MoonGate: RTS Engine with User-Oriented Architecture

Abstract

This paper introduces MoonGate - a real-time strategy engine based on replaceable components, thus serving as an easily customizable educational environment for studying a wide range of problems in several research areas. The implemented engine also supports, alongside the Windows platform, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming console, making it the first open source starter kit and real-time strategy engine for Xbox 360. MoonGate’s main goal is to attract students, academics and indie game developers to learn by creating highly interactive and visually attractive games, and by providing easily understandable and highly customizable educational environment which incorporates the best features of modern commercial games, visualization environments and game middleware.