2D or 3D

if you can program in C or C++ , then download the SDL library (www.libsdl.org), for 2D graphics, keyboard and sound handling.

OpenGL or DirectX. Both for 2D and 3D, and anything in between.

Personally, I'd say go for 2D style but using 3D hardware features as exposed by D3D or OpenGL (doesn't matter which, if you're competent programmers).

The bigger issue is who is creating your artwork assets? What are their capabilities or desires? Drawing 2D pixel art, building highres 3D models (for rendering to 2D) and building realtime models are three separate fields in general.

Nowadays, I think it's actually easier to create 3D art than 2D art. In fact, I think a lot of 2D sprites are actually created by first creating a high-poly 3D model, and then rendering it. I also think it's easier to write a full 3D game. The tools are more developed.

I would suggest you evaluate Panda3D. At least do the tutorial - it only takes 15 minutes. Go to panda3d.etc.cmu.edu. Disclaimer - I'm one of the devs for Panda3D.

- Josh

You could use OpenGL for a game like that, but that would result in that your game is using Hardware Acceleration which is in my opinion bad becuse it exists machines that can't handle that. I'd use SDL and try to find solutions for Lightning, Alpha Blending and such with software algoritms.

[Edited by - Lord_Dragonbone on February 26, 2005 3:27:56 PM]

I agree with Genjix, SDL is awesome. Took me less than an hour to download it and get a basic graphics/input system set up. Very unintrusive in your code. I haven't tried running OpenGL in it, but it probably wouldn't take long at all to get some tris rendering.

For style, I personally prefer total software 2D. 3D accelerated 2D is ok, and will pretty much always outperform software (non-accelerated computers are rare these days), but it takes away a lot of the fun writing fast blitters, and puts some limits on the kind of effects you can do. Still, it depends on if you enjoy spending time on the little engine coding tasks, or just want to have a game running fast and soon.