Over the past several months as a freelance game developer, I have run into a small issue that I am interested in. I have been working on projects for both the XBox and the PC using Lithtech 3.0 and the ass-kicker Quake III. Because they are fairly similar in license cost (Lithtech 250. Quake III 300.) I was curious to see what people think is better about each in a business sense. I know that quake is a marketing dream, and has the advantage of a proven user base and excellent technology, but the Lithtech Engine provides an adequate if not ass kicking addition to game engines. Please post any responses and feel free to dump your oppinions. Elliott Sommer No one can run without taking a first step.

I´d say that depends on the kind of game you´re going to make. As far as i can tell, the Q3 is just a tad better.... not that it´s really going to make a difference with the power the xbox has. How about editing tools? As far as I know the support for Q3 is better, there´s also a large fan-pool you can draw resources from.
I´m assuming you mean $300000, right? Depends on what you think you can buy yourself for 50k ...

Since I´ve seen both of them in action I´d go with the Lith engine, but this is not an objective assesment, but rather a personal choice (i just like the look of it).

LoL you assume correctly...

Thanks for your input

No one can run without taking a first step.

quote: Original post by Elliott AGP

I know that quake is a marketing dream, and has the advantage of a proven user base and excellent technology

Quake engines were good advertising back when no one was using them. Now that its a regular occurance to license Quake or Unreal engines, its just a bullet point. People will just want to know how youve modified it. If you arent willing to spend years modifying it beyond its original state, its nothing more than that check mark of ''has good engine''.

Politely I must correct you, marketing is still akey advantage held by the quake engine simply because it is still the asskicker. Until next week it will be the top engine in the world that supports both 32 bit texturing and curved surfaces, among other features, that fact alone is enough to hype any project, I would know, trust me. LithTech however does not do much advertising or excess hyping because their engine is a commercial product not intended to be directly released to the public. I am not saying you are entirely inncorrect, I am merely stating that the engine still packs a hell-of-allot more marketing puch then you are giving it credit for. DavidRM, your oppinion?

No one can run without taking a first step.

You can get the Lithtech engine for 50 grand ...

Although that is true I am discussing the same level of support as that offered by the peopel at IDsoftware. If you get all the support and features from LithTech it is indeed 250.

Thank you,

Elliott Sommer
Avalanche Game Productions

No one can run without taking a first step.

I don''t have a real opinion on this issue. IMO, you use the tools that make the most sense for your project.

And with that in mind, if the choice is "marketing bonuses" vs "does what you need", the answer seems obvious to me.

Continuing on IMO: As soon as you slap "Uses Quake X Engine" on your box, you have just identified your game as a first-person-shooter...whether it is or not. And you''ve also provided some nifty free advertising for Quake and any other Quake-engine-based game. The former may be what you want...the latter is just part of the cost of using such a high-profile piece of technology.

To me, this is similar to those movies in the 60''s that advertised "CinemaScope" in the opening credits...as if the viewer really cared. After all, they just want to see an enjoyable film. The hoops you jumped through to make it really don''t impress them much. If it did, "Waterworld" would''ve made more money... ;-)

Something else to consider is that the $50K difference is at least *somewhat* significant in that it represents most of the salary for a full-time or contract employee (programmer, artist, or sound engineer).



DavidRM
Samu Games

can I ask where you got 300 grand to buy an engine??

In general, we reffer to them as publishers, or rich relatives... lol

No one can run without taking a first step.

Edited by - Elliott AGP on June 16, 2001 4:49:19 PM