Python game programming?

[Lothar Scholz]

On Sun, 06 Jan 2002 21:30:53 GMT, Hans Nowak <wurmy at earthlink.net>
wrote:

>Jordan wrote:
>> 
>> I'm interested in doing game development with Python, but I'm beginning to
>> wonder about the feasability.  Someone recently posted a real-world example
>> of Python being 700x slower than C, which would obviously be bad for games.
>> I realize that real-time 3d is probably out of the question, but what about
>> a 2d isometric engine like Baldur's Gate or Diablo?  Would it be possible
>> to make something like that using PyGame?  If not, which lang should I use
>> (I have some experience with C/C++, but I'd have to "refresh" my memory)?
>> Would Delphi be a better choice than C/C++ for this sort of thing?  Thanks
>> in advance for your time and help.
>
>Not sure what PyGame can do, but Python doesn't seem suitable to 
>code the core parts of the 2D/3D engine; you know, the stuff that
>really needs to perform. You might be better off coding this in
>a different language, e.g. C, C++, or Delphi, like you mentioned;
>then use Python as a wrapper around these fast routines, allowing
>you to write the game in it. Or, you can choose to write the game
>largely in the lower-level/faster language, then use Python for
>scripting it, yielding a high level of customization.
>
>I personally would use Delphi before C/C++, but that is largely
>a matter of preference. There is a set of components for Delphi
>that integrate Python with it, but last time I saw it, this
>only supported Python 1.5.x and not 2.0 or higher. (Not that
>you would absolutely need that, but it's nice be able to work
>with a relatively modern Python version.)
>
>And of course, the best thing to find out if PyGame is up to
>what you want, is writing some test programs. This is typically
>quick and easy in Python and may give you valuable info.
>
>HTH,
>
>--Hans (base64.decodestring('d3VybXlAZWFydGhsaW5rLm5ldA==\n') 
>       # decode for email address ;-)
>Site:: http://www.awaretek.com/nowak/

I would suggest to take a look at Eiffel.  The Smalleiffel compiler
"http://smalleiffel.loria.fr"  is free and there is a game library
which you can find via "www.elj.com" .

Eiffel compiles to very efficient native code. And has a GC build in
like Java.  So is the the best to get development and execution speed.

I would never again trying to code something more serious in a
language without a garbage collector or good abstraction.