FAQ
Licensing and Support terms
What license is GameStart available under?
GameStart is still in Beta and as such, not yet available for public licensing.
Once released, a binary-only license (99$) and a source license (TBA) will be available.
Both licenses will allow commercial publishing at no additional cost on any platform.
What kind of support do you provide?
The GameStart website provides access to forums for users to help each other and editable documentation pages.
If you need paid support or custom development this service is available upon request.
Can I modify the engine and/or tool source code?
Yes, for your own project needs.
Can I publish or sell the engine and/or tool source code?
No.
Can my modifications be integrated back into the main source code?
Yes, provided that they comply with the GameStart Programming Guidelines.
Integration delay or feasibility may vary depending on the complexity of the modifications.
Why is it so cheap?
Because I do not have the infrastructure to support a dedicated support team to help and develop features on demand.
This is also why you are encouraged to share your improvements back so that they may be merged in the main source tree for everybody to enjoy.
Why is it not GPL?
Because this is my work and I decided to share it for a symbolic fee, writing software is work.
I also do not wish to see GameStart forked under the GPL into a project I have no saying over.
How often is it updated?
I work on GameStart on a daily basis 7/7, directly on the technology itself or through support for my or others projects.
There is no fixed schedule but updates are frequent.
When do you plan to stop working on it?
I have no such plan.
Is it the right tool for me?
Is it a complete game engine?
GameStart handler 3D, 2D, audio, physics, resource management and can script all of these components. Features are added on a regular basis.
What is it lacking?
If you are a team below 5 people probably not much, it should even make your life easier.
If you are planning to make a more ambitious project then you get a good foundation to build upon.
What is the engine capable of?
A lot, but more precisely:
- Commercial (Win): The Develter Car Driving Simulator (Web)
- Commercial (Win/OSX): Pure Audio Analyzer (Web)
- Commercial (Steam Win/WiiWare): Magnetis (Web)
- Commercial (Wii Retail): Pekin Express - La Route des Dragons
- Indie (Win): Mr.Cleaner (Web)
- and numerous other professional and hobbyist projects.
Is it portable? Multi-platform?
Yes. Portability is one of the main goals of the project.
Can I create something else than a game?
The GameStart editor was mostly built for game/simulation projects but has proven completely efficient for serious gaming and marketing projects. The underlying engine is very versatile and has been used to generate broadcast content.
Can I make a game with little to no programming experience?
No, this is not the software or engine you are looking for, sorry.
Can I make 2D games with it?
Yes, but the tool provides no visual editing for 2D at the moment.
What scripting language does GameStart use?
The Squirrel scripting langage (Web) which expands on the strengths and weakenesses of LUA to make it a more robust and objet-oriented solution.
Why not use LUA?
LUA had performance issues related to the garbage collector when that decision was made.
If you have a LUA background, using Squirrel is a matter of spending 15 minutes in its documentation (Web).
Isn't a script language too slow for a modern projects?
Some games created with GameStart are running on a 700Mhz Wii.
Many smartphone CPU are faster than this nowadays.