Engines
Glest is more than just a game, it is a 3D RTS engine, meaning it can be customized based on the mods used to create the feeling of an entirely different game. Combined with the open-source nature of Glest, this makes it highly versatile. However, the original Glest fork is no longer being developed, with development having instead spread to the MegaGlest and Glest Advanced Engine forks. These two forks expand further on what Glest had, and add new features, making them the most common choice of development for modders today.
MegaGlest
MegaGlest is the most recent fork, having been developed by Titi largely as a method of exploring new particle systems and expanded multiplayer. It features unit particle systems (that is, particles that are always on while the unit is doing something. For example, smoke from a chimney), a master server, background loading images that vary by faction and scenario, and more.
Glest Advanced Engine
Glest Advanced Engine, or GAE, was the first fork to have been developed for Glest, and still in active development. While it cannot lay claim to a master server, it has more gameplay features, such as Auto-repair, effects, emanations, and water units.
Comparison of the Engines
| Category | Glest | MegaGlest | Glest Advanced Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Addons" | None | Mydata folder | Addons folder, can be compressed |
| AI Difficulty Levels | Normal, Ultra | Easy, Normal, Ultra, Mega | Easy, Normal, Ultra, Mega |
| Auto-repair / Auto-return | No | No | Yes |
| Command Line Options | No | Expanded | Limited |
| Command Queuing | None | Control + Click | Shift + Click |
| Control of Fog of War | Turn on or off only | Can toggle off Fog of War and Shroud of Darkness individually | Can toggle off Fog of War and Shroud of Darkness individually |
| Emanations / Effects | No | No | Yes |
| Faction Loading | Loads all factions | Only loads used factions | Only loads used factions |
| Faction Logos | No | Before-game only | During-game only |
| Faction Music | One per faction | One per faction | Multiple per faction + Shuffle |
| Fields | Land, Air | Land, Air | Land, Air, Water, Deep Water, Amphibious |
| Guard / Patrol | No | No | Yes |
| GUI | Standard | Same as regular Glest | Expanded |
| Image Format Support | BMP, TGA | BMP, TGA, PNG, JPG | BMP, TGA, PNG |
| Lua Scripting | Basic | Expanded | Furthest Expanded + Dedicated console |
| Maximum Players | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Multiplayer | IP Address | Master server, LAN, or IP Address | LAN or IP Address |
| Multiplayer Chat | In-game only | Pre-game IRC and in-game | In-game only |
| Normal Maps and Shaders | No | No | Yes |
| Observer Mode | No | Yes | No |
| Path Finder | A* | A* and Experimental | A* and Experimental |
| Per-faction Loading Screens | No | Yes | No |
| Pets and Masters | No | No | Yes |
| Saving and Loading Games | No | No | Yes |
| Stealth | No | No | Yes |
| Subfactions | No | No | Yes |
| Teleporting | No | No | Yes |
| Transport Units | No | No | Yes |
| Unit Leveling System | Set increments | Set increments | Modifiable, fixes attacking own units bug |
| Unit Particle Effects | No | Yes | Yes |
