Opossum v0.1 Released

The first and only release of Opossum has been released here. Most of what I wanted was not completed, but it’ll be much easier to implement with Flamingo.

The Flamingo Project page has been created and the repository has been set up. Some first draft logos are in the works. Expect some real updates soon.

Opossum Gets a Makeover

Nearly 6 months ago I started working on an open-source, 2d game engine with 3 things in mind:

1. Written in Python
2. Easy to Understand
3. Versatile

What I came up with I called the Opossum Engine. Though far from being done, it satisfied all of the requirements above. The problem was it was a bit bulky and some things clearly needed an overhaul. Much of the engine was (thoughtfully) hacked together, and it accumulated quite a bit of cruft. In addition, I was stuck with design choices made in the beginning of the project (like native SDL rendering instead of the faster OpenGL), which I regretted later. I decided it was time to scratch the idea and start over completely, using what I’ve learned so far in the making of Opossum.

And thus Flamingo was born. It’s being built from scratch, based on the original work from Opossum. It will be designed with speed and simplicity in mind, while remaining as versatile as possible. Many features and concepts will remain the same in this change. A more substantial overview will be posted in the future, but for a quick overview:

• Python (based on pygame)
• OpenGL rendering
• Extensive sprite system
• 2d Physics based on Box2d
• Versatile Audio Mixer with unlimited number of simultaneous sounds
• Advanced Maps (levels) and Characters (with physics-based animation) built in specialized editors
• Scripts in Python, which are mostly bundled with the Maps and Characters

Flamingo obviously has quite awhile to go before being released, but initial development should be rapid.

The original Opossum Engine will be released soon, though it is extremely far from being production ready. Check here or the Pygame website for the release details.