus of C4 is to support modern, high-end graphics. If you want to target netbooks or 5-year-old hand-me-down computers, then C4 is not for you. However, if you have the skills and inclination to write a game for a modern PC, you could do a lot worse than C4.
Currently, it's $350 per seat for a typical indie developer, and comes with full source. Even more importantly, it also comes with very responsive support on the forums. The developer answers questions all the time, and the community is small but helpful -- and, more importantly, a lot more skilled than the community around other low-cost game engines.
The main draw-back of C4 is the C++ approach. If you want to do anything "real," then you will need to write C++ code. And, even worse, it's structured around a scene graph that "owns" the world. It's the C4 way, or the highway, unless you want to do significant surgery on how things are put together. For someone who likes to combine lots of smaller, task-specific libraries, C4 is more like a single, big monolith.
On the other hand, it comes with a very slick editor, GUI drag-and-drop configuration of almost everything, and is generally very low on bugs, so if you're mainly after getting your game done and shipping, I highly recommend you check it out.
artists do not typically need to buy a licence of this engine. the editor and import tools are all there for free in the demo. to program gameplay you need a licence, and if you are a good coder, this engine is supposedly very slick. i am an artist, so i can only paraphrase people i know who know better in this end of things.
for an artist, the rendering is about as good as you will get. 100% rock solid tools. you can work models in one at a time and build up structure in the editor, or you can build entire levels in your 3d app, import the whole thing as a collada file, and all the individual models are seperately selectable and movable etc. very handy.
the developer tends to work in quite solid features with a firm eye on the overall product rather than just trying to shoehorn in every new faddy feature. the result is stability.
the C4 community is the best you will find of any indy development around. have questions, comments or problems, there are always experienced and helpful people on the C4 forum who can provide answers and suggestions. Eric himself provides great support through the forum. also, there is minimal fanboyism, something that tends to spoil a forum pretty fast.
if you are looking to get an indy engine, do your own homework, read the specifications and ask the questions you want answered. avoid stat based charts which give anonamous propaganda of which is best. after all, if i wanted to i could click buttons for this and that engine all day. all i give is MY oppinion based on EXTENSIVE experience. whatever you choose, good luck with your projects.
irishlostboy.