2.5d games

I looked at the 3D-model-wiki and I thought: that's too complicated :-) Three or five tools to convert from one format to another... If I use Cinema, I will use it for animation too, why should I use Blender...?

The only advantage might be: I get a 3D-model to walk with, maybe smoother, but such a prize I have to pay for... No real shadows (because there are no 3D-objects, only the character), no keyframe or point animations (which are my favourite tools to animate mimics), no subsurface scattering, no hair, no dispacement (without them I need some other way to make reliefs, does normals work?), no bone rigging, no hypernurbs.

I think: it's a dead end to me.

I think, it's easier to change the whole scene for different lights, effects and use pre-rendered frames from the favourite 3D-program... sorry.

Machtnix

I believe you would have better look with Spine animations. If you can swap out various sprite parts during runtime then it should allow for more dynamic character animations such as hair blowing & independent facial expressions. I don't really know if that's possible as I've not gotten round to testing it, but I believe that it should be.

Also Spine animations support bone rigging & key frames, but whether or not they can be manipulated via scripting during runtime, I have no clue. Would be interesting to find out.

Hello, perhaps the answer to the last two interventions is that Visionaire is not a 2.5 engine (as defined on the web pages) and then everything you say is true.
I'm new in Visio, and I can not know its great limitations in this area if I do not try it first :-)
I come from WME which, although is an abandoned engine, supports a good part of the behaviors that you write.
With 3ds max you can build the gaming scene in 3d, export hidden geometry and obtain that the shadows are projected on even vertical surfaces, a scene can have more than one camera and you can change perspective as you please, the character moves in real direction along 360 degrees, you can change at any time and using any kind of animation.
Sorry, but for me this is the 2.5d
Also, once you created an animation (like opening a door, pick up an object, etc.) it can be used in any position of the character without having to prepare for each direction a new sprite.
I like Visio and probably in the near future I will buy it but from my point of view it is not correct to state that supports the 2.5d

Valter

You can I believe change various things for the 3D character during runtime through Lua script such as camera perspective relative to the character & lighting source (probably). I know Akçay did, which is evident in the demo game that he provided for his kickstarter campaign a little while back.

I've not tried out WME before, so I have no idea what it's capable of.