ENIGMA Development Environment

They still plan to release GM2 later this year.

Also, they cannot "disallow people using ENIGMA". They cannot disallow anything. Just like YYG couldn't.

lol should we now refer to the program as PlayTec GameMaker Studio ? it's funny because I predicted this would happen.  YYG has been very arrogant towards its community from day 1 and made only bad decisions back to back, they were running the product in the ground in my opinion, and I don't believe the company that acquired it will do any better are you kidding me LOL,
then you have YYG staff quitting.....It was only months ago when the CEO and other people at YYG were saying how things are looking better and how they are expanding and have big plans ahead.....

Perhaps we could get some feedback from any newer people here, what were the impressions you got when you first came here and initially ran ENIGMA and started to use it? What are the problems you most frequently run into with ENIGMA?

I will speak for me, MIXED.

I was lured because of the GM familiarity, the IDE was familiar and much of the functions, and the actually compiled nature as opposed to runner based.   The bad impression at the time I joined there were strong heated discussions amongst developers and clearly had the vibe that people were not on the same page.  As I kept working discovered things I wanted to do did NOT work properly in ENIGMA, and many set backs......But that was when I joined at the time, since then lots have changed, and the only thing that kept me here despite the mixed impression was my interest in learning and work around things.... so much has been fixed, unfortunately some things broke in the process, I guess that is to be expected with an open source project run by contributors, sometimes certain things get broken and the person who worked on something that broke something else has no more time to fix it etc.....

Which is why first impressions can be deceiving because there are many areas where ENIGMA has improved, though still has its share of problems ATM, but for people who like workarounds it's not too much of an issue......probably one thing that can set people back and give a bad impression is no general agreement on an official licence.....and the endless debates. Since it would be unfair to say BAD impression, I will say MIXED, since there is good and bad in my opinion, where I was concerned though.  Having done preliminary tests with YYC I was pleased of the file size delivered by ENIGMA to be significantly smaller than the YYC. The smallest file I could get in ENIGMA is around 300k compressed, where in YYC even compressed over 1MB in size for an empty project.......the ability in ENIGMA to deselect modules you are not using, (extensions) is a big plus.
the ability to use EDL and C++ in the same project again a big plus - ability to use my own C++ functions inside my project, a big plus......I'd say at the moment my impressions would be more towards the good than bad.......most my gripes are with the lack of integration of some functions inside the IDE, which is present in GMS, and stability issues with the enigma.jar inside the IDE.

For someone hoping to do direct ports 100% without issues 100% of the time, might be disappointed. Someone expected 100% compatibility with GMS, and a carbon copy of the product, might be disappointed too.
For people who like workarounds and learn, they will eventually find that despite that, there are many advantages to using this over GMS, at least as far as windows development is concerned.  GMS supports physics through its iDE, ENIGMA doesn't......only supports it for editing purposes but it is not functional. you have to code it yourself.....not an issue if you like coding and learning how it's done.

So at the time I joined my impression was mixed.

So if you open cmd and type "java -version" you get "java version "1.8.0_31""?
Here is what I get:

Quote

C:\>java -version
java version "1.8.0_31"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_31-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 25.31-b07, mixed mode, sharing)

That's exactly what it says on mine, except the sharing part.

That is hardly technical thinking there. It's like saying you have BSOD because of GPU driver, yet no need to check as it is up-to-date, why wouldn't it be?

If you read what I wrote I also said that I checked the PATH was correct, I know better than that, I checked everything.

The environment settings are fine.
The problem was with the JAVA files inside the windows folder.

something else. When I had your problem (which you would know I had if you read the topic I posted) I just uninstalled Java7 and it worked.

And as I stated I was aware of the topic, which means I read it, and did what you did and it did not work.....I used 3 different kinds of cleaners and java uninstallers it did not think to remove the old JAVA versions from the windows folders.

You did not read the part in my post where I said I was aware of the topic you posted, and read it, and yes I already stated that I had uninstalled java 1.7 fully and made sure java 8 was installed correctly, without any conflict.

and yes maybe the better wording would be LGM, because ENIGMA has nothing to do with JAVA.....it's the IDE part that was not loading for me (actually, the IDE+plugin combined.

Thanks anyway, problem resolved, you pointed me in the right direction with the checking in the windows folder.

Why the bloody hell can't I run ENIGMA with my JAVA 8 install ? It is the latest, CLEAN install, and yes before anybody asks I uninstalled fully the previous version. When running ENIGMA it tells me it  cannot find the motherfucker - I can confirm that JAVA 8 is properly installed, properly detected and no trace of previous version.

WTF is this, can't I use a stable, secure version of java or do I have to use the old vulnerable version to run ENIGMA......Guess I'll have to stop using ENIGMA then, there is no way I am going back to version 7.
Cheers.

ENIGMA is meant more for games, otherwise you will need extension or some skill to access the windows GUI stuff.

I think there are better programs for what you are looking for.

* Neobook (neosoftware) (it's closed source) but it is a Rapid Application Builder, you can build full windows GUI application, it is the easiest thing you will ever use, learning curve is ridiculously easy, yet you can do very complex stuff - it is a WYSIWYG, visual editing, but also supports a scripting language, plugins, etc.  There is also a database plugin.

* Multimedia Builder (this one is long discontinued) allows building windows application and games with ease, supporting scripting for advanced feature.  you might be able to find it online if you search - that is closed source as well.

You can do it in ENIGMA but it will probably be more difficult / take longer to do.

Unlike some indie developers, this is my hobby, I'm not actively developing - I have many projects in mind and many ideas but no time to execute them - as to my writing - I type fast you wouldn't believe, so writing those 100 page books is easy for me, at 100-150wpm, much faster than the time it would take me to make a game.   Jealous of who ? I don't give a fuck  

Maybe you misunderstood:

1) It's true that a lot of indie games are crap - it's one thing to have the skill to develop, if you don't have the skill the write a story and proper game, then you won't make a decent game.  You could be an excellent C++ / GML coder and excellent  graphics designer and modeler, but you need a proper story and gameplay......how many indie developers have all it takes to make decent game ?

2) As far as non indie games, many are decent, but some are garbage.  I have followed the gaming industry on the PC for a very long time, FAR long before I started getting interesting in gaymaker, and I can tell you I have played really awful shite, they were not indie games, they were hyped disappointments, go check gamespot and many game reivews you will see the many sucky games and comments from people.  I did not say all non indie games are shite, I said many indie games are shite, and I did not comment on your points because in some cases I agree - I too have heard the same comments from console gamers in regards to the amount of trash available.......yes, a lot of indie trash   But also there are non indie games that are very bad as well.

Here, let's talk about MAX PAYNE (first edition) it was hyped for so many years.....when it came down to it it was a big fat ass disappointment......you could count the polygons with your hand, lighting effects were utter rubbish, level design was subpar, ending was crap.

Let's go way back to the DOS days and DUKE NUKEM 3D......another piece of shite hype........First level, ok.......but as you progressed it was so fucking boring and the level design was shite......was I an indie dev back then, fuck no, and I still am not !

Look at all the games that were released on the PC, can you honestly keep a straight face and say ALL of them were decent many avid PC gamers would certainly disagree with you, and guess what, they are not all jealous indie developers LOL!  I was very critical of certain game myself at a time when I knew fuck all about C++ or GML !

As to multiplayer, unless you are playing with friends or people you know, I learned a long time ago that there are many cheaters online and a lot of people who ruin the games for everyone !! Team killers, bad players, ragers, etc.  So yeah - it's obvious now that game companies bank on the multiplayer aspect, and by doing so they put less focus on single player campaigns, which is why they are so damn short.
To an avid multiplayer game, that is a non issue,
to those of us who are more into single player, that is a big motherfucker of an issue

The point I am trying to make here is that if you made those kind of comments (that you made to me) on a PC gaming forum you would probably be torn a new arse and flamed like crazy, but since this is a friendly community, there is none of this here......but I have experience with these type of gaming forums, you never want to talk like that to game critics lol !

So all my comments are made as a long time GAMER,
not a developer, because I could not do better myself, and I am not fucking jealous because this is not my fucking field - if it were I'd be working for big companies like UBISOFT, EA, etc.....and making big games.......not working with toys

As a GAMER I have also played many excellent games......

But opinions on games are very subjective.....Some people like a specific game whilst another hates it.

Yes I did mention long ago I would love to make MYST type games, because I played MYST ( I have all the MYST series in their original box I had purchased in my shelf) and I liked the concept.  I mentioned my interest in adventure games, point and click, interactive games and my desire to make some, but always as a hobby.  Making these games (As you know) is very time consuming, time I don't have, and designing skills / modeling skills I don't have either.  One thing I do intend to work on is building engines to allow easy creation of point and click and similar games to cabin escape 3D and the other 3D game you made......

I still play PC games and still critical about some of them, positive and negative, but always as a gamer. I don't consider myself by all means an indie developer, not even close......just a hobbyist who has projects and ideas, but lack of time.....just like ENIGMA developers.  I hope this is more clear

and as to your point about flappy bird, yeah agreed.

as to your point on multiplayer extending the game experience, again very much agree, providing you play with friends, good teams, good players, etc.
otherwise random players, cheating players, ragers, etc, nope, spoils the game.
Perhaps you never played much online PC games mate, and you never experienced team killers, idiots, ragers, aim bot cheaters etc.......you never played on COD, BF, halo, etc, etc, etc. or you must have played with a closed circle of friends only, because if you did you'd know what I mean.
In my time when I played MP a lot we had regulars, good players, but you'd often get the random shite that joined and team killed and used aimbot and the funny part, people admitting it and cussing you out.
So yeah, multiplayer games.......too much cheating FUCKS. there is always some *****z out there with the upper hand who will go lengths in cheating.

You have to give us more information to get help, can you post / attach your source file EGM file ? someone will take a look at it - there is probably something you did wrong in your project, even some simple stuff like forgetting to use draw_self() among many other reasons..... Without more information it will be difficult otherwise.

Thanks DS2, it means a lot hearing you say that!

Its also worth noting people really Into the computer / mobile gaming have really low standards and actually like very  crappy games, thats where us indies have a chance. In the console community, people wont even look at the screenshots for more than 3 seconds unless it doesnt scream indie.

There is a market for crap and I am sitting on a gold mine.  If I had any decent time I'd release a few crappy games, if people like them so much, hey I can be rich lol!

But TKG - remember, one should not judge a book by its cover.  You'd be surprised  ! I have seen stellar screenshots from indie games, amazing! but when you play the actual game it sucks donkey balls.
Some Indie developers clearly have graphics skill but ZERO game development skills ZERO game play.

But even non indie developers are not immune from rubbish, there are many commercial game developers for big companies that also are a pile of dung, again big graphics shitty game play.

At least with PONG and the likes of the games back then, you did not have to worry about people not liking your graphics lol!

Now DX12, DX13, DX14 cards, thousands of $ for new GPUs and fuck all to show for.....games are getting rushed buggy, unoptimised and pure shite.