FYI: List of Low Cost/Open Source Game Engines for Independent Developers

[Angel of Death]

The focus of this post is to highlight some reasonably priced and open source 3d engines, API's, and/or libraries that I have researched for a project my society is working on. Please post additional projects that I have missed and I will post first hand information for products that I have some experience with. I will update this list accordingly with new information it becomes available.

Key
OSS = Open Source Software
COM = Commercial Product

Library/API
Full Blown Engines
Object Oriented



Crystal Space 3d OSS Engine
Crystal Space is an OpenGL fully integrated programmable engine written in C++ that is cross platform (Linux, Mac, Windows) that supports most modern day graphics card technologies. Working seamlessly alongside other open source projects like Google's Blender, this is a very powerful and flexible solution for someone with programming experience.

CrystalSpace 3d

OGRE 3d OSS Engine
Similar to Crystal Space, OGRE is a fully integrated programmable engine, but requires slightly less programming experience but is just as powerful and flexible. OGRE is 3d implementation independent (i.e. Direct3D and OpenGL support)

OGRE 3d

3d Game Studio COM OO
3dGS is an object oriented development environment providing the user with all of the tools to build, script, compile, and produce and end product ready for release. A proprietary scripting language does not translate to other products, but is in plain English and for the novice developer, 3dGS provides a good total package.

3d Game Studio

Panda 3D FREE for any use (personal and commercial) Library/API
Owned and upkept by Carnegie Mellon University and released with a modified BSD license Panda 3D is not as popular as Crystal Space or OGRE, but is industry tested (Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Carnegie Mellon U Flight Sim) and heavily featured. The package is provided with dozens of importing tools.

Panda 3D

[safara]

OH, now this is interesting - will have do do some clicking.

[Blake Seven]

Originally Posted by safara

OH, now this is interesting - will have do do some clicking.

"TDO - The Game" coming to a PC near you soon.

Beacons, Beer drinking and Falx Opalo hunting are compulsory

[Ieuru]

I've taken a look at Ogre before but never really done anything with it. This looks like it's going to be an interesting thread, though.

[Angel of Death]

Originally Posted by Ieuru

This looks like it's going to be an interesting thread, though.

Yeah, I have a few more, but my notes are at home.

[Trux]

yes, i know.. i'm a panda3d-fanboy.. lolz..

please take Panda3d into the list. www.panda3d.org

it is a nice 3d-engine for all platforms (win, lin, mac), and it is more than that. it is actually a game-engine. (not a game-creator though.. no drag and drop or scenery-editor (although such tools are contributed by the community)) - you have to code (complete python API, but the engine itself is in C++, so it is quite performant).
the comunity is small, but very friendly and active. this engine is easy to learn, and just doesn't get enough attention for its greatness ^^

modified BSD-license (free for commercial and non-commercial use)

[Maduro]

Originally Posted by Angel of Death

The focus of this post is to highlight some reasonably priced and open source 3d engines, API's, and/or libraries that I have researched for a project my society is working on. Please post additional projects that I have missed and I will post first hand information for products that I have some experience with. I will update this list accordingly with new information it becomes available.

Great post, Angel... it would be cool to have a review page for game development software like the game review page. 711?

[RexDameon]

this is acutally how i found Entropia Universe i've got and still got this idea for a good game to make but after getting sucked into EU i realize it be a waste of time to try and make something better....

[Raven]

Nice! I will have to check this out and maybe get some of my buddies to work on an indie project