game engine suggestion? Thread

I'm trying to make a game like spore anyone have any suggestions on a game engine for me to use? im not trying to break the bank if i dont have too i am willing to spend some cash and will buy a top of the line engine if needed.i am unfamiliar with game creation and i often learn as i go with most things im not to worried about complicated user interface i tend to figure that stuff out easily I'm trying to allow the player to make plants as well as their own creations i like the way maxis did their creature creator i want my creator similar, i would like player stages like cell creature and the rest but make my own changes as well. I also want to make different types of offensive attacks as well as peace making tributes this will be a past time for me so a program with help videos would be great,

IMPORTANT i want to be able to
add my own everything
add/change level progression of player
let the player swim
add a various creators from main menu
Possibly tweak physics engine
make the environment intractable

Im going all out on this game im hoping to get a program that would keep me happy when i get better at making games too if possible

I like choices so more than one engine would be awesome list of pros/cons would be helpful
Any and All tips tricks advice normally overlooked details troubles others have faces just everything, I want to be as prepped and ready a possible would be great too
THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Unity: A lot of tutorials available online, but it can get a little pricey once you start talking about distribution.

Unreal 4: Really great for non-programmers to make a complete game and is completely FREE! But not as many tutorials out for it as it's still relatively new.

Cry Engine: Pretty powerful tool used for AAA games and has a "Pay what you want" model. I've never used this and I don't know anyone who has.

Lumberyard: Saw this a GDC, looks cool, a halfway point between Unity and Unreal and is also FREE! But I have no experience with it myself; and this is brand spanking new, as in this month new, so you're in uncharted territory.

All of these softwares can create whatever you want, it's just a matter of being able to work with their particular systems and your personal preference.

Download them all and spend a week trying to figure out which you like best; just try to get a cube to move across the screen in each. That's a good way to utilize and test the software's various systems.

You can do all you have said in pretty much any engine really, since you know what you want to make already, I'd choose the engine depending on what language you are aiming to use and whatever it easier to do x in that particular engine or not.

For instance, Unity's terrain system is quite ancient and the lighting compared to other engines is not as good looking, but you can apply your own solutions (if by interacting you mean a spherical vortex terrain, doubt any engine comes with it as a standard terrain system).

You can dig out the pros and cons the best by using them on your own, I'd say go with Unity3D first since it is pretty simple to use with tons of tutorials in various languages available, even if you find it great, nothing stops you from trying all the other ones, and if it is such a big upgrade, you could even consider the unity's version a "Prototype" and think whatever it is worth porting to an eventual other engine.

If I were to pick an engine now it'd be Lumberyard just to learn it. Not sure if it would work with spore-like games

If you're just starting I wouldn't recommend using software that new. If you're going to learn, learn software that's industry standard.

If you want to learn programming and scripting then I'd say Unity for sure. It seems to be the industry standard and will be able to pull something like Spor off.

If you are completely new to game development then my advice is to start in 2D, with small projects. Fail fast and you will learn fast.
One of the biggest mistakes people do when they wanna learn game development is that they take on a way, WAAAY too big project, in 3D and going for just a single specialization (like 3D art) and then expecting some coder to just do all the heavy-duty work for them. Sorry but that's not what is going to happen.

If your objective is to get as wide knowledge as possible then you should start making small mini-projects in an engine that is suited for 2D development - and do everything by yourself (code as well as art). Recommendations:

Defold

Unity

Edited by: Nightshade