Programming Language, also dual-platform development?

[Gabriel]

Which programming language(s) does Spiderweb Software use to develop its games? And, how does it apply to the development of dual-platform software? I can't seem to find that information on the website, form, or blog.

 

Is it simply one language, several languages used one after another over many years, or, perhaps, a custom, invented system known only to the creator of the games? I have been wondering what programming language or process is used because Spiderweb Software is one of the few companies who actually bothers releasing "hybrid" dual-platform versions of their games.

 

Is it a difficult process to convert software from one system to another? And, is it done "in-house" or is it outsourced to volunteers or trained workers? I would imagine that the process would become easier over the years as programming languages become alike, but there is still different software and hardware involved which could complicate things.

[Lilith]

Spiderweb's newer games are written in C++, while some of the oldest games are written in C. Porting mostly consists of rewriting things like user interface elements that are dependent on a specific operating system. Everything's done in-house: Spiderweb Software is pretty much strictly a three-person outfit, and all of the actual programming is done by one of those people. Porting a Spiderweb game usually takes a few months, including testing.

[Alorael at Large]

A side note: the programming languages are the same on all platforms. It's getting your program to interact correctly with the platform that's a problem, and that's something different languages do with varying degrees of ease. Java is known for cross-platform capabilities; other languages usually require porting.

 

—Alorael, who also notes that Spiderwebs games aren't hybrid. There's a Mac version and a Windows version, and while they read the same scripts, under the hood they're different to the point of producing incompatible save files.

[Khoth]

The scripts are probably worth mentioning - as well as the game engine in C++, there's a custom-made scripting language that deals with things like dialogue and special monster abilities and so on. You can see those scripts by digging around in the game's folder.

[A less presumptuous name.]

The script code is pretty simple. I, with no real education in coding, picked up the gist of the text scripts.

[Alorael at Large]

Secretly, programming is also pretty simple. You may not be able to do anything complicated, but if you look at some simple code it will make a fair amount of sense.

 

—Alorael, who in fact thinks that from messing with Avernum scripts you can have a decent handle on the basic ideas of C/C++. With just a few bits more under your belt you could be churning out "Hello World!" in no time.