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Programming / Re: Gamemaker Goddamn

« on: March 26, 2014, 11:28:23 AM »

I've played around with GM a bit recently (read: I've followed through some of the tutorials). I got it with the recent free giveaway. So, my impression of the product is based on it's most current state and not how it was in the v8 and older versions. The following points are my mostly disconnected impressions, and I admit to not having spent that much time with the engine:

• The interface feels really janky and flaky and overall poorly organised. Just having tabs for multiple code editors would improve it a lot. Some elements of the interface in the default dark theme are almost invisible. The theme however looks pretty good.
• On the pricing, I don't think it's too unreasonable. Assuming you only want to target desktop (minus linux) the fully featured version is $100. Compared to Unity at $1500 or whatever it is, this is a bargain.
• GML is just kind of icky. Coming from experience with Java (which despite it's faults i would at least describe as a solid language) and Python, GML just seems kind of primitive. I mean, proper short-circuit evaluation isn't in the language yet, but will be there in the upcoming 1.3 release.
• While GML is icky, the built in API seems to be quite extensive and wholly geared around 2d sprite based games.
• The impression I get from their tech blog is that they're trying to position GM as a more serious professional game engine. They seem to be aware of some of the limitations and awkwardnesses of the engine and are trying to address them. As I said before, they're introducing proper short-circuit evaluation and there was also a big post on them re-doing the way surface rendering works so that it's more sensible and also works the same cross platform.
• As far as I'm aware GM is one of the few (only?) entirely 2d focused game engines around (yes I know there are a lot of 2d frameworks around but I'm talking about engines). I think its the closest thing the 2d world has to a Unity equivalent. Having said that, Unity (my only other point of comparison as far as engines go) is a far more solid and well designed engine. In particular, scripting in C# is far superior to using GML.
• The most troubling thing about GM is the DRM debacle in late 2012 that CaptainKraft pointed out. That was really quite sickening.