Forums » Games » Write HTML4 Game With JSGF!

Hi, I'm the author of JSGF.
JSGF's full name is JavaScript Game Framework, included in JSDK.
It is a opensource and free project. I build it from 2007, open it in 2010, release it 2012.

JSGF support HTML4, so you should pay nothing for any HTML5 game framework.

On JSDK's website, you can study JSGF courses: How to write warcraft2 with JSGF?
http://jsdk2.sourceforge.net

I don't think you get the point of ImpactJS if you say that your framework "supports HTML4, so you should pay nothing for any HTML5 game framework" lol.

All-in-all, your engine looks good, and has a ton of learning resources, which is nice. I think there is definitely room for both your engine and Impact, since, once you look beneath the surface they seem to occupy different spaces.

I have nothing against discussions of other frameworks in this forum, but saying that "you should pay nothing for any HTML5 game framework" is quite rude and, frankly, close to spam.

Also, the menu and content of your website is missing in Chrome.

Can't say how much i agree with you dominic!
I can't stand this "you should pay nothing for..." nonsense.

If you have to earn a living for your own/family, you just get angry about that...
Beside the fact that IMPACT is realy brilliant, i'm very likely to pay for it (even more!), furthermore i do not care about a free alternative.
Why?
In fact 'true' companies out there work quite different, they don't care about a few dollars, they wan't the feeling of a well maintained product, that someone cares about it, that is only possible if this someone earns his salary.
This is also true for a small JS/Engine...

@Dominic: Continue your great work, i'm very pleased about it....

Believe it or not im an adult and im happy to make my own decisions. And my decision was to support dominic in the hope that he continues to support us all.

If fch415 wants to express his opinion thats fine, but dont come into someones house and talk shit about it.

This is just spam... nothing to see here... move along.

I still insist on my point, all JS game framework just support basic features of game developement, should not enough to pay for it.

As a framework developer, I'm just telling the fact to game developers.

Judging from this sample code taken from your framework's web site, then the cost of Impact is IMO far less of a price to pay:

_newWarrior: function(config){
    return new js.game.demo.warcraft2.Warrior({
        side:config['side'],state:config['state']||'stand'
        ,imageSrc:'../../images/warcraft2/'+config['side']+'/'+config['name']+'.png'
        ,x:config['x'],y:config['y'],dir:config['dir'],width:72,height:72
        ,frameSeqs:{
            .......
    });
}

Please try again.

EDIT: actually, promoting your framework on the impact forums shows poor taste. Why bother?

Quote from alexandre
Judging from this sample code taken from your framework's web site, then the cost of Impact is IMO far less of a price to pay:

_newWarrior: function(config){
    return new js.game.demo.warcraft2.Warrior({
        side:config['side'],state:config['state']||'stand'
        ,imageSrc:'../../images/warcraft2/'+config['side']+'/'+config['name']+'.png'
        ,x:config['x'],y:config['y'],dir:config['dir'],width:72,height:72
        ,frameSeqs:{
            .......
    });
}

Please try again.

EDIT: actually, promoting your framework on the impact forums shows poor taste. Why bother?

+1

This engine looks terrible. Why resist HTML5 when it's clearly the future? That's like preferring a TI-82 over Windows 7.

or preferring a T-1000 over a T... no, wait. That's the other way around. Sometimes newer isn't always better.

I did not see the code 1 to pay more worthy than the code 2:
//code1 from impact
var settings = {health: 100, vel: {x: 200, y: 100}};
var myEnt = new EntityMyEntityClass( 0, 0, settings );
//code2 from jsgf
new js.game.demo.warcraft2.Warrior({
side:config['side'],state:config['state']||'stand'
,imageSrc:'../../images/warcraft2/'+config['side']+'/'+config['name']+'.png'
,x:config['x'],y:config['y'],dir:config['dir'],width:72,height:72
,frameSeqs:{
.......
});

In Impact, the entity need manual contains an instance of the animation sequence:
animSheet: new ig.AnimationSheet( 'media/player.png', 16, 16 )

In JSGF, not like the impact, all this has been designed into data-driven:
{frameSeqs:{...},imageSrc:'xxx.png'}
Because JSGF Sprite class is powerful than the Entity class, can auto-play many of animation actions in the main thread loop (Sprite 's actions keep the same frame rate with the main thread).

In addition, the more classes in the framework quite immature, suggest the author talk about the charges with developers after becoming a good object designer (at least to achieve a considerable level).

Why is my framework does not support the HTML5 Canvas?Reasons:
1) HTML4 is enough for 2D games, why need HTML5. Those JS-beginners or money-lovers like the fashion word.
2) HTML5 Canvas has serious performance issues, far slow than the rendering performance of the DIV.

In fact, HTML5 Features exinclude Canvas, be supported by JSDK tool library(Do you read the API documentation?) .Just my game demo not need those.

http://tinyurl.com/7vs25zj

He is correct in that currently DIV rendering outperforms that of canvas. Seb-Lee demonstrated that quite clearly, and it's an easy test to reproduce.

That said, it currently outperforms it. It also has more than enough drawbacks and is the past instead of the first step into the future. Canvas is where it's going. The performance gap will lessen and lessen.

Coming here with that link lacks class in my opinion. We all know there are other game engines out there. Nearly every one of us has done a fairly comprehensive comparison of maturity, features, and price. We all decided on what we want to use. I actually use more than one language and more than one engine. I use what's appropriate for the current project. The price of Impact is really a non-issue. I had to give up Sushi for 2 days to pay for it...rough life.

Feng Chun, if you so crave recognition for your engine, why don't you just declare and promote it as HTML6-compatible. I promise you that you will get a lot of attention, worldwide, if you do that. And you will catch a lot more fish-every ocean has its share--than you ever could in this pond.

div rendering outperforms canvas for certain types of operation. The stuff I do in a canvas currently would be an absolute nightmare to implement in divs, though I have no doubt it's entirely possible.

I also think the author has managed to miss the point: an Entity is not just a sprite, it is more than just some animation, it is also behavioural as well in terms of collision handling.

Anyway, you've made your point, there's a free package that does the job reasonably well. I choose not to use it for my future developments, free or otherwise, because it looks cluttered, it's going to be harder to maintain my projects than it is with Impact, and for the stuff I'm doing at the moment, HTML4 compatibility is utterly irrelevant to me... I need things that only HTML5 provides (not just the canvas)

I also agree it's pretty poor taste to keep banging the drum. So there's a free competitor. Great. You're happier with it than you think you would be with Impact, great too. The difference is that we're happy to pay Dominic for his work and support, and we actually have some respect for that fact here, something you lack.

Perhaps I should come onto your forum and promote Impact and explain how I can build a game in a fraction of the time and with more maintainability and generally disrespect you and your opinion.

I write JSGF is of course not for Impact (I know it only a few months before),
just because I wrote web game not having good game framework many years ago.

I happened to go here and see Impact's poor API and see $99,
so I say: should pay nothing for any HTML5 game framework(is my viewpoint).
Sorry, I can't respect a poor and commercial framework, like you.


However, someboy have wanted to talk about the code with me, then I had to said a little.
Forget HTML5 or HTML7, ask yourself a question: add the Canvas features on DIV is easy, or add the DIV features on Canvas is easy?
More web-game UI layer is implemented cannot bypass the DOM, DOM is the basic of the Web, rather than Canvas, right?


JSGF is of course not best(and free forever), but is not bad than any HTML5 game framework. Finally, welcome anybody's criticism (any where), just having suitable reasons.

Yes, we get the message that you wrote JSGF because you wanted a good framework, that's fine.

Impact's API is actually rather good for building games, if you'd tried it. The thing is, if I were to start using JSGF, would you provide support for problems I had? Would you implement new features when asked? Dominic has done both of these for Impact.

Also, if you've ever had to work with a purchasing department, it's easier to justify $99 to them than it is to justify getting them to use a free package, especially one without any obvious plans for support and long term development.

In answer to your question, adding 'div features' to 'canvas' or 'canvas features' to 'div', how would you implement something like http://impactjs.com/forums/code/lighting-shadow-casting-class in your magical div solution?

I've seen some very impressive things done in divs, including a complete clone of Lemmings. However I saw how complex the code was to manage the pixel-perfect drawing required for Lemmings, and it's much easier to do that in canvas tha it is to use divs.

Similarly I can think of a lot of games where it would be easier to use divs. The one I'm writing now for example, the bottom half of the display would be marginally easy than in divs, but the top half wouldn't.


You're not welcoming anybody's criticism, you're here trying to tell us that what we've bought is crap and that we should all turn to your project. Bottom line is we're happy with Impact, and it looks cleaner and more maintainable than the things we've seen with JSGF. Someone who has neither may well decide to choose JSGF - but please stop spamming the threads here, you won't convince us.

Please can we have a vote button on the forum to remove W@NI<eRs.

Dominic has spent a great deal of time and effort creating this framework which in my opinion is well liked and supported by Developers. As you can see you are getting a great deal of support from this community!

Maybe you should give your Game framework away for FREE, Oh wait it is… so why do you need to come on this forum to promote it !!!!!!.

He's spamming places like this because it's too crap and no-one will use it even if he gives it away... jealous, much?

One possibility is that he has been promised or has already received financial support from his local government in exchange for the creation/promotion of his engine abroad. That happens a lot in China, especially of late because of this new no longer just made, but rather, designed in China initiative from Beijing.

Anyway, I don't want to get into the politics (nor futility) of it, but I've seen a lot of people do that over the past 8 years (I've also seen a lot of people take money, waste it, move to another city once funding has dried up, and repeat).

Other possibility: he's a student using his engine as a graduation or postgrad project.

Explain, I write JS more than 12 years +, JS is not my main business, but do not need to rely on the framework to make money. I'm just passing through this site, leaving a pure technical viewpoint in the forum: this html5 framework is not worth 99 $.

This statement may make the fans very angry. This argument does not mean he did not work hard(each person's capability and experience is not same). Perhaps I should have better words, I apologize to Dominic and fans.

Or stop the debate (have been side-tracked by Chinese conspiracy). If he and I are in order JS game developers have a good framework, non public evaluation is relatively good.

Pricing vs. alternatives
It's okay to express disagreement over pricing, but you committed a slight breach of etiquette.

Parallel
What if KFC were to set up a stand inside MacDonald's, promoting their lower-priced chicken wings?

China conspiracy
What conspiracy?! I live in China as an expat, work in the creative sector, and see this kind of stuff--subsidies to encourage creators--frequently. Not sure whether you're implying that there's something wrong with that...

Moving on.

Isn't this thread dead yet? sigh

I usually work in an IT company, and spare time to write some of my favorite framework or tool. I very much appreciate the concept of open source and free, of course, I have no objection to levy some service charges.

The Chinese government is more slogans to encourage innovation, some of export-oriented firms (such as selling clothing) to a number of tax incentives. What is the relationship of these and open source projects? where to get government-sponsored? Please tell me, hehe. You see the Western media "subsidies", "innovation" too much, right?

Back to the game framework, the basic functions are the same, having no big innovation at all, but there is a better design, better API. Only taking about API , I think Sencha very outstanding and worth pay for.

Not 100% sure what you just tried to say. But if your HTML4 engine is as fantastic as impact, then make a demo game better than this: http://www.phoboslab.org/xtype/

Then I'll believe your engine is as amazing as you claim.

I just played xtype on the ipad? Let me try that on jsgf. Wait a minute? It's meant for html 4.

The Xtype's image resources is good and cool, I think is the professional level (is Dominic's main business?), if these resource sale of $299 is also worth to me or anybody.

But, I do not want pay $1 to use any of amateur design level framework to develop the game.

That IS a strong argument.... But let me ask you this. If blue were an apple how many miles would it take to swim in a basket?

talk about backwards engineering, and horrible communication skills, lol. we should make a "greatest hits" list of fails.