So I was wondering, is it better to have several ‘specialised’ engines, tuned for specific genres, or just make universal engines that you can use on every production?
Specialised engines would be cheaper to create and replace with updated versions but the cumulative maintenance cost might end up higher than with single, all application engine.
Which way did you guys go?
I create huge Universal Engines.
After I completed some researches I usually build a new engine.
That way I can mess around with the sliders more in development.
For example an Action game does not need dialogues. I could skip ‘Dialogue Tree’ and the like.
Action/Adventure need some Diaglogues. Universal Engines give me the chance to give this game ‘Dialogue Tree’ whereas there would be a high chance a specialised Engine either has not the graphics or the Dialogue Options.
In the end having one huge Engine is cheaper than having 3 specialised Engines.
I generally do the same thing as BL4DE. I do a bunch of research and then I create a new engine. After 6-10 games on that engine I’ll have more research done and create a new one.
Early Game: Heavy RPG focus due to popularity on Gameling
Mid Game: Haven’t gotten past mid game yet 
First play through I did the universal engine and stuck everything and the kitchen sink into it.
2nd time I specialised a bit more and won with an MMO on RPG.
3rd time i totally focused on sim and strategy games and the focused engine plus the exactly right skills on employees has worked very well.
It pays to specialise. The next replay I think I will try to make an MMO and my own console…
Of course it pays to specialise.
If you abandon RPG, Adventures and the like you could build Engines without any Dialogue Features.
If you abandon Action and similar high graphics genres you could skip Stereo 3D.
The Engines get smaller and are not that expensive, but the possibilites are also shortened.
I don’t like finding myself in financial trouble and getting a message about ‘RPG’ is strong while I don’t have any Dialogue and/or Worlddesign Features in my Engine.
If you build multiple specialised engines to cover all genres you end up paying more.
And this was the point of the original question.
What i do that seems quite effective is specilize into RPG type engines. basically mostly dialog choices and what not. most game types will either also find this useful, or not have anythign amazing on their own. after that i keep my graphic engine up to date and any addons i like (multiplayer stero sound etc)
my engines tend to all be massive everythign ive reaseched engines, but i research mostly RPG things since they SEEM to be to me so far the ones that pay off the most with specing, most other titles ive tried do fine with them.
For my newest playthrough I am giving it a shot.
Since I’m restraining myself to Action, Strategy, Simulation and Casual I skip all dialogue, story and world design features.
Because of this I just can’t do any other genre but the engines are sufficent for ‘my’ genres.
First I do specialized engines since they are relatively expensive, and only after some major upgrades (eg better graphic version and 3-4 other features). After a bit you earn too much money compared to the engine-cost so I make a new one whenever I have 2 or so more upgrades. then later I just spam universal engines with everything included, even the crappy stuff. it is a cheap and extremely fast way to earn RP. When you have 100 million and need RP just make huge engines and you will have enough to train everyone.
I typed up this up and use it for when I am training staff and making games to remind me what people need to go where, and also for making engines so I can remove the things that are out of date so I dont spend extra money on that stuff.
When I do a engine I also make sure to keep my most up to date 2D graphics in the game as well as the 3D. Just in-case I want to make something retro (even though they review incredibly bad in the later game).
Engine [Req. 180D/720T]
Gameplay [Req. 720D/180T]
Story/Quests [Req. 720D/180T]
Dialogues [Req. 810D/90T]
Level Design [Req. 360D/540T]
Artificial Intelligence [Req.180D/720T]
World Design [Req. 540D/360T]
Graphic [Req. 450D/450T]
Sound [Req. 540D/360T]
Linear Story>Branching Story>Interactive Story>Immersive Story
Simple Cutscenes>Advanced Cutscenes
Full Motion Video
Moral Choices
Reactive Quests
Full Motion Video
Basic Physics>Advanced Physics
Multiplayer>Online Play
Not sure if anyone would find that useful, I just find it handy since i was always forgetting when it was time to make a new engine.
I thought 2D graphics where commonly used in strategy games, even now. Or am I confusing terms here?
Only partly correct.
Strategy games do use 3D Graphics. But a very scaled down versions.
2D Graphics is just that. Two Dimensional.
So in fact if there’s is an animation and a visible hight in an object it is most likely 3D.
As long as you can seemlessly zoom large scales and the objects ‘bend’ because of the Point of View it is 3D.
‘Simple’ 2D Graphics are used by smaller companies like Greenheartgames, Introversion and the like mostly for Tycoon or Very Small Scale Strategy games.
I am 18 years in and I haven’t created a single custom engine.
213k fans
63M in the bank
Most of my games are developed for around 50k and I rack in anywhere from 250k to 5M per game.
How it is possible? So you make old 2D games in 3D HD era and it is worth?!
Why I think it is a bug. I can use technology found when you first started the game for end game and still make millions. My last hit had over 1 million sales with no publisher.