[Development] New game based on warcraft engine

[Tomas Ninja]

Hi!
It´s possible to tear off warcraft 3 reforged engine and make new game based on it?
It ´ll be strategic like warcraft but every model, Uis, textures, main menu will be changed. And of course it won´t comunicate with blizzard servers.

 

[Jaccouille]

You can't possibly "tear off" a game engine, unless the developer has published the code source of said engine.
Your best bet would be to rewrite a game engine by deducting the behavior of the one you wish to replicate, this is what a dude named Retera has been attempting for the past 3 - 4 year.

This man has published the source code for his project : GitHub - Retera/WarsmashModEngine: An emulation engine to improve Warcraft III modding

 

[Tomas Ninja]

Thanks
I'll try to modify engine instead of replacing it.

 

[Tomas Ninja]

You can't possibly "tear off" a game engine, unless the developer has published the code source of said engine.
Your best bet would be to rewrite a game engine by deducting the behavior of the one you wish to replicate, this is what a dude named Retera has been attempting for the past 3 - 4 year.

This man has published the source code for his project : GitHub - Retera/WarsmashModEngine: An emulation engine to improve Warcraft III modding

now i'm a bit confused. when I look at scripting tutorials I find here: JASS tutorials, Lua tutorials, Transpiled languages and Ai tutorials. I´m begginer at programing, so I don´t know which tutorials is right for rewrite the game. Can you recomend me some tutorials?

 

[Jaccouille]

The tutorial to realize your project would be going to University and acquiring a Computer Science degree to have a good background in programming and an understanding of computer and game work.
There is no tutorial to rewrite a game.

 

[Uncle]

"model, Uis, textures... will be changed"
All of this can be done with standard Warcraft 3 modding inside of the World Editor.

For the main menu, this may help:

Need help change UI MainMenu3D background.

First english is not my native language so I apologize for any grammar mistakes. Yesterday I downloaded a WC3 mod called Ascension. It uses WOW loading screen. The ROC version uses Cataclysm background and TFT uses WOTLK. It looks really great and brings a whole new experience to WarCraft...

www.hiveworkshop.com

I'm currently working on my own RTS-ish game in Unity which is deeply inspired by Warcraft 3. I find myself mimicking the API/techniques that Warcraft 3 uses since I've grown so comfortable with them over the years. It sounds like your goal is similar to mine, to have your own RTS game that's inspired by Warcraft 3.

 

[Tomas Ninja]

I'm currently working on my own RTS-ish game in Unity which is deeply inspired by Warcraft 3. I find myself mimicking the API/techniques that Warcraft 3 uses since I've grown so comfortable with them over the years. It sounds like your goal is similar to mine, to have your own RTS game that's inspired by Warcraft 3.

Yes, I want too a game which is based on Warcraft tactics and systematics. I ´ll try keep warcraft engine but change the models, etc. In world editor I have some experience so I try it that way. Thanks for the main menu that´s help a lot

 

[Retera]

In world editor I have some experience so I try it that way.

So, like Jaccouille mentioned above I was trying to make a Warcraft 3 emulator game system that runs as a separate program as a hobby for about 3 - 4 years. I think it is worth checking in about what your goal is and whether you understand the intellectual property implications of what you are doing.

Do you intend to try to sell the game that you create? If so, do not make your game using Warcraft III technology.

If your goal is to possibly put your game on steam -- even for cheap like a $1 cost or something if you just wanted to recoup a little money for your time -- then you should do something like Uncle mentioned: make a game using a Game Engine that allows the author of the game to claim ownership over what they created. With that being said, I heard a rumor that Unity recently had some new management and concerns over whether they are going to start charging creators too much money to use the Unity game engine as a starting point. But even if that bothers you, you could choose to use some other system like Godot or Unreal or something.

However, generally the work required to get an RTS game running on those kind of systems is going to be much larger than the work required to play a custom map on Warcraft III. And that's probably why those systems allow the user to claim ownership over their work and monetize what they created.

These differences are probably worth considering. In my case, what I am doing is using LibGDX engine which is free but very programmer-oriented and then I added a lot of code to it to make it emulate something like Warcraft 3. Because I am loading Warcraft III assets and scripts and user interface definitions, the thing that I have created could not reasonably be put on Steam nor monetized, for example. But if I replaced all those files and only used code that I created combined with graphics that I created, then as far as I know based on the LibGDX rules I probably could start selling what I created on Steam. So, even by using Warcraft 3 art, I have essentially made a choice that I am not making money off of what I am doing.

 

[Tomas Ninja]

Do you intend to try to sell the game that you create?

However, generally the work required to get an RTS game running on those kind of systems is going to be much larger than the work required to play a custom map on Warcraft III. And that's probably why those systems allow the user to claim ownership over their work and monetize what they created.

I added a lot of code to it to make it emulate something like Warcraft 3. Because I am loading Warcraft III assets and scripts and user interface definitions, the thing that I have created could not reasonably be put on Steam nor monetized, for example. But if I replaced all those files and only used code that I created combined with graphics that I created, then as far as I know based on the LibGDX rules I probably could start selling what I created on Steam. So, even by using Warcraft 3 art, I have essentially made a choice that I am not making money off of what I am doing.

Hi!
Thanks for your response. I appreciate that as a non-programmer. I am not a programmer, but I have some experinence with some assets, editing pictures, converting assets and editing video , audio.

Jaccouille you have right:​

"The tutorial to realize your project would be going to University and acquiring a Computer Science degree to have a good background in programming and an understanding of computer and game work.
There is no tutorial to rewrite a game."


And about that game:
When I was younger I watched series Lego legends Chima. And I loved playing Warcraft III classic. I want to mix this together and make some rts about chima. And like I mentioned I am not a programmer so I don´t understand warcraft III classic... loading units from mpq files, rendering terrain, AI players in warcraft (engine?, it is called engine?). So I don´t know how to make some this (engine?) and then put my models in there. (Ok maybe i know how to replace some textures in mpq) So I thought when I swap WC3 untis, names, just all assets, by my assets from Chima... I make a game running on that principes like warcraft 3 classic. Is that so ?
And This will take much time and learning. So like you told me, If it will be possible , I will start thinking about selling my game. But ii is not my 1st goal: "make a game and then sell it." No, If I sell it, it will be just bonus. Like in your case: this will be for me hobby.

So what do you recomended to me? Where I may start?
I am ready to learn all I must learn about C or another programming language or scripting. I am ready to sacrifice a lot of time and learning for this project. I just don´t know where i may start.

Sincerely Tomas Ninja.

 

[bear_369]

Hi!
Thanks for your response. I appreciate that as a non-programmer. I am not a programmer, but I have some experinence with some assets, editing pictures, converting assets and editing video , audio.

Jaccouille you have right:​

"The tutorial to realize your project would be going to University and acquiring a Computer Science degree to have a good background in programming and an understanding of computer and game work.
There is no tutorial to rewrite a game."


And about that game:
When I was younger I watched series Lego legends Chima. And I loved playing Warcraft III classic. I want to mix this together and make some rts about chima. And like I mentioned I am not a programmer so I don´t understand warcraft III classic... loading units from mpq files, rendering terrain, AI players in warcraft (engine?, it is called engine?). So I don´t know how to make some this (engine?) and then put my models in there. (Ok maybe i know how to replace some textures in mpq) So I thought when I swap WC3 untis, names, just all assets, by my assets from Chima... I make a game running on that principes like warcraft 3 classic. Is that so ?
And This will take much time and learning. So like you told me, If it will be possible , I will start thinking about selling my game. But ii is not my 1st goal: "make a game and then sell it." No, If I sell it, it will be just bonus. Like in your case: this will be for me hobby.

So what do you recomended to me? Where I may start?
I am ready to learn all I must learn about C or another programming language or scripting. I am ready to sacrifice a lot of time and learning for this project. I just don´t know where i may start.

Sincerely Tomas Ninja.

You can start on an existing game engine like Godot to develop your game without worrying over the inner-workings of a game engine (i.e compatibility, support for audio/model file formats, game loop, physics, shaders support, networking). It uses C# which should be safer to script with than C or C++, and graphics rendering is already handled by the engine so you could import your assets into the game and script the game logics yourself.

 

[Tomas Ninja]

You can start on an existing game engine like Godot to develop your game without worrying over the inner-workings of a game engine (i.e compatibility, support for audio/model file formats, game loop, physics, shaders support, networking). It uses C# which should be safer to script with than C or C++, and graphics rendering is already handled by the engine so you could import your assets into the game and script the game logics yourself.

Thanks