Choosing right engine, tools for isometric game

[Fredi]

Hi, currently with friends we are thinking about building a game, no one has any game development XP so we have a lot of silly* questions. We have chosen isometric game style and we want to build it with javascript. We did some research but everything is not clear enough. At the moment we are looking at Phaser, looks good and it has isometric plugin http://rotates.org/phaser/iso/ but we are not sure if we could implement everything we need with it. Our concerns are about "3D" space. Can we create isometric map with tunnels, stairs, bridges where entity (for example zombie) can move under and on different floors on map and could find shortest path with A* algorithm? Doesn't it need more like a 3D game engine like Babylon?

Is Tileld map editor the right tool for this if we can't really create different height levels with it, what are alternatives or suggestions for this?

Maybe you have some nice inspirational examples with games that have similar map with multiple floors and built with Phaser/Babylon?

Any thoughts about Whitestorm https://whsjs.io/#/ ?

 

Thank your very much for any help!

[PhasedEvolution]

I don't think that phaser isometric plugin supports tiled (you can generate tile maps by numerous methods anyway). I have used it before and it was quite nice though. There are some features you have to "trick" to get done but I recommend it. Isometric is still 2D as you know and the simulation of that view could be solely provided by the phaser plugin. I would recommend you to use something like bullet.js for physics. You can always use the integrated phaser physics but if you're looking for more than AABB (not grid fixed) you should go for bullet.

[Fredi]

@PhasedEvolution thank you for your reply! Are you talking about this bulletjs https://github.com/adambom/bullet.js/?

Do you have any thoughts about pathfinding and trickery about getting it to work in 2d game if we want to implement a bridge/tunnel?

I attached an image below to describe the problem. Currently testing phaser with isometric plugin, I can see that I could build a tunnel through which player can go but how about pathfinding? 

Any thoughts anybody?

[Milton]

28 minutes ago, Fredi said:

@PhasedEvolution thank you for your reply! Are you talking about this bulletjs https://github.com/adambom/bullet.js/?

https://github.com/kripken/ammo.js/

29 minutes ago, Fredi said:

but how about pathfinding? 

A* works fine in 3D.

 

[Fredi]

@Milton thank you for your reply! I understand that A* works  in 3D engine games but how could I implement it in 2D isometric Phaser game? I can't really find a good example/tutorial where is described my tunnel/bridge problem in 2D isometrics.

As I understand in 2D you create two dimensional array and A* is searching through it. If I'm correct in my situation it's not simple two dimensional array or i'm mistaken?

[Fredi]

I have found a good topic about my problem here http://arongranberg.com/astar/docs/class_pathfinding_1_1_layer_grid_graph.php

Does it mean I can't create it in Phaser 2D with isometric plugin?

[Milton]

Hi Fredi,

I don't understand your question, sorry

A* doesn't care about 2D, 3D, 4D, whatever. A* works on any graph/tree with weighted paths between vertices.
My advice would be, forget about the 'representation'. And actually, don't use the plugin, because it doesn't offer much.
If you want Isometric 'out of the box', go with Unity. Otherwise, you'll have to implement it yourself.
Since you'll be needing your own physics, just forget about the plugin, and only write the projection/depth-sort code.

http://murdochcarpenter.com/isometric-starling-part-i/

http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/tutorials/creating-isometric-worlds-a-primer-for-game-developers--gamedev-6511

https://mazebert.com/2013/04/18/isometric-depth-sorting/

[Fredi]

@Milton thank you very much! I will look in to your resources. 

Any other help, links, suggestions will be also appreciated.