If you could code...would you use GameSalad?

MLCinema

Hello,

If you knew how to code, would you use GameSalad? What would you use?

Hunnenkoenig

Probably not.
Maybe for prototyping...
For coding i would use C++

Snow

I can code in several different languages, but I still like to use GS since I can prototype really fast and I don't have to constantly do math, coding, figuring out physics etc when I want to test out a prototype.

There are times when programming is better, such as for instance - you want to make a game that is not possible in GS.. and it so happens, there are several types that are not possible or would require complex work arounds which just hog resources.

peachpellen

I still hope to use GS for a project in the future, especially when I have money for some of the great templates going around - it's how I got started and as long as no one is going to attempt to take my name I will always plan to revisit it from time to time.

That said, Corona is my engine now - so perhaps I should have voted for that instead of "other" - but really, there are some projects GS may be better suited to than others in the future if load times and such improve.

Just my two cents

TwistedMech

Snow said:
I can code in several different languages, but I still like to use GS since I can prototype really fast and I don't have to constantly do math, coding, figuring out physics etc when I want to test out a prototype.

There are times when programming is better, such as for instance - you want to make a game that is not possible in GS.. and it so happens, there are several types that are not possible or would require complex work arounds which just hog resources.

So true.

There are many GS Users who are programmers in more than one language across multiple platforms. While GS may only be 80% of the speed of Corona, you need to look at your end goal. I have a half written Corona game and it takes a lot longer than making something in GS. You also need to remember that new iPad/iPhone will be out this year and CPU will be faster. If you really want to support old and slow devices then prototype in GS and convert to Corona. If you have never coded before, you should try an XCODE samples book and then look at Peaches corona samples and see which language feels easier.

butterbean

Even if I knew Xcode, I would still use GS. Performance has already gotten better, and hopefully new features will keep popping up. The #1 reason being, I LOVE using Gamesalad. It's fun, easy, and intuitive for any game.

That being said, I'm always keeping my eyes peeled on announcements with other engines, and what features they have to compare to GS.

Snow

The nicest thing about GS is the drag drop scene editor. When you're raw coding a game, you have to sketch out where you want controls or actor pools to exist outside of the camera and fiddle around with x,y positions in space that you can't see.

I'm also used to Flash and like the scene editor you are able to see objects outside of the stage area (visible area). It's one of the reasons why I love Flash so much. Now I'm using Stencyl as I'm in the private beta so I finally have a development environment that is perfect for my needs (for web apps anyway): Drag and drop and I can raw code. GS is still my #1 choice for iPhone game creation.

DreamLab

Has anybody tried the program unity? I saw it but it looks very expensive at my age.
DL

gazjm

I'm in the process of learning corona, but I'm still using gs. my current project is being duel developed in the two. corona seems better for some things but gs has the advantage of pixel bimapping for changing an image colour, it saves alot if image space, that feature alone may make it the version I publish.

Photics

I can code. I don't like it.

Computers have graphical user interfaces. I don't spend my day running scripts or typing stuff in the command prompt / terminal to use my computer. I simply click and move stuff around in a virtual environment. Windows and Mac became popular because they made computers more accessible to people. GameSalad is on the path to do the same thing for game creation.

That's why I like GameSalad. The programming language is in plain English!

butterbean

Photics said:
I can code. I don't like it.

Computers have graphical user interfaces. I don't spend my day running scripts or typing stuff in the command prompt / terminal to use my computer. I simply click and move stuff around in a virtual environment. Windows and Mac became popular because they made computers more accessible to people. GameSalad is on the path to do the same thing for game creation.

That's why I like GameSalad. The programming language is in plain English!

Well said. The whole reason why I enjoy making games is the way GS is set up. If I had to sit and write code all day, it would suck the fun out of making games in the first place.

xarmian

I program for a living, but I started and still like using GameSalad. I spend most of my day reading, interpreting, and writing code so it's nice to do something else as a hobby. That being said, due to features I need (OpenFeint, arrays, in-app purchases soon, flexibility) and certain concepts that are simply not possible or are overly difficult to do in GameSalad, I started working with Corona and I like it as an alternative. I haven't completed a project in Corona yet, though. Each has clear benefits in my opinion with a slight overlap - the limits are much less in Corona (you have much more fine grained control, more game concepts that can be made plus the ability to make regular apps), but the ease of entry and intuitive nature of GameSalad is second to none. I hope to continue to use both as they both improve.

FranzKeller

DreamLab said:
Has anybody tried the program unity? I saw it but it looks very expensive at my age.
DL

Unity is amazing, powerful 3d engine. But it's also more expensive and complex to code, so there you go.