2D tools - Blitzmax or C#

If I were to make some standalone tools for a 2D game being made on another engine (like Torque Game Builder), which would you recommend I use more? Blitzmax or C#?

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Look at your average C/C++ programmer and your average BlitzMax programmer, and what each is able to accomplish with their toolset.

C/C++ is nothing like C#. Beyond the most basic syntax level, they just don't compare.

For games, I'd still favour BlitzMax, although I am concerned for the future. However, for tools, I'd have to say C# because you just get better GUI gadgets and 3rd party tool options with .Net. MaxGUI is nice, but it's only intended to be simple.

If you are doing anything with a gui, its hard to beat c# and vb.net. However, the built in System.Drawing classes(gdi+) for .net are very slow, and imo a pain in the ass to use.

You can get by with them, but I'd recommend using the various tao framework bindings like sdl and opengl, or managed directx/xna.

Hmm well then that might be a problem as well. One of the reasons I was looking forward to learning C# was because it's easy-to-use with graphics and I thought it would be similar to C++ (which I'm also using for something else).

I also like making games/tools from scratch - no engines or wrappers like Blitz languages.

I meant in terms of productivity. I can't imagine anyone familar with C++ finding C# hard. It's just so much easier and quicker to work with than C++, and all the nasty stuff is removed/hidden away. Plus AFAIK there is no non-.Net C# so you have the huge .Net framework to use.

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I don't remember it being "costly". If you can find that link again I'd love to see it.

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What method would you say is more "professional"? I would think programming something from scratch with C# and Managed DirectX is more credible than using Blitzmax. I'm talking about game development too now.

What's your opinion?

I think you've completely missed my point, because that doesn't make much sense to me in the context of anything I said. I said that with C#, you have a huge library of code, known as the .Net framework to use.

I'm not sure how - if at all - that ties in with precompiling .Net binaries to Win32 exe's.

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But there is no reason in this beside beeing masochist :). As nowadays even games install .NET 2.0 framework, there is no problem. (.NET 1.1 was installed with SP2, any XP user surfing the net without should be banned from net until he managed to understand the meaning of stable and secure)

And before anyone asks "which game": Supreme Commander for example (sadly it was unable to do it here. 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 installed anyway)

C# is great for productivity. The GUI editor is good, and the language itself great. Coding a GUI by hand becomes tedious in any blitz language. Blitz has it's uses, but for tools I'd go with C# if you know it.

I'm amazed noone mentioned this:-

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A73A7E71-FF41-432D-A0EB-043E904A1905&displaylang=en

It's actually not bad for a freebie, I had an image moving around in about 5 mins (Shock horror, MS have provided decent tutorials with it, oh, and theres 3D tutorials too, though, I've never looked at them yet)

Runs with C#, sets up nigh-on everything concerning DirectX, pretty usefull stuff.

Dij set a forum up at syntaxbomb for this:-

http://www.syntaxbomb.com/forum/index.php?topic=244.0

Basically, it explains the setup

Dabz

P.S. I think, and I may be wrong, it only works with Visual C# Express Edition, not the full blown VS2005!

Has anyone here used Xenocode's Postbuild 2007? It looks very interesting...

Credible to who? To the person who pays you, the most important factor is that you're not wasting your time, and by extension his money.

Yeah, I'm not one for coder bravado. Use whatever language gets the job done quickly and to spec.

Ok, then I was right. You did completely miss the point. Twice.

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A person who thinks C and their hybrids are the only credible languages in the whole wide shiny world :)



I'd use the language you're the most comfortable in. But if you were planning on releasing the source code to the "Torque" community, then I'd research which one would be more appreciated.

> or even free alternative out there to stop people from decompiling your .NET code.

There is dotfuscator based on Java obfuscator - they could decompile it but they won't be able to make use of it. (I think, never had a need for the thing myself since I write apps and hand over the source to the customer)

If you weren't talking to me, then you it seems rather odd to start your reply with

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