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i got some interest on game maker, since i'm familiar with using code, and in that department is great, and the fact that you can export for PS3,PS4, and native its great, but my game has great art and the visual part is a big part of my game, hence the necessity of a good layout editor, and i must say the way the game maker level or "room" works, its hideous!!! its really terrible, i think the way the editor works right now its for games totally tilemap based, pure squares, and if you look at games made with game maker it keeps truth to my hypothesis, games like hotline miami , don't get me wrong the games is really good but, in the graphics department its really lacking, all games made in game maker needs to be made in a grid, and thats sucks.
but C2 has an editor that its more like using photoshop, you can stretch, move, turn around and multiple selection with all your objects. And c2 in the code department might not be as powerful as game maker, so far of all the games made with game maker, i have not seen anything that cant be done in c2 aswell, so with this in mind, i stick with C2 since i have already master it and its really powerful. if someday i need to make a game for PS4 or Xbone i rather use Unity.
You really nailed exactly how I feel about gamemaker. I really want to love it. Would probably use it over C2 if only that room editor and the layout of GM was any good!
But after using C2 for a while now....I cant see much reason to go back to GM.
That room editor really does suck...
Only way GM was good for me to make levels was to place them manually with a script. Such a pain in the butt.