What is 3dPE?
3dPE is a game engine and a suite of tools, designed to make it easy to build 3D monster-catching games in the style of gen 5 Pokémon games, and an exercise in the sunk cost fallacy.
It is not at all linked to RMXP, instead built on/as a custom game engine. It's written in Python, using SDL and OpenGL; the tools are made with WX.
As someone who has been making fangames longer than some EE users have been alive, my intention is to make the engine and tools that I would want to use - so my main goals are ease of use, and quality of result! And after that, being able to stop working on it.
How Can I Start Using 3dPE?
Right now: you can't! Despite over 10 years of "development", it's still unfinished and unready.
If you're really excited about it, and would like to help test buggy software that can and will eat your creations, you can join our discord server and ask to be an alpha tester.
Otherwise, a public beta of the map editing tool and project management tools is hopefully coming in 2025. But, you know... don't hold your breath.
Main Features:
- Engine:
- Native Windows and Mac support (plus native Linux for the beta hopefully)
- Python, OpenGL and SDL engine
- Distance fog, post-processing filters, whatever you would expect from a 3D game
- Support for mouse and keyboard, controllers, all sorts of peripherals
- Microphone support
- Music can be looped in sections and layered in... layers
- Networking support
- Map Editing:
- Voxel-based terrain editing, both on the grid and polar/circular
- Import custom terrain from programs like Blender to make weirder shapes
- Paint on the terrain with tiles, including patterns (and eventually autotiles)
- Animated tiles
- Tile variant system to quickly swap between seasons or other map states (rain, blacklight, nightvision...)
- Node-based navigation/collision that can be detached from the terrain
- Import 3D models to use as static props for trees and houses
- Add 2D sprites for NPCs and other effects
- Add 3D animated models for interactive props, vehicles, and other effects
- Check out the first Eevee Expo trailer for more!
- Project Management:
- Normie-friendly UI over a git-based file management system
- Collaborate easily with online tools for managing project access
- Probably we'll provide repo hosting, either way it will be fully compatible with Github or your git service of choice
- Shareable scratch projects for when you just want to mess around and experiment
- Resource packs, with auto-credits, for creating and sharing any work
- With lots more in the works!
Features That RMXP People Will Probably Like:
- Infinite tiling depth - though with 3d props for trees, you need this less than in RMXP
- Bridges, stairs, and other overlapping terrain are all easy and natural
- Full camera control
- Map joins, with smooth map loading and unloading as the player moves between them
- All scripting is in Python, which is like if Ruby was pleasant to use
- Networking support built-in
Reading is Hard:
Are There Any Games Yet?
Yes, just one so far. I have been making this for more than 10 years, I have no excuse.
Please check out Three Spirits, a halloween adventure game.
