Can you guys give me a list of the programs that you used to make this game. Also can you let me know what ones are free and what ones you bought. Just want to contribute.

I use MilkeShape for the mesh on 3D models. There is a free demo.
I use GIMP for 2D like the in-game ship images and textures. It is free.
I use Ultimate Unwrap to apply textures to model meshes and take screen shots for the in-game images of textured models. They charge for that.
Max is said to be one of the top model programs but it costs more than the other programs to buy.

Irfanview is an absolute must if you do any image editing, as it can handle virtually any image, video, or audio file type under the sun. Make sure you download both the program and the plugins, as the plugins massively increase the versatility of the program. It's also completely freeeeeee.

NCH's Wavepad is a fantastic program if you want to do any sound editing. The free trial only has the occasional nag screen to make you upgrade to the paid-for version.

NCH's Switch program is also great if you want to convert a sound file into another file type.

Audacity is another great sound program that also lets you capture sound direct from your own speakers. It's completely free and can save to a number of formats. Make sure you follow the online instructions to download and install the Lame codec if you want to save files as .mp3 though. (Lame is the name of the codec, i'm not insulting it lol)

Winzip is incredibly useful if you want to package up files in an archive. The website tries to force you into buying the program, but you can download an evaluation copy if you look hard enough on there. And they have a trialpay system as well where if you sign up with an offer for another website, you can get the program in full for free. Winzip has a very easy-to-use interface though so i'd definitely at least recommend the trial.

WinRAR is the main alternative to Winzip. It's free, although the interface is horrible for people that aren't used to it. Many people claim that WinRAR is actually more powerful than Winzip. WinRAR can certainly handle more filetypes, but in reality I always find that Winzip is the better program.

Winmerge is a handy program if you're modding and comparing a lot of text files. It displays two text files side-by-side, then highlights any differences between them. It's free, and is really useful when you're trying to track down typos and bugs.

Is there any program that you can buy that has it all?

A program that does sound, image and text editing at the same time?

...If such a program existed, a lot of companies would have gone bust by now. If such a program exists, then i've certainly not heard of it.

Big answer No.

Small answer,... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA err *Cough* ahem hmm NO!



Regards Wolfe

For free modeling software try blender, it is far better than milkshape.
The gimp is the best free image manipulation and texture creation out there.

how much do the really good products go for?

Google them, 3d studio max is around the $4000 mark i believe, as is maya.
Lightwave which is just as powerfull is around $500 if i recall rightly.
Those are the best on the market, i use max myself and it is a superb piece of software, but i know guys who have lightwave and they swear by it, i have seen some stunning stuff made in lightwave. It is easily as good as max and maya and for a fraction of the cost.

Yea there is a big price diffrence there.