The Refractor Engine, is a game engine designed by Stockholm-based studio Refraction Games, first developed for the computer game Codename Eagle, which was released in November 1999. Since then, Refraction Games was bought by Digital Illusions CE, and working alongside with the Refraction Games team, designed and developed the Refractor 2 Engine for the famous Battlefield game series for the computer.
Note: This is a startup project (it's very far from being completed).
A 3D game engine for games like Battlefield (other types of games may be supported via editing the game DLL).
The concepts:
There is a clean separation between the engine, the game DLL, and the data (no scripts). So, editing the data looks like making mods for Battlefield 1942/2 (as you edit only the data (text) files: add new objects, tweak the existing ones, etc.). This gives the least flexibility (you won't be able to create games that are drastically different than the predefined). Editing the game DLL (C++) will allow you to edit the logic, add new features, classes. This gives much more flexibility, but requires the knowledge of C++. Editing of the engine is currently not considered, as it's mostly the technical stuff.
The main distinguishing part of this engine is that it will not try to copy the wide spread concept of a modern game engine (eg. UE and Unity). It will not have an all in one editor with a lot of visual features in it, but rather a set of separate tools, like the level editor (which will only edit the levels), the plugins for 3D software, etc. It should be very 'old-skool' modder friendly. It probably will not be the most powerful game engine which will support the newest features like the RTX. I'd rather want to make it simple (even minimalistic). It should also scale well so that it should not require the latest hardware.
The current state (what's done or mostly done):
- Terrain and model rendering
- Physics (via PhysX 5.3)
- Spatial optimization
- Player controller (a simple and draft one)
- The core (framework)
What's to do:
- Animation
- Object template system
- Vehicle physics
- Water
- Particle system
- Network
- Level editor
- 3D model export plugins or converters (for fbx)
- UI system
- Sound
- Better lighting and shadows
The current state demo:
Imagetools.itch.io
Why? Well, I remember how fun and easy it was to mod for Battlefield 1942/2, and I thought: why a modern game engine can't be as simple? Without all these graphs, shaders, ASMs, and other stuff which most people just do not comprehend (even hate, as I do). After all, if you want to code, you will just take C++, and if you don't, you won't be a good coder anyways.. So, I've separated the logic from the data (no scripts are available in this engine), if you want to code then edit the DLL (via the C++ source), if not then edit the data (text files) (the data is built upon the C++ code, so you'll be limited to what the C++ code provides in this case). There will be no visual tools except for the level editor.
The work isn't currently going on at the full scale, as I have to do some other things, so I'll just be adding new things as I can.
I started this engine for my own Battlefield like game a time ago. Here's a mod of mine which urged me to do so: Moddb.com I wanted some new features, and the bf1942 engine just couldn't provide me with them. So here you go.. The game isn't there of course. xD
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This engine is almost perfect.
I like all refractor 2 games.
The only things I dont like so much is the strange physics in bf2 and the kit weapon system (if anyone know how to change this to a half life or codename eagle similar weapons system, tell me please)
How i get this engine?
I like the engine to be low lag :)
I thing its a good and easy to mod engine, but its main issue is hit detection and hitbox....
The only thing wrong in BF2 is physics during motion. ie causing fixed carrier
Guys, you and me have ****** computers, it's not the game or engine.
What is everybody talking about? I could run BF2 max details + resolution and 100% distance -_-...this is NOT a slow engine.
Slow engine wtf? I play this game with a geforce5200 1gb ram at 70fps
bf2 will stay one of the best games to mod
yeah, but bf2 editor laggy as ****!