Yes Dennis, Unity is primarily a graphical development engine, and yes, it's designed for and used by game developers to make highly graphical, visual games. You use always tools that are at first designed for graphic use: a word processor, a chat client, a web browser,
etc. Every kind of application isn’t blind friendly, you will always have to fit to a graphic interface, and it doesn't make sense to have application specifically for blinds, simply because you share them with other people all around the world. But I understand you when you say you want your working tools to be dressed upon your needs, and that specialized tools are the correct thing to do, why should it be different? Well… in this case it should: when you think to "Unity Accessible" you think to what you lose, but if you accept this “compromise” you can see that what you gain is higher than what you lose. I'm here also because I need your opinion, and to ask if what I've just said can be valid or not. I don't know indeed your specialized tools, and you don't know indeed Unity. I will show my side. Unreal Engine and CryEngine are strictly connected to high quality visual experience, they have complex tools to design massive terrain, vegetation, light effects, etc. Unity isn’t like them, why the Unity Company should offer the same product as the two colossus Unreal and CryEngine? In fact it doesn’t. When you at first open Unity, you won’t have any kind of complex tool for character, terrain, AI, explosion, collision, etc. In some case they are very basic, in other there aren’t at all. Basically it has a poor interface and tools, the minimum necessary: -A window containing the list of all scene objects -A window which shows properties of selected object -A sort of Windows Explorer which shows all the files of your project in your hard disk But it lets you the ability to create or import the tools you need. This is for me the first important point: the flexibility. It is like a lego construction, you add or remove bricks accordly with your need, you can create your own tools, shortcut and interface if you want. But, for now this is not so important for you. Programming skills are absolutly required. This means job opportunities for blind into a "sighted" pipeline. A designer who opens Unity and say:"Ok, now I create fast and easy the best game in the world and I gain a lot of money", will be soon disappointed. A lot of time during a Unity Project is spent on a script editor. Due to his flexibility (it doesn't force you to a specific tool) you have to create your own assets and scripts, or you can buy it in the Asset Store. This is a second important point: the need of one in a lot of cases is the need of many. You can spend hours and hours to create something that already has been done, and with few dollars you save a lot of time, then nothing prevents you from custom it. Do not underestimate the power of a community, it makes the entire workflow more fluid and leaner, even if you are theorically able to do all by yourself. In general a more complex project can be realized in less time and, consequently, less money. Third point: multiplatform. But doesn't need to spend words for that. Another important thing is 3D sound. A lot of modern disciplines must say "thank you" to VideoGames, because they increased hardware and software progress. Now the graphic experience has reached a high level, and the interest is moving toward the other part which has been left behind: Audio. Consider technologies like Oculus Rift, it means VR (Virtual Reality), both for video and audio too. The future implementation of HRTF (Head-related transfer function) for binaural effect and ambisonic sound. 3D Audio Render Engine are yet in development. You can design and project acoustics of environment not only for games but also for architectural purpose. Why a blind person (developer or designer) should be cut off from all this? Unfortunatley I don't take money if more users use Unity, and times to make it full accessible are very long for use it in a short period into a strong pipeline. If I say these things is because I really believe that an application like that could improve audiogames development and distribution, and job opportunities for blinds. I'm not a good talker, and the limitation of language doesn't help. The web is full of useful information about more technical subjects. You can also ask in the forum for more specific how-to. At the end... Unity is just a tool for a purpose. If you feel you have reached the goal with other tools, sounds good anyway. I thank you very much for this comparison. Good Job. Daniele. 2015-07-02 8:38 GMT+02:00 Devin Prater <r.d.t.pra...@gmail.com>: > Well if all this fails, I think the best way to go about things is to make > an engine like BGT that works with multiple platforms. Perhaps Swift would > be a good choice, or perhaps that thing Irion made would work, although I > rather doubt it, and haven't heard of anything new in that for quite a > while. Perhaps Python? I'd imagine Java is too clunkie for that, but Python > and PyGame might be good choices, well if the project doesn't flop like > that audio version of something close to super Mario bros did in 2006 or so. > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Jul 1, 2015, at 2:16 PM, Thomas Ward <thomasward1...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > Thanks, Dennis. > > > > Yes, I agree. It is not that I am outright apposed to making Unity > > accessible so much as I am very doubtful to what extent that > > accessibility would really help. We are talking about two completely > > different concepts. Unity was designed to create highly graphical > > visual games, and what a blind person needs is highly specialized > > audio based games. I have always felt that specialized languages and > > tools are better suited to making specialized software because the > > developer is not trying to tack accessibility onto something that was > > never designed for that purpose in the first place. > > > > That is why for the most part I have designed my own engine and some > > tools for game development. I have done well for myself, got what I > > wanted, and I don't have to mess around with pleading with some > > developer to make their tools accessible to me. Plus I have the > > advantages of owning the source code to same so can upgrade, change, > > or fix anything that needs done without having to file a bug report or > > feature request with some other developer. I suppose that just comes > > from a sense of independence and choice that some people do not have. > > > > Cheers! > > > > > >> On 7/1/15, Dennis Towne <s...@xirr.com> wrote: > >> As a programmer, I have to agree with Thomas, and I won't be signing it > >> either. > >> > >> The biggest reason I have is that Unity is primarily a graphical > >> development engine. Sure, it has a lot of infrastructure, and sure > >> there's a lot of utility in there - but fundamentally, it's designed > >> for and used by game developers to make highly graphical, visual games > >> for which there can be no little to no accessibility. Making menus > >> and other such things accessible is utterly unhelpful if the vast bulk > >> of the games go into full screen rendered graphics immediately > >> afterward. > >> > >> Also as Thomas said, specialized tools are really the 'correct' thing > >> to do here. Much like you wouldn't try to tack a backhoe or crane > >> onto a bicycle, we shouldn't be trying to tack on accessibility > >> support to a product designed from the ground up to develop graphical > >> software. Things like BGT are exceptionally good development tools, > >> and I'm truly surprised it isn't used more by audio game devs. > >> > >> I know the community here is all about equality and 'just being able > >> to play the same games that sighted people can' - but I really feel > >> that's not only the wrong focus, but counterproductive. My years of > >> running AA have shown me that the best sighted interface is almost > >> completely unusable to the blind, and the best blind interface is > >> almost completely unusable to the sighted. This is not a bug; this is > >> a feature. Blind games should be and have to be optimized for the > >> blind, because the blind interact with the game in a fundamentally > >> different way than the sighted. Very few games are going to be able > >> to provide both interfaces in a meaningful fashion. > >> > >> We should focus on games that are awesome for the blind because they > >> were designed with the blind in mind, instead of trying to force > >> developers to tack on token support that won't help anyone anyway. > >> > >> Dennis Towne > >> > >> Alter Aeon MUD > >> http://www.alteraeon.com > >> > > > > --- > > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the > list, > > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
