CryEngine V

[6souls]

Available Now

As the 2016 Game Developers Conference gets underway, Crytek has announced the arrival of CryEngine V – the most accessible, powerful, and feature-filled version of their all-in-one development solution to date.

CryEngine V launches today with a “Pay What You Want” business model, offering developers everywhere total access to the engine’s feature-set and full engine source code for a fee of their choosing, and with no obligation to pay royalties or additional service charges. Users who decide to make a contribution for utilizing CryEngine V can allocate up to 70% of the sum to Crytek’s new Indie Development Fund – a grant program that will see Crytek directly supporting promising indie projects around the world.

The latest evolution of CryEngine also introduces CryEngine Marketplace. The Marketplace will enable developers to access individual assets from Crytek’s own library, as well as thousands of materials, sounds, and 3D objects created by the CryEngine community and other trusted vendors.

Crytek’s Founder, CEO & President, Cevat Yerli, said: “CryEngine V represents our commitment to not only offering developers today’s most advanced engine technology, but also to making it as accessible as possible. The arrival of CryEngine Marketplace, the revamped engine UI, and new support channels will make it easier than ever to tap into the power of CryEngine – at a price that feels comfortable for each and every individual. Community is at the heart of our Pay What You Want Model, which we hope will foster closer collaboration between us and developers as well as developers amongst themselves.”

In addition, CryEngine V brings expanded support for today’s leading Virtual Reality hardware. Crytek’s engine will now equip users to create stand-out VR experiences for PlayStation VR, OSVR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

CryEngine V also introduces

• C# Enabled: A new API that allows developers who know C# to start scripting in CryEngine V right away.
• Reworked Low Overhead Renderer: Significantly increases the performance of today’s hardware in graphically intensive applications.
• DirectX 12 support: Utilize the latest branch of DirectX to take greater control of hardware resources.
• Advanced Volumetric Cloud System: Optimized for VR to give clouds full 3D spatial rendering for higher quality with minimal performance hit.
• New particle system: Create stunning real-time fluid effects, handled almost entirely on the GPU.
• A new launcher and UI: Navigate CryEngine more intuitively thanks to a streamlined UI which includes realigned features and new icon groupings.
• FMOD Studio support: Allowing greater flexibility in audio middleware selection.
• CryEngine Answers: A dedicated channel where the CryEngine community can share questions and answers.

http://www.cryengine.com/

Assets Bundle also available ($13+ to get it all) - https://www.humblebundle.com/cryengine-bundle

[Aerin]

I was honestly surprised to see this. I thought when Amazon announced their Lumberyard game engine, that's what Crytek was doing ever since Amazon bought rights to the engine. Didn't expect another version of the CryEngine at all. I've used the Unreal Engine and am currently using Unity. Anyone know how the CryEngine or Lumberyard are compared to those?

Edit: Well, I guess that question is mostly answered in the Lumberyard thread. My bad, been a while since I looked in Tech.

[The Stig]

If I grab the assets, and download the engine...

Assuming I understand on a somewhat intermediate level on how to inspect, adapt and code, with 0 3D knowledge, and using the asset bundle only, how feasible is it to churn out a game? i.e. a hack and slash game, a RPG... $13 investment to dabble with something that I can sell/release with no implications sounds quite good.

Assume 2 hours gameplay (for now) as a calculation. I see a sample game is included, so I was thinking of dismantling that and learning from it.

[Kalmado]

If I grab the assets, and download the engine...

Assuming I understand on a somewhat intermediate level on how to inspect, adapt and code, with 0 3D knowledge, and using the asset bundle only, how feasible is it to churn out a game? i.e. a hack and slash game, a RPG... $13 investment to dabble with something that I can sell/release with no implications sounds quite good.

Assume 2 hours gameplay (for now) as a calculation. I see a sample game is included, so I was thinking of dismantling that and learning from it.

That sounds pretty cool if you know what you're doing, which I bet you do as well as other BG'ers like Aerin. I'd think too you could make a simple game even with a low amount of gameplay and still attempt to get it to Greenlight. I mean, The Order 1866 is only 6 hours of gameplay!

[The Stig]

Most of it is just understanding what bits of the code will do, once you get your head around that the rest comes from creative coding/trial and error until you achieve the desired effect. I'm just triple checking my intuition facts because I've not done/tried any game development that is 3D which I can tell is a whole different type of fish (I've done my time in MUGEN (2d fighting game maker) and RPG Maker 2000/2003/XP/VX/MV). From a 3D perspective even map layout can be a headache, unless there's a simple tool fused into the engine that allows rapid map/level creation with minimal fuss. Until I get more experienced of course.

I relooked at the bundle and can see actually 3 starter projects, which I presume to be some form of pre-build game. A racing, a FPS and a survival type game. So even if no one can answer my query, a stab of $13 to trial this isn't too bad at all

Got 12 days to decide so plenty of time. I'm just being a bit frugal.

[Aerin]

I'd say it really depends on how polished you want it to be. UE4 has some really great things that I'm not sure are in CryEngine V, like a Material Editor and their Blueprint (Visual Scripting) system. I know UE4 has a pretty robust Terrain Editor as well, would be interested to see how CE5's compares. Rigging up 3D models can be a pain in the ass, so if you've never done it I'd say expect to spend some time researching that. There's also the question of where you want to get art assets from if the starter projects don't have all you need.

If you want to build your own 3D models, aside from the basic primitives that come with each engine, you'll probably want to use 3ds max or Maya. There's a guy I know who likes to use Lightwave too.

[Darus Grey]

If I grab the assets, and download the engine...

Assuming I understand on a somewhat intermediate level on how to inspect, adapt and code, with 0 3D knowledge, and using the asset bundle only, how feasible is it to churn out a game? i.e. a hack and slash game, a RPG... $13 investment to dabble with something that I can sell/release with no implications sounds quite good.

Assume 2 hours gameplay (for now) as a calculation. I see a sample game is included, so I was thinking of dismantling that and learning from it.

You can make a $0 investment and get just as many free assets from UE4, they seriously have a mountain of free assets, including ones from actual released games and demos.

I know I rag on Crytek, but they are not respected in the gamedev community for a reason. You're better off learning virtually anything else, and it's all free these days so why bother with Crytek? Get Unreal or Unity or something with an actual community to help you.

[The Stig]

Understood. Actually I didn't look very much into it until this thread, I was not aware Unreal/Unity was free!

[6souls]

CryEngine 5.5 Tech Demo & Details

Crytek has announced a new 5% royalty-based model for CryEngine, alongside a range of improvements, enhancements, new learning offerings, and full access to the editor source code. Developers around the world now have complete, uninhibited, and easy access to the power of CryEngine, and the opportunity to have their expertise with the engine recognized.

Creators who release games using CryEngine V will find development faster and easier than ever before and incur costs only after $5,000 is raised in revenue. An enterprise tier will also be introduced for custom support packages and royalty buyouts. Developers currently developing on CryEngine 5.0-5.4 can apply for a royalty exemption if they wish to stay on the current version and not take advantage of access to the editor source code. For more information, consult the CryEngine FAQ pages.

Following the release of CryEngine 5.5, featuring over 260 improvements, fixes, and enhancements, an exciting new addition to the CryEngine ecosystem is the arrival of a new CryEngine Certification Program. The program will consist of three verticals representing core development disciplines. A Technical Artist Certification will recognize proficiency in the digital visual arts, a Designer Certification rewards expertise in using the editor, and the Programmer Certification tests core development knowledge on both the engine and editor codebases. Alongside the CryEngine Certification Program, Crytek has introduced a new documentation structure and walkthroughs to onboard users to CryEngine even faster than ever.

CryEngine’s Product Manager, Collin Bishop, said, “CryEngine 5.5 represents our focus on usability and onboarding with the editor toolset and engine codebase. The arrival of the CryEngine Certification Program, revamped documentation, and new editor source code allows for developers worldwide to work uninhibited with the CryEngine toolset, within a model that provides a price point for all sizes of teams. We have also created a new onboarding project named Flappy Boid that quickly teaches developers how to create a full game in CryEngine from scratch, with no prior engine knowledge, as part of our drive to open up the power of CryEngine to all.”
Additionally, CryEngine 5.5 provides integrations for both the Steam and PSN networks, alongside a new cURL integration for HTTPS.

CryEngine 5.5 highlights

• Getting Started Course: Our new beginner’s course shows users with no experience in game development how to create a full game in CryEngine in just 10 chapters.

• SVOGI Improvements: SVOGI can now run on consoles. We have enabled developers to cache SVOGI on the disk and calculate GI completely offline. This means users can make the most realistic scenes yet.

• Terrain System Improvements: New features and enhancements vastly improve the terrain system, including the ability to weight and blend multiple materials, more detailed height maps, and more.

• Updated Entity Components: New and legacy components are integrated in the new entity system, including rain and water ripple entities. A new VR Camera and interaction component makes getting up and running with VR even easier.

• C# Upgrades: We have expanded how users can create C# assets directly inside the Asset Browser, with Visual Studio instances, debugging through the IDE, and more.

• Game Platform Plugins: A brand-new Game Platform plugin allows for easy access to common distribution platforms and data transfer protocols. This includes Steamworks and PSN API functions like matchmaking, leaderboards, and achievements.

To see how developers around the world are achieving their vision with CryEngine, check out our new CryEngine developer showcase video and the CryEngine tech trailer above.