I spent 3 years working on an XNA game I named "Turbo Tank". Inspired by the Nintendo (NES) game Blaster Master, it is a 2D side-scrolling adventure/survival game. Turbo Tank was coming together slowly but surely. It was something I took my time with to ensure it was a quality game. The unfortunate fact is most, not all but MOST XNA games made by a single individual are crap... plain and simple crap! I wanted to be one of the few that could make a quality game by myself that would stand out as a fun and polished game. Seriously, I can't believe some of the filth that was allowed to be published in the Windows Phone store.
Then Microsoft stopped supporting XNA so I decided to take a break. Yes, I can go and use Monogame, and I still might. But for now I am continuing my break to start learning OpenGL via OpenTK. I looked at many options from Unity, Monogame, SharpDX, and several others and I just feel OpenTK is right for me. It gives me the control I want over the game and it is easy to get off the ground. Monogame was giving me some trouble when I tried it. I became frustrated and decided to go another route. Again, I may try again shortly but for the next few weeks I am going to focus on learning OpenTK. Maybe I'll try Monogame again when they fix the Content pipeline issue and just include a working pipeline in their templates? We'll see.
Additionally, I feel learning OpenGL will benefit me in the future. I am hedging my bets on Linux as the future of home computing. With Apple and Android both dominating the mobile marketplace and ValveOS (also Linux based) planning to take over livingroom entertainment, the "Evil Empire" seems to be crumbling. While I just see Apple, and Google, as the new tech worlds "Evil Empires" at least there is greater interoperability. And I was actually studying DirectX just before I decided to go OpenGL. I see a classic underdog story developing...
I will finish Turbo Tank either by using OpenTK or just using Monogame. Either way I will complete it.
Then Microsoft stopped supporting XNA so I decided to take a break. Yes, I can go and use Monogame, and I still might. But for now I am continuing my break to start learning OpenGL via OpenTK. I looked at many options from Unity, Monogame, SharpDX, and several others and I just feel OpenTK is right for me. It gives me the control I want over the game and it is easy to get off the ground. Monogame was giving me some trouble when I tried it. I became frustrated and decided to go another route. Again, I may try again shortly but for the next few weeks I am going to focus on learning OpenTK. Maybe I'll try Monogame again when they fix the Content pipeline issue and just include a working pipeline in their templates? We'll see.
Additionally, I feel learning OpenGL will benefit me in the future. I am hedging my bets on Linux as the future of home computing. With Apple and Android both dominating the mobile marketplace and ValveOS (also Linux based) planning to take over livingroom entertainment, the "Evil Empire" seems to be crumbling. While I just see Apple, and Google, as the new tech worlds "Evil Empires" at least there is greater interoperability. And I was actually studying DirectX just before I decided to go OpenGL. I see a classic underdog story developing...
I will finish Turbo Tank either by using OpenTK or just using Monogame. Either way I will complete it.