Modular Game Engine

A Modular Game Engine is an idea that sounds like a dream in theory, but making it become reality might be a nightmare, specially when checking for bugs and testing performance. It is a versatile game maker with more options than Super Mario Maker and Mega Maker, including not only the option to make your own games, but also customizing the maker to have the tools you see fit to use in the game you plan to make. Of course, to save space in the finished game, only used assets are saved.

And no, I'm not making a "M.G.E" (I'm not a programmer), this is just the plan for how I'd like one to be if I were to make one.

• Options and graphics (Settings)
• Controls and basic character animations (Core, Core/Controls, Core/Effects and Core/Character/"Character Type"/Animations)
• Characters (Core/Characters: /Playable Characters, /NPCs, /Enemies, /Bosses, /Others)
• Items (usable items, equipments, weapons, automatic items, ...)
• Elements and Status Effects

• HUD (Core/HUD)
• Maps (stages, levels, ...) (Core/Maps)
• Audio (Core/Music and Core/SFX)
• Game Sample (Core/Game Sample) - Comes a finished game sample.

Getting Started

When starting, the engine will show one menu with some questions to help with the development. Those are mainly to assist the maker by loading tools better suited for the planned game, but they can be ignored if the maker wishes to start completely from scratch or with custom tools.

To save space, when installing the engine it shows the same options, the installer choosing if all should be installed or only some of them, being able to install or remove them if needed.

Graphics and Gameplay

• 2D - Uses 2D graphics and/or gameplay. Will not load some of the 3D options to save space, but these can be activated later if needed. Examples: Mega Man, Metroid, Castlevania, ...
• 2.5D - The default option, but the heaviest of the three. Can use either or both 2D and 3D graphics. Gameplay can also be either or both, like the Sonic the Hedgehog series (from the Genesis bonus stages to Sonic Generations) and Mega Man X8.
• 3D - For games focused on 3D gameplay. Will noy load some of the 2D options to save space, but these can be activated later if needed. Examples: Mega Man Legends, God of War, ...

Camera Resolution

The game's default camera size, better suited for the game's graphics. The starting size is 800 x 600 pixels. Bold selections are always available for players in a finished game's options, alongside the maker's default selection. Additional ones are only available if the maker decides to include it. If one of the sides from the default resolution is below 550, the finished game will include the option to increase the screen size x2 x3, and x4, and the maker can choose one to be active by default.

(Width X Height)

• 32 x 32
• 96 × 64
• 160 × 144
• 160 × 152
• 220 × 140
• 240 x 160
• 256 × 212
• 260 x 260
• 300 x 220
• 320 x 240
• 480 × 270
• 480 × 640
• 500 x 500
• 720 x 500
• 800 x 480
• 800 x 600
• 960 × 550
• 1024 x 800
• 1280 x 800
• Custom (min size is 20, max size is 4800, max difference between the two values is 500)

Camera Position

The primary camera style set as the default for the maps/stages. This can be changed anytime, as well as expanded as multiple camera views are supported. The maps are always considered 3D by the engine, even if they are completely in 2D, so changes can be done if the maker plans to expand or change the game's graphics, even in "simple" ways like the arenas from the GBA game Sonic Battle.

• Side-view - Common in 2D side-scrollers like Mega Man, Metroid, Castlevania, ...
• Partial Side-view 2 - A partial side view common in beat-em-ups like Final Fight
• Top-view - Common in old RPGs and in games like The Legend of Zelda and Goofy Troop.
• Isometric view - Common in strategy games and in games like Mega Man Battle Network and Namco × Capcom. Camera rotation can be turned on/off, being off by default as it would not work well in 2D maps.
• First-person view - Common in shooters.
• Third-person view - Common in racing games and in games like Mega Man Legends and Crash Bandicoot.
• Position/Angle - The position of the camera depends of the player's position, like the early games from the Resident Evil series.
• Other - Selected by the maker.
• Free - The camera will not be fixed. Not recommended.

Camera Movement

Similar to Camera Position, but those can also be changed both during development and in finished games (except for "Free" not being included in the options menu from finished games by default, but it can be added by the maker, and the others can also be removed).

• Active - The camera will always be in the set position. In 3D view, it adjusts itself to a better position if something big (like walls) is in the way, like changing from a top view or front view. Example: Metal Gear Solid.
• Passive - Has a 2 second delay (by default, can be adjusted to 1-15 sec.) to adjust to the set camera position. Example: Spyro the Dragon.
• Control - Movemented by the player, after 10 seconds (by default, time can be adjusted between 1-60 sec.) without input it will slowly return to the set camera position. If selected, by default the camera is adjusted by holding one button and moving the arrows, but the maker can change the default controls and players can also change it in the options menu. Example: Super Mario 64.
• Free - Movemented by the player, doesn't change from the last input. Examples include strategy games like Warcraft 2.

Genre

This will make the engine load tools better suited to make the selected type of game. More than one option can be selected. By default the engine has "Action/Adventure", "Fighting", "RPG", "Racing/Vehicle", and "Others" available, but as a modular tool, it has support for extra tools that can be created or customized by makers.

• Action/Adventure - For beat 'em up, Hack and Slash, Fighting, Platform, Shooter, Metroidvania, ... games.
• Fighting - Enables Fighting game elements like combos, special moves by combinations, and super gauges.
• RPG - Enables RPG elements for games like Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
• Racing/Vehicle - For minigames or a standalone racing game. By default, the option to get in/out of vehicles is enabled, but it can be disabled and with a click vehicles can be considered characters on their own. Can be used for "GTA clones" like the PS1 games Batman & Robin and Driver 2, vehicular combats like The Speed Rumbler and Twisted Metal, and races like Mario Kart and Mega Man: Battle & Chase.
• Strategy - Adds resources and other strategy related elements.
• Labyrinth - Adds labyrinth mechanics for games like Phantasy Star and Sword of Vermilion.
• Others - Point n' click, adventure, puzzle, educational, rhythm, ...

The ones below are not planned to be included by default, but as a modular tool, they can be included later.

• Sports - The options available allows to make them in a way, like the Inazuma Eleven game series and Mega Man's Soccer, but it could be specialized for specific sports.
• Simulation - Now this would be a challenge.

If RPG and/or Strategy are enabled, the following options will appear:

• Time
  • Turn-based - Take your time, or not. It has the option to have a timer to the end of the turn, it is off by default, but it is better to be on for multiplayer games, or if one wants a harder game.
  • Real-time - Real-time strategy and Action RPGs.
  • "Real-Turn" - Turn-based for a time
• Tactical - Tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics.
• RPG+ - Will load more RPG elements, like a battle menu and a bigger character rooster.
• Strategy+ - Loads more strategy elements, like the option to create buildings for games like Warcraft II and Populous: The Beginning.

Player Movement

• Rail - Don't choose this. The player can only move in a fixed path set by the maker.
• Fixed - Only a single line can be accessed (with more accessed with jumps or ladders), like most 2D platformers and fighting games.
• Partial - Has a partial freedom to the sides, the space determined by the maker. Examples: Final Fight, Alien vs. Predator, Golden Axe, Crash Bandicoot (3D example), ...
• Free - For 2D top-view games and 3D games. Will not be available depending of the combinations of the other questions.

Character Size

Loads a few default graphics and/or 3D models to be used as template for most characters. Those include 4 humanoid characters, 5 monsters, 5 vehicles, some equipments and items, and 2 small maps. Defaults models have low polygons, at best having PS2/NGC quality.

• Small - Barely visible. Examples: Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard and Lemmings.
• Medium - Decent size. Examples: Mega Man, Metroid, Castlevania.
• Big - About half of the screen size. Better for fighting games like Street Fighter.
• Custom - Size is decided by the maker. If selected, only 3D templates will be loaded.