Topics in Game Development
Spring 2007

Notes on getting started with Torque and the Game Programmer's Guide to Torque

Ed Angel

1. There are versions of the Torque engine for Windows, Mac OSX and linux.
Because games written in Torque are scripted and recompiled automatically 
when the game is loaded, all the files for a given game are the same regardless of 
the platform on which they were developed. Usually, all the files for a single game 
will be in one folder which can be copied between platforms.

2. Torque is designed to use a two button mouse, hence Mac users will probably want
to get one. Also, note that on the Mac, when you want to use a function key in Torque, you 
should also use the option (alt) key, i.e. to use get to the World Editor, instead of F-11,
you would use Alt+F11.

3. The default behavior of Torque is that the game you want to run is in a folder in
the folder containing the Torque binary. Thus, in the example folder in the installation
you will see a binary for Torque (on linux you will use the command line "sh runtorque;") and
folders with sample games (tutorial.base, starter.racing). You can either create your games 
within the examples folders or by copying the Torque binary to another folder and putting
your game in a folder within this folder.

4. The default game is entered on line 6 of the file main.cs in the example folder. To start
with another game, edit this file and enter the name of another folder within the example
folder.

5. Torque comes with a tutorial that goes through all the steps to create a simple game. This
tutorial is described in GettingStarted.pdf in the example folder. I put a copy of this file
on the class website under TORQUE. I found that going through this tutorial before going
through the textbook was very helpul.

6. The text uses the GPGT lessons to illustrate how to use the Torque tools and Torque script.
There is a folder GPGT LessonKit on the CD with the text. Within this folder is a folder named gpgt
which you can copy to the example folder. The lessons work fine on Windows. On linux, you probably
will want to resize the game from the options button on the opening screen to match the higher
resolution on the linux displays. I was unable to get all the data to load on the Mac.

7. When going through the tutorial and the lessons from GPGT in the book, you will be
changing the objects and terrain you started with. You will probably find it is easier to
go back to the inital state after each lesson by exiting the game (from the editor) and
restarting. Remember not to save the game when prompted if you want to get back to the beginning. 

8. On Windows and Mac OSX you will be runnning version 1.5. On linux you will be using version 1.4.2
which is the same as in the book. Thus far, I haven't found any incompatibilities between the systems.

9. It's especially important when editing GUIs to remove all the .dso files
recursively (see page 575). If you don't the changes you edited in may not appear
on the next running of the binary.