Build
Build is the 3D rendering engine used in Blood and its expansion packs Cryptic Passage, and the Plasma Pak. It was created by Ken Silverman under contract by 3D Realms (legally called Apogee). 3D Realms used this engine in its games Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior which used similar game play styles as Blood, Build has also been used in a variety of other games. It was contracted to Monolith Productions when they purchased the rights to Blood and QStudios, who originally bought it from 3D Realms.
The Build engine renders its world on a two-dimensional grid using closed 2D shapes called "sectors" and simple flat objects called "sprites" to populate the world geometry with objects. It is generally considered to be a 2.5D engine, since the basic world geometry is two-dimensional with an added height component, as each sector may have a different ceiling and floor height, and the ceiling and floor may be angled along one line of the sector. However the final result is that the world looks three-dimensional due to the way the engine renders it. The version of the Build engine used in Blood also makes use of the voxel technology for weapon/ammo pickups, power ups and occasionally decorations, such as the tombstones in the first level of episode one, "Cradle to Grave".
After the source code of many game engines had been released by their respective owners, an intense fan campaign called for the release of the Blood source code (see: Blood Source Campaign)
[edit] See Also
- Blood: the first Blood game, its was developed with Build.
- Cryptic Passage and the Plasma Pak: Build powered expansions for Blood.
- Modifications based on Blood for the Build derivative EDuke32 source port.
- LithTech: the engine used in Blood II: The Chosen and its The Nightmare Levels expansion pack.
- Dark Places: the engine used in the fan made Blood remake Transfusion.
- ZDoom: the engine that is used in the fan made ZBlood.
- Doom: the engine used in the fan made Blood TC.
- Flash: the internet software plugin that powers the fan made The Flesh Game.
- Game Maker: the tool used in the fan made Blood Reborn and Blood 2D.
- Ken Silverman's Interview for the Blood Wiki.
