Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for
writing this; however this review contains my opinions and thoughts.
Developing a game with the
CryEngine 3 free SDK is no simple task.
This book strives to make this a little easier for anyone interested in
developing their own game. The engine is
primarily meant for First Person Shooters (FPS) and other open-world
games. The book was based on CryEngine 3
version 3.4 and currently the engine is on 3.58, so there are some differences
between the book and the engine you will be using. The also recommend using 3ds Max, Photoshop,
Notepad++, Flash CS 5.5 and a few others.
CryEngine 3 now accepts several free programs that you can use in place
of the costlier software.
The book starts off with an
overview of the engine and then jumps into using the Sandbox, which is the
level editor for CryEngine. Using the
free level that comes with the engine the book demonstrates how to move around,
sculpt your landscape and place items.
Once you have your basic level to use, the book moves to using the
FlowGraph Editor, which lets anyone without programming knowledge, create a
graph to have their game objects do things.
Up to this point, I have been using
the book with only the occasional reference to CryEngine’s Documentation. I definitely suggest that you bookmark the
document and forum webpages for easy reference.
Next the book covers using C++ and
for this the book suggests some prior knowledge in C++. I agree that the programming aspect of
CryEngine is a little difficult for a person new to programming.
CryEngine 3 covers using Scaleform
to create your HUD and then 3dsMax to create your own assets. Flash CC, which is the current version of
Flash, does not support Actionscript 2 which is what the book needs you to
use. You can use other products such as
Blender to create your own models and there are several free alternatives to
programming Actionscript 2; but I still suggest using Flash to create the
health bars, etc.
CryEngine 3 has a wonderful
cutscene editor that lets you create animations and all sorts of other
wonderful cutscenes and such. This book
demonstrates how to use the tools for this and rounds out with a chapter on
Audio design and another chapter on finishing the level for use by everyone.
CryEngine 3 Game Development:
Beginner’s Guide is a definite asset to have by your side and you create
wonderful levels with this tool.
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