I'm thinking of making a simple game (hockey) for myself. I figure an existing game with clearly defined rules would be a good way to start with hobby game development. I just need to start with a player that moves around, then add a puck, then a net, etc etc.
Unity seems to be a very popular package that people use. I've seen a few others like Torque3D. Because I'm not going to be selling anything, free for basic use would be nice, but I don't mind spending $100. I just don't want to buy a commercial type package. What I would like is something flexible enough that I can make something more advanced over time. For instance, if I want to start adding more sophisticated physics, I would like to be able to do that, even though where I'm starting will probably be like NES Ice Hockey. I know Unity keeps some features locked behind Unity Pro, and it would suck to get to a point in a year or two where I'm limited by the tools.
I don't think I'll ever be a great modeler or animator, so the look of the game would probably remain very primitive unless I brought another person in on my hobby.
Does anyone have a good recommendation on where I should start?
Unity seems to be a very popular package that people use. I've seen a few others like Torque3D. Because I'm not going to be selling anything, free for basic use would be nice, but I don't mind spending $100. I just don't want to buy a commercial type package. What I would like is something flexible enough that I can make something more advanced over time. For instance, if I want to start adding more sophisticated physics, I would like to be able to do that, even though where I'm starting will probably be like NES Ice Hockey. I know Unity keeps some features locked behind Unity Pro, and it would suck to get to a point in a year or two where I'm limited by the tools.
I don't think I'll ever be a great modeler or animator, so the look of the game would probably remain very primitive unless I brought another person in on my hobby.
Does anyone have a good recommendation on where I should start?