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Spring Engine

Spring is a versatile 3D RTS game engine.

Spring Engine

Spring Engine Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether Spring Engine is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • Spring Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

Features & Specs

  1. Open Source

    Spring Engine is open-source, which means that anyone can access, modify, and distribute the source code. This fosters a community-driven development process and allows developers to tailor the engine to their specific needs.

  2. Cross-Platform

    The engine is designed to work on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, which improves accessibility and flexibility for developers and players alike.

  3. Real-Time Strategy Focus

    Spring Engine is specifically tailored for developing real-time strategy games, offering specialized features and tools that cater to the needs of RTS game development.

  4. Robust Modding Support

    The engine provides strong support for modding, allowing users to create custom content and modifications easily, which enhances the longevity and appeal of games made with Spring Engine.

  5. Large Community

    An active community around the Spring Engine offers resources, support, and shared knowledge, which can be invaluable for both new and experienced developers.

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Videos

Source Audio Ventris - Outboard Spring Engine - Demo & Review

Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about Spring Engine and what they use it for.
  • Beyond All Reason
    Built on the Recoil engine: https://recoilengine.org/ Which is a fork of the Spring RTS engine: https://springrts.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 29 days ago
  • Year Anniversary of WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness
    Huh. I'm familiar with the Spring RTS FOSS project (https://springrts.com) which started as a reimplementation of TA, and of course Planetary Annihilation, but not "Beyond All Reason" - do you have an authoritative link? - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Zero-k: A libre sci-fi RTS game, with an economy based on metal and energy
    Seems the support would be a realistic feature, though, because it's based on https://springrts.com/ that does support MacOS X. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Alternative Game Engines for Marooned Unity Developers
    Springrts: Designed for 3D rts games. May be worth looking into if that's what you're making. The site is kind of lack luster so I didn't do too much digging around. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • OpenRA โ€“ Classic strategy games rebuilt for the modern era
    ...or Total Annihilation Spring, nowadays known as Spring RTS: https://springrts.com/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • What is your favorite open source Linux game? Mine is Wideland (Best way to describe is the way Settlers 3 should have been)
    My current favorite is Beyond All Reason. Before BAR, my favorite was Zero-K. Both BAR and zk use the same game engine, SpringRTS. BAR and zk are very similar to one another, and they're successors for Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Permafrost engine โ€“ An OpenGL RTS game engine written in C
    Obligatory mention of another open source RTS engine (lineage tracing back to the original Total Annihilation): https://springrts.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • What older video game holds a special place in your heart?
    Total Annihilation for sure, the spiritual successor Supreme Commander is great but a bit too different for me. There's an open source recreation that's a bit rough to learn at first, but it's my favorite game of all time called Spring RTS. https://springrts.com/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Looking for a RTS game like Zero-K
    Pretty much any game on the Spring Engine (which Zero-K is on) will work on Linux. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Total Annihilation (Currently marked unsupported) works great on the deck! Just had to manually set the resolution.
    That said, SpringRTS is a thing if you've not seen it before. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Miscellaneous Questions Regarding 3D from a Prospective User (maximum nodes, 3D vs Unity, etc)
    That said, having that many units will be very challenging in pretty much any general purpose engine and you may want to consider an engine built specifically for RTS games. A quick search found the spring RTS engine: https://springrts.com/. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • For the love of God just help me port SpringRTS to Android already, it has taken far too long, what the hell is the holdup?
    r/springrts: Spring is a versatile 3D RTS game engine. Using extensively Lua for scripting game-specific code to make nearly every aspect of the Https://springrts.com/. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • What video game do you consider a masterpiece?
    Total Annihilation RTS. Really impressive for the hardware at the time, moddable, and super fun. The community has made SpringRTS and Beyond all Reason and last I heard Cavdog was essentially sold ~4 times and the original source code was lost. I still find the intro impressive considering it was released in 1997. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Ask HN: Favourite Open Source Game?
    Total Annihilation-like: [Beyond All Reason](https://www.beyondallreason.info/). There are also a few others (or supreme commander-likes) run on the [springrts engine](https://springrts.com/) including zero-k. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
  • Total annihilation - I canโ€™t be the only on who enjoyed this in the late 90s / early 00s?
    You may find this interesting: https://springrts.com. Source: about 4 years ago
  • who wants to play some TA???
    Also, if you want to play online: https://springrts.com/. Source: over 4 years ago
  • What makes supreme commander forged alliance better than any rts?
    Zero-K is a Spring engine game. Spring was originally a project to convert the original Total Annihilation to a more modern true 3D game, and developed into an engine for TA-like games. Zero-K is descended from TA-derived games on Spring - Absolute Annihilation, Balanced Annihilation, Complete Annihilation. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Which older video game do you still have fun playing now?
    The mentioned remake/successor games are all running on the Spring engine. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Working on flamethrowers for our game :) Do you feel the heat? | Beyond All Reason (Total Annihilation / Supreme Commander-inspired free open source RTS)
    A customized fork of SpringRTS engine (open-source) Https://springrts.com/. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • AMD: We Stand Ready To Make Arm Chips
    We got TA Spring for a long time now. Especially the balance annihilation "mod" gets very close to the original. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • Should I even get into game development?
    You can get started with https://springrts.com/. Source: almost 5 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of Spring Engine

The Spring Engine, prominently known as SpringRTS, is an open-source real-time strategy (RTS) game development platform that garners notable attention within the gaming community. A versatile engine, it supports development across multiple operating systemsโ€”Windows, Linux, and macOSโ€”and is utilized not only for RTS games but also for other genres. Public opinion reveals a mixture of appreciation and constructive critiques from various quarters in the gaming industry.

Highlights and Strengths

  1. Customizability and Flexibility: One of the Spring Engine's significant strengths is its high level of customizability, specifically through scripting with Lua. This feature is greatly appreciated by developers who value extensive control over game mechanics and design, making it an ideal choice for creating complex RTS experiences. This flexibility helps developers craft unique and personalized game experiences, as noted by users who have expressed compatibility with games reminiscent of classics such as "Age of Empires" and "Halo Wars."

  2. Rooted in Classical Inspirations: SpringRTS has strong roots tracing back to classic RTS titles like "Total Annihilation" and its spiritual successor, "Supreme Commander." This lineage provides a nostalgic and appealing platform for developers and gamers interested in creating or experiencing games that capture the essence of these beloved classics. Users fondly recall the engineโ€™s capacity for generating modernized versions of these games, such as "Zero-K" and "Beyond All Reason."

  3. Community and Open Source Nature: The open-source nature of the Spring Engine is a significant draw for many developers. It facilitates a community-driven approach, where enthusiasts can contribute to the engine's evolution. This aspect is underscored by various community projects and forks, such as "Balanced Annihilation" and derivatives that continue to develop and expand the engine's potential.

Challenges and Criticisms

  1. Learning Curve and Documentation: Some users have mentioned that the engine can be somewhat daunting, especially for newcomers, due to a steep learning curve and potentially insufficient documentation or resources for advanced features. This barrier may deter some developers from fully utilizing or investing in the engine for their projects.

  2. Website and Resource Availability: Feedback about the Spring Engine's website suggests it may lack the polish or comprehensive information found with other engines, potentially impacting first impressions or the decision-making process for prospective users exploring engine choices.

  3. Platform Specificity and Integration: While the engine supports various platforms, there is an expressed interest in expanding functionalities such as improving the Android port, indicative of ongoing community discussions and demand for broader integration.

In conclusion, the Spring Engine stands as a powerful and adaptable platform within the game development community, celebrated for its customizability and open-source roots. While it faces some challenges regarding accessibility and documentation, its active community and dedication to recreating classic RTS experiences make it a valuable tool for developers seeking to innovate within this genre.

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Is Spring Engine good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss Spring Engine here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.