The first big update of the isometric block-world game engine „Wurfel Engine“ has been released. Version 1.1. called „Feature Update“ is more stable and has increased performance and introduces many new features.
The library used for the game loop, basic rendering methods and file access has changed from Slick to libGDX. libGDX is running a bit faster, supports Android and is better maintained then Slick. Working on the Android port has also started.
The main feature of this update is the day-night cycle using the phong lighting model.
You can set the angle, the color and the speed of global light sources (sun and moon) and the light get‘s automatically calculated like in a 3D game.
This engine reached a new level at 2.5D graphics and is in this point technically more advanced than the good looking isometric games back then (e.g. Sacred) and today (e.g. Gnomoria, Towns or any other pixel art game).
This amazing technique is only possible with a block world.
Because it is a open source game engine the focus lay also on the classes architecture.
The new coordinates class makes working with coordinates very easy.
Full changelist:
- day-night cycle made with a light engine using phong lighting model
- new library: libGDX
- architecture/code improvements:
- separated sprites of blocks from entities via GameObject categories
- new position classes for easy managing of coordinates
- cleaner code
- improved performance and stability
- you can now reference another sprites (needs more work)
- more dynamic sprite sizes
- new time-control feature (allows slow motion)
- support for sounds for jumping, landing and entering water with a character
- mini-map has turned squares
- removed many little bugs
Future plans and current status
I got an additional team member helping me with website. If you also want to join development please contact me.
I started working on the next update, the „Use It“ update (v1.2). It should make it easier to develop your own games with the engine.
More gameplay related features will be included in v1.3. This will be around blowing stuff up and destroy the block world with guns (I call this the „Destruction“ update).
Currently I am studying media informatics at Bauhaus University in Germany which will help me improve the graphics and the sound in future. At the moment I am only learning stuff I already know or don‘t need for the engine (arithmetics, analysis and encryption etc.)
You can build behind columns >= 2 in height right? just curious.
In the video I build just this high but you can build higher. You can configure you chunk height as high as you wish but the higher the slower. For each block in height you also must add one in depth to prevent suddenly appearing blocks when new chunks are being loaded when you move around the map. The bigger the chunks the more blocks are stored, moved, lit etc.
I don't know any numbers of the performance impact since I developed the chunk system over a year ago. I may be only a little but under 50 Blocks in height should be enough.
Yeah I forgot that the odds lines are shifted and therefore the chunk size must be: depth >= 2*height.
well actually, my question was can you build behind them?
Theoretically yes but it's not implemented yet. It's hard to control 3D-space with a fixed camera on a 2D screen. I thought of controls where you can select the height with scrolling and with mouse position the x-y-axis.
I think that's an awesome idea. Good luck on the engine, looking at terraria this definitely has the possibility of being big.