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[Help] what is the best 2D Engine?

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what is the best 2D Engine for physics and to a Online game, using 2D models (not 3D)
something like angry birds
 
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+1 Unit might be the best choice.

- simple 2D possible with Sprites, Textures, or even 3D Models that you see only from the side
- easy to learn coding stuff. Even if you haven't programmed anything you can use & learn it fast
- Nearly No Limits. You can develop your Game for free and even use it commercially without any costs. If you want some advanced stuff like camera filters, real-time shadows, etc. you need the Pro version, but that's optional
- It's fast. Unity nearly needs no resources, means you can even play it on old PCs or use it within a Webplayer without laggs, or any other limits. Look at "Drakensang Online" it was made with Unity!
- It's possible to get it online easily, if you link it with databases to store stuff/values. Or even use some network stuff to get players play together on the same maps.
- It's all well-documented so you can learn fast and get a lot of help from the community
 
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ah nice one guys
i thought unity didn't had a physics thing like i think
like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGU1E6wQFqE

i'm watching some tutorials, they seems to be easy, but im not good at coding, and on this "game" that i want to make, i need a system that i can create the body of a mobile the way the player wants, attaching part by part, exactly like the video up there /\
 
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@VTZ

It's pretty easy and fast, because you can use colliders and they don't need animation. So the "follow terrain" part will be done here. The only thing you need to code are the controls.

So get your tank and import it. Import your wanted terrain. I guess a modified Box is doing good for your 2D Game. Add a Mesh Collider to your Box, so it will have a Collider fitting the model. Your Tank will need this too, beside of a rigidbody. (Those steps are easy, you can add them via the Physics Tab and choose Collider.

As for the movement I can provide some simple Script (create -> Script -> C# so you get a .cs file, rename it to "walkScript.cs"):
Code:
[color=green]// This is the name and class of our "walkScript"[/color]
public class walkScript : MonoBehaviour
{
        [color=green]// before we do anything we should set up some variables (public will make it viewable in the Inspector and you can simply change the value there. float is the type so we can use numbers with decimals and you need to at a "f" behind the number to make it clear)[/color]
        public float moveSpeed = 10f;

        [color=green]// Function: "Update" runs every frame in the game (void just says we have a new function here)[/color]
        [color=lightblue]void[/color] Update () 
	{
		[color=green]// this sets up our movementspeed (Horizontal and Vertical are by default the arrow keys. but you could easily change them in the settings) we multiply our moveSpeed with the direction we hit and multiply it with smoothDeltaTime so we get a smooth movement over time[/color]
		float moveForward = moveSpeed * Input.GetAxis("Horizontal") * Time.smoothDeltaTime;
		
		[color=green]// This will make our Object move forward (Vector3.forward gives us the direction, here it's in front of our tank)[/color]
		transform.Translate(Vector3.forward * moveForward);		
	
		[color=green]// checks if we press the button (0 = no action, -1 & +1 = button pressed (right & left))[/color]
		if(Input.GetAxis("Horizontal") != 0)
		{
                        [color=green]// if it's not 0 we press a button, therefore we need some kind of animation
			// play your walk animation here[/color]		
		}
		else
		{
			[color=green]// play your idle animation here[/color]
		}
	}
}

Notice: I've not highlighted everything in here.

This is done with C#, it's not that easy as JavaScript, but it has some better stuff to code with. It's not really harder than learning the other, but I suggest to use C# instead.

The only thing to do is just place the camera aside the tank so you get your 2D-View. Also change it to Orthographic view and drag&drop it over the tank so it get's a child of it and the camera will follow whereever the tank is (without any coding).

So that are the basics ^^ You should now look at the tank from the side, can move it forth and back, and it will stay on the box moving up and down the hills on it and also the camera will follow your tank.
 
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ok but, i need to pay for the "free" version too?
it says that i need a registration file
 
Level 18
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Yupp there are two version currently:

Free:
- fully free to use also for commercial projects
--> but has limits like: no real-time shadows, no camera-filters, no real-time water (with reflections) and some other stuff.

But it's enough to create a cool looking game with the free version, AND there are tons of tutorials and stuff to use to trick those effects ;)

Pro:
- Costs something aroun 1500$ (but I don't know if it has everything you need or if they get some %-values from the games. But I think it's fully useable without any more spending.
--> You get the missing features, water, shadows, camera-filters, etc.

You can google for some examples, mostly mobile games are cool and impressive, like "Dead Trigger", "Blood & Glory", or "light" (made from 1 person only and it's no mobile game).. and many other cool ones ;)
 
Level 12
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ah yes yes
im working on the menu right now
but my brain hurts when i think about the rest O:
 
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