EGachine 0.1.2 review

EGachine is an JavaScript game engine focused on 2D multi-player (networked) games

License: GPL (GNU General Public License) File size: 0K Developer: karme

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EGachine is an JavaScript game engine focused on 2D multi-player (networked) games. The idea is to provide a tool for learning by writing computer games.

It is based upon a simple extensible JavaScript shell (EJS) and different modules providing functionality required for programing games.

Here are some key features of "EGachine":
open source / free software (GPL)

- tool for learning by writing computer games

beginner friendly:

Get beginners started with game programing. For now there is no detailed documentation (any volunteers?) but the examples should get you started. JavaScript is a nice language and you don't need to compile code. You only need EGachine and a text editor to get started.

- quick development of games sometimes you just want to write a game within few hours

portability

- run untrusted code in a secure manner:

This is similar to Java applets or like browsers run JavaScript code. This means you only download the client once and games/apps may be shipped via network. Neither server nor client can access files from JavaScript code. (ATTENTION: at the moment you should not run untrusted scripts)

network support:

Writing multi-player network games/apps should be easy. The client may establish one connection to a server. The server may listen on one port and establish one connection (for example to a meta-server).

not limited to games - could also be used as: presentation tool, "movie" player similar to flash, special purpose terminal, tool to teach/learn OpenGL

- modular: based upon EJS and modules for EJS

Video modules:

- OpenGL language bindings
- Video layer (basic 2D functionality)
- a simple scene-graph
- experimental SVG module

Audio module:

- very basic functionality
- play music
- play samples

Input module:
For beginners:
- gamepad like input devices (perhaps emulated by keyboard)
- or text input
For advanced users:
- events for:
keyboard, mouse, joystick, window manager, ...

Network Module:

- basic stream interface (read/write)
- distributed object graph


The simplest way to compile this package is:

1. `cd' to the directory containing the package's source code and type `./configure' to configure the package for your system. If you're using `csh' on an old version of System V, you might need to type `sh ./configure' instead to prevent `csh' from trying to execute
`configure' itself.

Running `configure' takes awhile. While running, it prints some messages telling which features it is checking for.

2. Type `make' to compile the package.

3. Optionally, type `make check' to run any self-tests that come with the package.

4. Type `make install' to install the programs and any data files and documentation.

5. You can remove the program binaries and object files from the source code directory by typing `make clean'. To also remove the files that `configure' created (so you can compile the package for a different kind of computer), type `make distclean'. There is
also a `make maintainer-clean' target, but that is intended mainly for the package's developers. If you use it, you may have to get all sorts of other programs in order to regenerate files that came with the distribution.

What's New in This Release:
A port to the Linux-based GP2X handheld was begun.
At the moment, only the shell works, and runtime compilation of C code is done using a native GCC toolchain instead of using TCC.