[Guide] About the Conquer III (C3) Game Engine (Includes Editing Tools)

Hey everyone,

If you don't know much about TQ Digital Entertainment and how they develop games, then you might not know about the three engines they currently use (and the one Yuki has hinted about that might be in development for Conquer Online 3.0). Currently, TQ uses the following engines:

1. Conquer III TQ Game Engine: C3 is TQ's own open-source game engine project mainly used for developing 2D games. Tutorials, SDKs, example projects and all tools for developing with their engine can be found on their [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]. This engine is used in the development of their 2.5D games like Conquer Online, Eudemons Online, and TheWarlords.
   
2. Scalpel 3 TQ Game Engine: S3 is TQ's own closed source 3D game engine mainly used for their Dungeon Keeper Online game. Yuki has hinted that they might finally update their engine for the release of Conquer Online 3.0 (making it a fully 3D game). Details are limited, but there are videos and examples of the engine loading better maps than World of Warcraft (medium quality graphics).
   
3. Unreal III Game Engine: TQ has adapted this engine for developing some of their 3D games (or so they claim). So far, it seems that they have only used it for their home decoration and design programs.

So, in this thread, I'll be talking about the engine that relates to Conquer Online 2.0, which is the Conquer III Game Engine (C3). C3 is, as I stated, completely open source (you can thank TQ for that, they're not as bad as you make them out to be). If you haven't checked the wiki already, it has all of the tools, tutorials, everything you'd ever need for developing with the engine. It even contains tutorials for porting programs made with the engine to different platforms. Platforms it supports: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, HTML 5 Javascript, Flash, Chrome OS, Windows Phone 8, and Windows RT. It also supports a unique Windows browser client using ANGLE (just another web option that targets DirectX, most likely used in the early facebook Conquer game). The wiki is in Chinese, but you can translate it.

Looking at the wiki, you have a lot of different options on how you can develop for the engine. Tools are provided - tools for managing compression packages such as TPD, WDB, and WDF, tools for viewing c3 files, export plugins for 3DS Max 2009 - 2012, c3 optimization, mask generating, etc. There are too many tools for me to list, so explore the wiki yourself. Most of the tools are developed using Mono C#, QT C++, and Visual C++.

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Regarding how TQ has designed the engine, the technologies in use for their first versions was DirectX 8.1, later updated to DirectX 9 which was last updated April 2008. Their newer versions use OpenGL as the primary graphics development library, sometimes with QT. With each release on each platform, TQ has posted example projects showing how to implement and work with the engine. Also, they have provided developers with many higher level example projects - projects for rendering shadows, silhouettes, heat distortions, lighting chain effects, and collisions.

If you're interested, I really suggest giving the engine a try. It's actually quite interesting (low graphics, but good enough to run Conquer Online on my old iPod Touch). If you want to be part of the development community, we could maybe take [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] over with English speaking developers (I'll join in for sure).

If you're just interested in the c3 export plugin for 3DS Max (no shame there, I'd love to see some talented artists working about), here is the download for that: [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]. Below are some notes from the website:

Quote:

C3 export plug-in for exporting art produced in 3DMax 3D models, movement, light efficiency of resources. The C3 export plug-bag two dle file (c3_exp.dle/C3SkinCharacater.dle), copied to the installation directory 3DMax plugins directory to complete the installation. C3 export plugin support multiple versions 3DMax9, 2008,2009,2010,2011,2012, please pay attention to choose your machine to install the corresponding version of 3DMax C3 export plug-ins. When properly installed, select 3DMax menu File-> Export, select Export File dialog box pops up, the Save as type drop-down list, you can see: Select C3 Effect PhyAnim Exporter (*. C3) items, export C3 model, the luminous efficiency and the use of technology to produce bone Physique action. Select C3 Skin Anim Exporter (*. C3) entry, export, use Skin / Physique technology to produce models and skeletal movements C3. Select C3 Skin Skeleton Exporter (*. SKT) entry, export, use Skin / Physique technology to produce a skeleton file. Precautions: Export resource file name suffix (. C3). Export plug directly exported resource contains redundant information in the work of art production management data, such as large file size, you need to use the [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] to optimize resources exported here. Use Skin skins produced models and action must use C3 Skin Exporter (*. C3) items exported. Next, you need to use the [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] resources will be exported configuration c3 resources and textures to the game.

Phew, what a thread. I believe I've covered enough to shed light on this topic. It's been in the dark for way too long. I hope you have enjoyed reading. I really look forward to seeing what development comes out of this information. Have fun, and good luck developing.

Kind Regards,
Spirited

More than one year and I use the tools, but the source of the forum taught monopoly original site currently does not work, but in the coming hours htaml

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I have some tools to fully descended delete
Woody beginning tool C3 of the first issued inn

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First issued from C3GameEditor

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Hacker. More than one year and I use the tools, but the source of the forum taught monopoly original site currently does not work, but in the coming hours htaml [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] I have some tools to fully descended delete Woody beginning tool C3 of the first issued inn [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

Right, I've already linked that website in the guide above, which has all of those downloads. It has been open source for a very long time, I'm surprised nobody put in the time to write a thread about it before this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spirited Fang Right, I've already linked that website in the guide above, which has all of those downloads. It has been open source for a very long time, I'm surprised nobody put in the time to write a thread about it before this.

Indeed, the existing open source, but no everything is open you have performance C3 landed in 2013 in the month of 5 in day 7, but not open source, but in some of the tools I got open for anyone is evolution, and I carried all Xi from the source any source missing Guli I revealed to him in his Thread

Not sure why they cancelled it but TQ has already used the Unreal Engine on "AFO". It was an alpha release just recently but seems to have been removed....
Here's a youtube video:

Edit:
Thought I should add that I thought CO already had iPod version out? Or is that only chinese servers for now? Or maybe it's purely still in development, however they do have the client of the iPod version available on their FTP servers. They also seem to be developing a lot for android too trying to move their games into the mobile market :)

Encrypt. Decrypt wdb

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Quote:

Originally Posted by funhacker Edit: Thought I should add that I thought CO already had iPod version out? Or is that only chinese servers for now? Or maybe it's purely still in development, however they do have the client of the iPod version available on their FTP servers. They also seem to be developing a lot for android too trying to move their games into the mobile market :)

It's iPad :o. There's an iPhone version as well :)

Wow they suck really hard at this.

Well written fang :3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spirited Fang Right, I've already linked that website in the guide above, which has all of those downloads. It has been open source for a very long time, I'm surprised nobody put in the time to write a thread about it before this.

nice find

+1 to you :)

client was the hard part for me i always dreamed to make a custom game and by having all this tools in my hand i think i can make a game one day.

for now what i will do is use this tools to make custom things in co and ones i finish my college i think i will start making a small game with c++. i didn't know this tools are open source lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordGragen. client was the hard part for me i always dreamed to make a custom game and by having all this tools in my hand i think i can make a game one day. for now what i will do is use this tools to make custom things in co and ones i finish my college i think i will start making a small game with c++. i didn't know this tools are open source lol.

Well, the tools weren't available previously.

Quote:

Posted at July 23, 2012 C3 NetDragon game engine is fine company developed and long-term use of a game engine, now free and open to all game developers programmers. C3 game programmers can use the game engine for game development.

The game engine was released like 1 year ago... (The engine is clearly outdated as it was developed in early 2000s). But yes, it can probably good enough to be used and will allow custom clients.

the c3 is free but using conquer client is still illegal right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordGragen. the c3 is free but using conquer client is still illegal right?

Conquer's resources are still property of TQ. You can make a custom client, a custom server. At the end, the name « Conquer Online » and all related resources will still be property of TQ and will be illegal to use. Could be interesting, although, to implement your own systems / protocol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptSky Conquer's resources are still property of TQ. You can make a custom client, a custom server. At the end, the name « Conquer Online » and all related resources will still be property of TQ and will be illegal to use. Could be interesting, although, to implement your own systems / protocol.

what if the name is changed and the weapons are all new, the maps are all new the character it self is all new the interface is new but the idea is the same? like still there be guilds still same classes but the items all custom, if you get what i am saying.