Clickteam Fusion 2.5 VS Construct 2

[darksouls]

I own the first one but I just discovered this product and was wondering what are your pros and cons for this one besides the fact you cant export to native windows with simple .exes.

Clickteam Fusion 2.5 has a ton of plugins that support things like lua (unsure how outdated they are, but they are there) and parsing to XMLs(unsure how to use it though, but its there). There are a few useful extensions, but mostly reading the event editor is like decyphering some kinda hyroglyph and for some reason they didnt invest more development time into the event list editor which should be their primary focus as its the easiest thing to read.

However, Construct 2, from what I've seen by the various youtube videos is pretty legible even from just not knowing anything about it atleast to my eyes.

However, I understand that there might be some hardcoded limitations which I would be interested in hearing.

As I understand it Game maker studio runs the fastest, but Im not sure what does what performance wise when it Clickteam VS Construct 2 is compared. I cant seem to find many comparison videos. From what I read Construct 2 is newer? So has it been worth it for you? Does anyone here own both and can tell me the differences?

[Geldon]

I have not messed with App Game Kit 2 but, from the looks of things, it's just a more rudimentary approach to what GameMaker Studio lets you do, even less GUI bits get in the way, but the end products are not as powerful because the engine is not as powerful. (When I look down the indiedb list of games for an engine, I get a pretty good idea what it's capable of, and AGK2 is not looking great.)

I will say that, after I finally shelled out for both Construct 2 and Clickteam Fusion 2.5, I ended up bouncing off. My bank account has endured pointless abuse at my whims.

The trouble is that, when you simplify a game development kit to make programming less necessary, it cuts both ways. It's still technically possible to program in Construct 2 and Clickteam Fusion 2.5, but now there's a bunch of draggy-clicky GUI in the way of everything. When you know how to program already, programming with draggy-clicky becomes a chore.

So it comes right down to this: are you more visual or more cognitive in your game development approach? Because if you would rather approach a game like an art project, that's the really nice thing about Construct 2/Clickteam Fusion 2.5, they essentially ejected a game brain into MS Paint: you put in sprites and make them go.

Turns out I'm more cognitive. I don't care how a game looks, I just want it to do interesting things, and the sprites are just a means to an end. In that case, you might be better off with GameMaker, which is still kinda draggy-clicky-artsy, but it lets you do a lot more programming than either Construct 2 or Clickteam Fusion 2.5 does.

If even that is too much GUI getting in the way of your programming, you might want to move on to a full fledged, actual 2D game API, like libGDX, and which will require you learn Java. The downside to the API approach is that coding your own game engine (which you are doing here) takes a hell of a lot more time. GameMaker advertises it's 80% faster to realize a playable game than if you started from an API, and I would agree with that assessment. But the upside of coding your own engine is that it will do EXACTLY what you want it to do... nothing more, nothing less.

[._.Stashed Girl._.]

Can I say this about the no-ability to programming in Construct 2 (or even Clickteam Fusion 2.5).

Even if on Construct 2 I experiment actually only the FREE version.

I, (always under FREE version of Construct 2) programmed a plugin, (I named it jsRunner).
(which I want release soon on Plugins Database). It can be used for use all Javascript code inside Construct 2. Without any limitations.

SO I can say it is capable of programming in Javascript in Construct 2.

The only one difference with Game Maker PRO (or not) is that it is not a custom programming language but a well-known programming language (it's indeed certain that the Javascript is now suffisely reliable in many browsers games).

Now..

It's up to you to make a choice.


PS/ reguarding the fact I said "AGK2 is a powerful engine", this is because it is, BUT you must better optimize your code since you can (and must also) code LINE per LINE all the game/application you want to program.

As example, look at the Steam FREE games named "Echoes+", it's developped within AGK 2 :)

[darksouls]

No offense, but I think clickteam fusion is absolutely horrible, it makes the simplest things a chore to do. I might as well learn a coding language. I think event page editors are suited for the types of projects I'm interested in making. Sadly, I will be dialing back my development time for clickteam as having just dealt with the last "should work but doesnt for no reason" for the last time. I do not like tools that get in the way of making something work when it SHOULD work. (even tutorials run into the same issues and have to do 100 different work arounds for small issues that shouldn't be a problem. Which I surmise is the problem most of the time.)

Now, for really small programs clickteam isnt bad, for straight forward ideas its not bad.

[._.Stashed Girl._.]

Simple question, what is your problem in Clickteam Fusion 2.5 ?

I agree therefore that the "GUI" is not really easy to work-with as the one of Scirra Construct 2.

Also, in Clickteam Fusion 2.5, the only thing preventing making things working normally in some behaviors, is ... the order of your events ! Some orders (imposed logically orders) are just a pain to find which they must be, but when you got how it works, you are really productive !

In addition, I didn't tell that any of theses softwares was better than the each others... They have (for each) some plus and minus (cons, good).

[Laserbeak43]

引用自 Aтαηα¢ιυѕ：

I have the three software.
Clickteam Fusion 2.5 (the Standard paid version) (and older called Multimedia Fusion 2)

Scirra Construct 2 FREE.

Game Maker PRO.

1) Clickteam Fusion 2.5 is ...
- AMAZINGLY powerful, you do what YOU WANT, even just software instead games (I designed a Patch Downloader within!).
- Ok, the Event Interface seems "outdated" instead of that of Construct 2 but, it's just an impression.
- The interface is extremely productive. (Also you can switch in mode EVENTS LISTS instead QUICK EDIT LIST).
- Plugins are way so useful (like the plugin called "Surface". It's just a true plugin!).
- You can even code (with free plugin) lines in: .net (C# and VB.NET), Python, LUA, sqlLite, XML, Basic (and more..),
- This support behaviors too and shaders effects.
- ALSO.. Groups, Project tree folder, objects instances, variables (THEREFORE variables is limited to less of 30 per object)..
- Frame control, Mouse control
- And MORE MORE MORE... like Physics with Box2D is a bit of the content of Clickteam Fusion 2.5.
- Events Groups (which it is possible to enable/disable at runtime) is great !
- ONE MORE WORDS is: Collision with pixel perfect detection! Very useful!
-- The more badiest things for me it's that Exporter aren't free (meaning exporting to Android/HTML5 or any other platforms is not a thing possible unless you buy the DLC exporter corresponding to where you want export).


2) Scirra Construct 2 FREE (because I only tested FREE version but I want buy the Personal a day! (perhaps this christmas) is ...
- STUNNING, like Clickteam Fusion 2.5
- It has some of the same content as Clickteam Fusion 2.5 BUT some are very limited (like the Mouse Object do not have the possibility to set X or Y position.)
- Collision aren't pixel perfect... It's just circle, bounding box or polygonal (plus you'll need to define yourself manually the form of collision if you choose anything else than Bounding Box..).. SADDLY..
- but, in 1h I was able to make this:

- Pachinko game
-- Bucket moving from left to right and right to left (BEHAVIOR: SINE)
-- Ball hitting dots with physic real movement (BEHAVIOR: PHYSIC)
-- Points
-- Lives (left balls)

So.. Scirra Construct 2 is very good. I just wonder if (since it's not pixel perfect collision) how we can achieve this kind of game:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/258890

I think it is impossible without many many workaround.
Instead of that, in Clickteam Fusion 2.5, it can be achieved really fast with the use of Blitting function of Surface plugin + Clickteam Fusion 2.5 native box2D pixel perfect collision).

- THE BEST THINGS for my viewpoint is: EXPORTERS ARE FREE !


3) Game Maker PRO (or not) is ...
- A true headache, I don't regret to purchased it BUT it is really a different approach.
- The DnD interface of Game Maker.. is just awfully incomplete ! You'll need often write lines and lines of GML code..(http://docs.yoyogames.com/source/dadiospice/002_reference/001_gml%20language%20overview/index.html) for have a better control on your game.
- The views system is near from hard to use, I tried to make a board game with them, but it's just very hard to achieve what I want do in it..
- In it I just designed a poor "catch the clown" clone :o.. And seriously, It was boring as hell.
- It's certainly not a software that you can use correctly in few hours instead of Clickteam Fusion 2.5 or Scirra Construct 2.
- Plugin system is very recent, so it's not well integrated in Steam Workshop for the moment.. but they works very well in Game Maker itself when exporting to anything else of Steam Workshop.
- Exporters (like Clickteam Fusion 2.5) aren't not FREE but are more expensive than this last !
- The GML is indeed powerful and offer a true control over each aspect of your game, but seriously, if you would want get a software for code games, just code in C++ or even with XNA or any other framework over the net like Platypus Game Engine, or simple PHP+HTML+JS+MySQL.. so ... It's not really a great "quick approach" for making games in quick steps (and it is not easy too)
- The software is powerful, indeed it is, but lacks furiously of features in DnD mode.


So, my TOP 3 is like this:

°1° : Clickteam Fusion 2.5 because : IT IS THE BEST (from all I tested as features!)
°2° : Scirra Construct 2 (personal edition would be more useful than free since free is limited to 100 events, 2 effects, 1 layer etc..) because : IT IS A SOLID SOFTWARE, I LOVE IT, I WANT LEARN MORE OF IT.
°3° : nothing.

Why I don't included Game Maker in this list?
Because Game Maker is WAY MORE complicated to use and then for it take a place into other section than "Quick Conditions->Actions" game design system.


EDIT: fixing some typo errors and adding some informations.

Great reply. thanks for the info

[._.Stashed Girl._.]

You're welcome Laserbeak43 :)

I see you are in Construct 2 FREE, have fun developping within :)

[Hippy]

Construct 2 is on sale right now!
https://www.scirra.com/store/construct-2

[Laserbeak43]

引用自 Hippy：

Construct 2 is on sale right now!
https://www.scirra.com/store/construct-2

Thanks Hippy! I've just purchased!!

[._.Stashed Girl._.]

Is this version on Scirra.com shipped with a Steam Key ?

[Laserbeak43]

I'm trying to find out the same thing now...

[._.Stashed Girl._.]

This is why I don't bought it for the moment... XD

[Laserbeak43]

started a thread about it. Don't seem to be getting any interesting results :(
https://www.scirra.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=123868

[weird looking ♥♥♥♥]

let me tl:dr this for you guys who just bumped in here

Construct 2
+A* Algorithm
+Interface (u can really see the insides of your game)
+HTML5
-External Wrappers
-no DirectX renderer
-Collisions

Games made with Construct 2
-Cosmochoria (my favorite among all because of the procedurally generated level)
-The Last Penelope

CTF2.5
+Performance (Direct X)
+Lua (yep still works as of now u can even code lua inside)
+Export to nativ C++ Code (Chowdren)
-Interface
-Lacks useful features like construct 2
-Some Plugins are incompatible with some exporters

Games made with CTF2.5
-Five nights at Freddy's
-The Escapist
-Freedom Planet
- really CTF2.5 has a lot of games created i don't even know why actually

so in contrast if you just want to make games just for hobby pleasure then use Construct 2 but if you want to go serious then go with CTF2.5 (just don't expect the interface to be very welcoming) but you can go serious on game development with Construct 2

[._.Stashed Girl._.]

Hello.

DirectX is useful when it come to make some game live!
But, DirectX can also be a pain/impossible sometimes for just show to screen a "combolist" or some "radio", "checkbox", "combobox" and "textarea" or "textfield"... controls...
Since CF2.5 is a bit tedious with thoses components in the DirectX renderer.

Lua is a great thing that's true.
But Javascript in HTML manner is way more powerful when used with my jsRunner plugin.

Actually I haven't released it, but it rocks, and can create dynamics to Construct2 games aswell giving some control over even jQuery's code (or any other Javascript based-libs) !

EDIT: I forget to thanking you for your welcomed addition to this thread :)

[annieorben]

I've spent some time in Construct 2. I really like its level of abstraction for many of the typical programming patterns that I might use to solve game development issues. The software works well for what it does. Its use of selectors is absolutely brilliant! But there are also some issues that are a huge turn off for me as well. The biggest issue I have with it is that the debugger is blind within loops. This makes figuring out what's going on in game logic way more challenging than it should be. Another issue is with the terms of use for purchased game assets in the Scirra store. You can only use most items in one commercial game. Yet, when you find the same exact item in another shop, like yoyo game's marketplace, the terms of use allow you to use it in as many commercial projects as you want.

For me, I wouldn't try to use this system for anything programmatically challenging because of the lack of visibility that the debugger imposes on the developers.

Game Maker Studio debugger is MUCH better in showing the application state so that you can at least attempt to reason through unexpected behavior.