Is Blender Game Engine 2.79 still actual for indie?
Tags: blender, python, gamedev
Published: 2024-04-20 19:16:23

The best thing that can happen with your hobby is when you have ability to not turn it to business. Joke? May be, but only then you can do the things you want.
I started gamedev as hobby in far 2007. These times I knew nothing about gamedev any any kind of software development, but I had strong skills of 3D design for construction & some memories about ZX-Spectrum Basic programming. I remember that I found good article in magazine about Blender 2.40: opensourse 3D designing suite with integrated game engine. Of cause I'd tested it and fell in love at a moment.
Next year I and my spouse Asya released our first 3D racing game "Distrakt"
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tu7by5r7qfft5sgg00rm.jpg)_Distrakt — dozen cars & 3 locations with photographic textures_

The next project Skidrules was Blender 2.49 based. It used GLSL and had much interesting look than Distrakt. 
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/chtbh3rldgndzy4gec22.jpg)_Skidrules with GLSL shading_

In 2011 I and my friend Daniel from Stockholm, Sweden released 
game "Skidrules.Burning". It was Unity 2.5 project with good graphix (for indie game) an advanced physic. 
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rofybqexrsmkn2zadcn7.png)_Skidrules. Burning — Unity 2.5 project_

Although collaboration with Daniel was amazing, I understood that Gamedev became hard work for me with Unity & C#, meanwhile Blender with Python gave fun, joy & pleasure. I took a pause for several years with it concerning on my profession. 
I back to my hobby in 2017 with project Societé Turbo. It was collaboration with my friend, polish artist Marcin Adamczyk. And yes it was the Blender based game again! From this moment I decided that I love the process itself. So Blender & Python is exactly that I need. 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/i52jw8ycw9jrwsg7731z.png) _Turbo Era. Car selection screen_

My latest finished project is Turbo Era — retro racing arcade. As dizzy as classic Outrun & Crazy Cars but in 3d. Of cause it's Blender 2.79b based.

Working on Turbo Era I figured out that today in 2024 graphix & effects aren't main aims of indie developer or hobbyist. It's useless to aim on big project with tonns of cars, huge locations and movie-like picture. And naturally you shoudn't recreate latest NFS. I suppose that succesfull indie project has:
- Style
- Interesting idea
- Humour
And it definitely filled with love.
Also the good indie game is kinda punk, you know! If not, what that's all for?!

Blender Game Engine has limits. Creating game you should always think about performance. So tonns of objects on screen are your enemies. Minimalism is your friend. The same is true for the indiegamedev process at all. BGE limits help you to keep right development limits.

In my blog, I'll tell you about my experience of creation my new BGE-project "Paddock". This will be not a game, but base for a games including all the mechanics I made in my previous projects. For example:
- Advanced car physics
- Pseudo AI driven cars
- Cars modding mechanism
- Start/Finish objects
- Levels scenario mechanism
- Replay system
...etc.