Game engine for a turn-based strategic RPG

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Uh, so I posted earlier about a game concept I've been working on:
http://rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=61648

I did a quick proof-of-concept test on GameMaker. Currently I have:

- Selecting / Deselecting units, command menu
- Unit movement, path planning, cancel move
- Movement range display, movement limitations, automatic route calculation, display route
- Fire range display (enemies as well)
- Terrain types (movement limitations, defence bonuses, unit type movement limitations)
- Fog of war
- Victory objectives (capture the flag at the moment)
- Mines
- Very, very basic enemy AI

Now, I really really hate coding. The basic mock-up I did with GM clearly shows how much work there still is to be done (plus there are already a few annoying bugs).

So, looking at my feature set, do you have any suggestions for an engine? Something simple and easy to customize, with most of the required features already included. Fire Emblem, Tactics Ogre... that sort of stuff.

Any experiences on working with GameMaker would also be welcome. The prototype came along rather nicely, but I have a nagging feeling that as the project grows in diversity, it won't be as peachy...

Maybe
http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment. ... p/T-Engine
http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment. ... hp/Libtcod

http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment. ... php/Engine

Not at all what you are asking but this is something I found amazing for its 3D interpretation of 2D:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q6ISVaM5Ww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtYvNEmmHXE

Be sure to watch all of it.

Thats pretty awesome. I love working with 2D sprites myself, even though I do have some basic 3D modelling skills (I took a course on Blender 3D modelling a few years ago).

Currently I need to do three sprites and I can do 360 degree fake "3D" movement (top down/isometric). Can do some particle effects as well (smoke/fire/rain/snow) but they tend to be rather huge resource hogs.

A shame that that the that engine won't ever see the daylight...

(Spoiler, it is horrible)

lol. coding and game maker in the same sentence

Lol at the 2011 newfag posting pointless one-liners in CW. You want to get the Prosper treatment?

Code:

// function sets a given movement cost for all fields containing specified object type
// arguments used:
//
//    hex_grid_set_object_cost(grid_id, object_index, new_movement_cost);
//
//    grid_id - "id" of the grid system obtained
//                 from "hex_grid_create()" function
//    object_index - the object type marking fields
//                 that should have their movement cost changed
//    new_movement_cost - movement cost to be set for the specified field
//
// note: field selection depends only on the x,y positions of the objects contained inside fields area
//       field selection does NOT depend on collision of fields with the objects

var n,i,p;
n = instance_number(argument1);
for (i=0 i<n; i+=1)
  {p = instance_find(argument1,i);
   if (!hex_grid_position_inside(argument0,p.x,p.y))
     continue;
   hex_grid_set_coordinate_cost( argument0, hex_grid_coord_x(argument0,p.x,p.y), hex_grid_coord_y(argument0,p.x,p.y), argument2 );
  }

Hurr hurr hurr durrrrr, coding in game maker, lololol

Haba, there are other 2.5D engines that use the same heightmap based 3D interpretation thing the XNA guy did in his videos. I found some from related links in those videos. Look them up. It seems to be a newly emerging but also common method.

Oh and hi, Prosper v2. It was about time we got a firmware update.