What API to use or is Slick2D outdated?

Java 2D
#1

I am working on a game i share in another thread and I am thinking to put more focus on it. I am using Slick2D and I am quite satisfied with the API when it comes to simplicity. But I noticed that it hasn’t been updated for quite a while and the project Slick2D-AE that tries to put it on Android still has some issues and is not in active developement either. Then I stumbled upon libGDX, an API with nice features, active developement, better support for shaders [ although there is some code that make shaders work in slick ] and TWL.

Switching would mean a lot of effort, but putting all effort into an api that might die would mean a lot of work later on.

I would really appreciate some input, maybe alternatives or statements from kevin on the slick developement.

-lastaid

#2

Its a question many have asked, see official response here.

Slick2D is IMO pretty much mostly complete as a wrapper. Its a thin library to wrap OpenGL into a nice and friendly Java2D like API to make 2d games easier and quicker to make, its easy to extend, what more do you want from it?

Its just the small bugs that pop up every now and then that need fixing which kevglass does fix.

Although the posts on the front page have been lacking, the libraries forum is pretty much alive and kicking.

#3

Outdated no
Buggy yes

The bigger your project and the more direct OpenGL calls you want to do, the more you will get frustrated
But easier to use when you don’t have the OpenGL skills needed.

#4

Ok, I agree on the not outdated part, but i’m still bugged with the android support. I am trying to learn OpenGL on the side, but its a large step from calling Image.draw to handling everything in low level opengl. Also when it comes to OpenGL, i have no idea what version to use. on the one hand OpenGL1.1 is supported by almost everything which might even include my toaster, but it changes as well and if i am in the position of having to learn it from scratch, why not learn the latest api with no supported hardware at all :D.
Too many questions, but i think i will stick to Slick2D and hope for better android support coming soon.

#5

I’ve just used Slick2D to actually complete my first game. Which is quite nice, because I never managed to complete a game before. Part of this is because Slick2D is a very easy library to learn, and has support for basically everything you need for a 2D game (admittedly, one that is not too complex). So I’m pretty sure that Slick is a good place to start your game development career.

Also, although it may not be the most actively developed library out there it is indeed quite complete as it is. I guess I’ll go back to learning OpenGL some time in the future, but for now I’d rather focus on actually completing a game rather than struggle with an API for a few months before giving up.

#6

Android support wasn’t really ever officially part of Slick2D. The Slick-AE stuff was mostly just experimental and IIRC it wasn’t fully completed, essentially it was just a wrapper over the LibGDX library (which is also pretty nice).

#7

I took a look at the libgdx, but it seemed to me that it was more optimised for jump and run + rpg stuff [ scene2d and all that stuff ]. i write an 4x game, so handling grafical entities with physics is no priority. if i want to write a simple 2d game, is it still as simple to use as slick?

#8

Could you explain how you came to this conclusion?

#9

Just a superficial and quick look, especially the package com.badlogic.gdx.scenes
But as I said, it was just on a quick look, so the chance of my first impression being wrong is quite high.

#10

I can assume that Libgdx can be used to anything. I have with team or my self created tower defense, physic tetris and currently doing full blown 2d work vechile simulator.

So anything that you want is possible even 3d games.