First off as we are at this stage in FPSC development I would like to take the opportunity to thank TGC and all users and supporters of FPSC both past and present for the time, money, help and hard work they have given to it.
My comments here are personal opinions and generalisations not aimed specifically at any individual and could be applied with relevance to any game engine and do.
As a long term supporter of the concept of FPSC since the early days of its original conception I would like to make comment for what its worth.
I will try and keep this brief, something I am not well known for and leave the details of what FPSC2 should contain in the main as many valuable points have been already been made by other users and many more I am sure will follow. I will instead make reference not to what it should contain, but what it should deliver....
Whats good for indie developers will always be good for and of benefit for the indie game engine developers because their are millions of us and a never ending stream of would be indie game makers always available. All you have to do to achieve success is you have to give them what they want and need which currently is not the case. FPSC itself has not, does not and can not deliver that. Its not an easy task and thats accepted.......
Indie developers in the main generally speaking have quite limited resources in terms of manpower and finances. Given that they are not short of finding creativity, effort and hard work, what they need and have always needed is the right tools to do the job.......
....A Rapid Application Development environment for obvious reasons.
....A complete and stable product that is supported by the developers ongoing.
....potential for backwards compatibility for obvious reasons.
....A bug and issue free environment so they can concentrate on their job and create games instead of spending most of their time fighting with it.
....A method to successfully compile their games.
....A method to successfully distribute their completed games to the widest possible audience.
Thats it. In essence a product that can achieve the objective given that the user has the will to make use of it to that end by themselves making the considerable efforts that will still be needed in order to do so. What they dont need is to waste time working with tools that cant deliver to the end of their project/product life cycle and get their games to market if thats the objective. Bells and whistles wont do whats needed alone but far from it and they will get in the way unless the base product is credible otherwise 10 years down the road they will be starting again.
As to the question of support. These communities have always supported TGC the products and I am sure they will continue to do so even given that FPSC to date has not sadly been able to live up to users expectations and or quite met with the products original concept objectives.
Currently we are asked to support something we know nothing at all about and it would be helpful if users were to be enlightened with information as to what it is that FPSC is envisaged to become as FPSC2 and what it is likely to deliver in some detail of realistic objectives that can be achieved. It would be helpful that we know that FPSC will be further developed fully to reach a successful conclusion to those objectives and not left in limbo half way along the journey.
The detail.....
....FPSC2 should be an indie engine designed with indie developers in mind.
....it should take account of where we are and where game making is today.
....It should provide for compile and delivery to more than one platform. At least local and web browser gameplay.
....It would be advantageous and of benefit to all without doubt if it had credible and stable multiplayer support.
....It is vital that the core engine be stable and extensible and be able to support realistic objectives and deliver indie developers projects successfully and that it can successfully be built upon maintaining that stability.
All in all a lot to ask and expect but thats the nature the beast I guess. Either it will provide users with a tool that can deliver or not. Half a solution is no solution.
Bells and whistles you can do without unless the FPSC2 core engine has stability, extensibility and the base features and functions required by indie developers to support them in the development and deployment of their games successfully currently and ongoing.
Anyway enough of that. Personally I will continue to support FPSC as and when I am able as many will surely do. Everyone is well aware that FPSC has somewhat stagnated in recent times and that is largely due to its own failure to deliver whats been referred to above for many reasons perhaps some of which we are all aware of and some not.
Clearly if FPSC2 is to be any different to FPSC9 and FPSCX10 then it has to deliver in practical terms the indie game makers objectives of successful development and deployment in the real world of today and into the future in the environment of game making and game playing.
I may not live to see it unless its soon - however I wish FPSC2 and all concerned with it much success and your game making.
