SAGE engine
Encyclopedia
SAGE is a game engine
used by Westwood Studios
and Electronic Arts
for real-time strategy
games.
The first version of the engine was known as W3D (Westwood 3D) was highly modified version of SurRender 3D engine, developed by Hybrid Graphics Ltd.
Westwood used W3D for Emperor: Battle for Dune
and updated for Command & Conquer: Renegade
.
After Westwood was dissolved by Electronic Arts the engine was further updated for Command & Conquer: Generals
, and renamed to SAGE. The rendering part remains nearly identical to the W3D engine, but most other elements have been redesigned from the ground up.
The SAGE engine allows for dynamic lighting
that casts realistic shadows and realistic reflections on most objects. High quality visual effects are now possible with the SAGE engine powering games. One example of a unique effect is the stop-motion camera. Blow up a gas station, for example, and the action will freeze in mid-explosion, and the camera will quickly pan around the environment, revealing pieces of debris and shrapnel suspended in the air, before the action promptly resumes. The SAGE engine also allows games to take place during different times of the day, with realistic lighting and shadow changes, etc.
After Kane's Wrath, the engine underwent a large overhaul of its major systems. This new version of the engine was called Sage 2.0, and was first used on Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
. Major upgrades included support for the PlayStation 3, an upgrade of the renderer to RNA (Renderware New Architecture), complete replacement of the math library with Renderware Math, integration of Renderware Physics, dynamic environmental music, and numerous minor internal improvements. A common misconception is that the new engine was called RNA which is incorrect, RNA refers only to the renderer.
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
used by Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios was a computer and video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in as Westwood Associates, and renamed to Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Interactive in...
and Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
for real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
games.
The first version of the engine was known as W3D (Westwood 3D) was highly modified version of SurRender 3D engine, developed by Hybrid Graphics Ltd.
Hybrid Graphics
Hybrid Graphics Ltd., often "Hybrid", was a graphics software technology company active from 1994 to 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. Acquired by NVIDIA in 2006, Hybrid Graphics is now NVIDIA Corporation's Helsinki office.- Company history :...
Westwood used W3D for Emperor: Battle for Dune
Emperor: Battle for Dune
Emperor: Battle for Dune is a Dune video game, released by Westwood Studios on June 12, 2001. It is based in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe....
and updated for Command & Conquer: Renegade
Command & Conquer: Renegade
Command & Conquer: Renegade is a first and third person shooter video game developed by Westwood Studios and is part of the Command & Conquer series. It is the only C&C game that uses the first person view...
.
After Westwood was dissolved by Electronic Arts the engine was further updated for Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals is a real-time strategy game in the Command & Conquer series. Generals utilizes SAGE...
, and renamed to SAGE. The rendering part remains nearly identical to the W3D engine, but most other elements have been redesigned from the ground up.
The SAGE engine allows for dynamic lighting
Computer graphics lighting
Computer graphics lighting refers to the simulation of light in computer graphics. This simulation can either be extremely accurate, as is the case in an application like Radiance which attempts to track the energy flow of light interacting with materials using radiosity computational techniques...
that casts realistic shadows and realistic reflections on most objects. High quality visual effects are now possible with the SAGE engine powering games. One example of a unique effect is the stop-motion camera. Blow up a gas station, for example, and the action will freeze in mid-explosion, and the camera will quickly pan around the environment, revealing pieces of debris and shrapnel suspended in the air, before the action promptly resumes. The SAGE engine also allows games to take place during different times of the day, with realistic lighting and shadow changes, etc.
After Kane's Wrath, the engine underwent a large overhaul of its major systems. This new version of the engine was called Sage 2.0, and was first used on Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is a 2008 real-time strategy video game developed by EA Los Angeles and published by Electronic Arts. Announced on February 14, 2008, it was released on October 28, 2008 in the United States for Microsoft Windows-based PCs and three days later in Europe. A version for...
. Major upgrades included support for the PlayStation 3, an upgrade of the renderer to RNA (Renderware New Architecture), complete replacement of the math library with Renderware Math, integration of Renderware Physics, dynamic environmental music, and numerous minor internal improvements. A common misconception is that the new engine was called RNA which is incorrect, RNA refers only to the renderer.
Games with the W3D engine
- Emperor: Battle for DuneEmperor: Battle for DuneEmperor: Battle for Dune is a Dune video game, released by Westwood Studios on June 12, 2001. It is based in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe....
- without any Modding SDK - Earth & BeyondEarth & BeyondEarth & Beyond was a science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts . The game was released on September 24, 2002 in the United States. EA shut down Earth & Beyond on September 22, 2004...
- Command & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: Renegade is a first and third person shooter video game developed by Westwood Studios and is part of the Command & Conquer series. It is the only C&C game that uses the first person view...
- Command & Conquer: Renegade 2 (canceled)
- Command & Conquer: Continuum (canceled)
Games with the SAGE engine
- Command & Conquer: GeneralsCommand & Conquer: GeneralsCommand & Conquer: Generals is a real-time strategy game in the Command & Conquer series. Generals utilizes SAGE...
- Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour
- The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earthThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earthThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth is a PC real-time strategy game developed by EA Los Angeles. It is based on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, in turn based on J. R. R. Tolkien's original novel. The game uses short video clips from the movies and a number of the...
- The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth IIThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth IIThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, abbreviated BFMEII, is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It is based on the fantasy novels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and its live-action film trilogy adaptation...
- The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king
- Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007...
- Command & Conquer 3: Kane's WrathCommand & Conquer 3: Kane's WrathCommand & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is an expansion pack for the 2007 real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Developed by Electronic Arts Los Angeles and BreakAway Games studios, it was released on March 24, 2008 in the United States and on March 28, 2008 in Europe by...
- Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
Games with the SAGE 2.0 engine
- Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is a 2008 real-time strategy video game developed by EA Los Angeles and published by Electronic Arts. Announced on February 14, 2008, it was released on October 28, 2008 in the United States for Microsoft Windows-based PCs and three days later in Europe. A version for...
- Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising
- Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian TwilightCommand & Conquer 4: Tiberian TwilightCommand & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight is a real-time tactics video game and the latest installment of the popular Command & Conquer franchise, released March 16, 2010. It constitutes the final chapter in the Kane saga...