Is it possible to write a C++ implementation of Minecraft?

[kauan99]

would be nice to get some real performance going... Is it possible? I mean, it's OpenGL, basically. Hell, why not a DirectX3D? CUDA? nVidia's GTX ti  boards are all around us, can't we improve on Notch's work? let's do it!

[LexManos]

no -.-

[Toost]

[RANKSHANK]

would be nice to get some real performance going... Is it possible? I mean, it's OpenGL, basically. Hell, why not a DirectX3D? CUDA? nVidia's GTX ti  boards are all around us, can't we improve on Notch's work? let's do it!

Perfect illustration of the implicit difference between buzzwords and jargon. Also your typical minecraft user will not be packing a Ti. A metric shit ton of them use soley integrated which is why barebones GL must be used. And correct me if I'm wrong but a Cocoa variant is already made for pocket edition.

[Bektor]

would be nice to get some real performance going... Is it possible? I mean, it's OpenGL, basically. Hell, why not a DirectX3D? CUDA? nVidia's GTX ti  boards are all around us, can't we improve on Notch's work? let's do it!

Well, Minecraft uses basically an outdated OpenGL and an outdated LWJGL (Minecraft uses version 2, version 3 is up to date)

DirectX3D isn't available with LWJGL and only running on Windows. Minecraft runs on Windows, Linux and Mac, so that would not be possible.

 

And just because someone would write Minecraft in C++ it would not be more performant because of the fact it would be written in C++.

It's no problem to get a C++ Minecraft running at the same performance like the Java one. It's no problem to get DirectX running at the same performance like

outdated OpenGL does. Everything depens on how good the code is written and on how up-to date the technics which are used are.

CUDA runs from that what I know only on NVIDIA cards, so no Intel intregrated graphics and no AMD cards.

It doesn't matter which programming language and API you use, you can always get a bad performance and always a good performance.

[SuperGeniusZeb]

Optimized C++ Minecraft already exists... it's called Minecraft: Pocket/Gear VR/Windows 10 Edition. It's C++, it's super-optimized, and is probably the future "main" Minecraft edition anyway. It doesn't have feature parity with Java Minecraft yet, but at the rate it gets updates it probably will within a couple of years. (I bet it will also get an official mod API before Java Minecraft as well... )

[larsgerrits]

and is probably the future "main" Minecraft edition anyway

Probably never

 

The Java version has some very things that the C++ version does not have: a large modding community. This alone will prevent the C++ version from becoming the 'main' Minecraft version. Until it has a good, functioning modding API with a lot of mods ported, people MIGHT go over the the Windows 10 edition. But all the Linux and Mac players can't, so even then the Java version will be used a lot.

[SuperGeniusZeb]

and is probably the future "main" Minecraft edition anyway

Probably never

 

The Java version has some very things that the C++ version does not have: a large modding community. This alone will prevent the C++ version from becoming the 'main' Minecraft version. Until it has a good, functioning modding API with a lot of mods ported, people MIGHT go over the the Windows 10 edition. But all the Linux and Mac players can't, so even then the Java version will be used a lot.

Never? Not quickly and not too soon for sure, but "never" is a bit of a strong term, and I can't say I personally agree with it.

 

PE is confirmed to be getting an official mod API, and unlike the Java edition's fabled mod API, I think this one will come much quicker, given the recent speed of MCPE updates and the much larger dev team behind it, not to mention the PE codebase being more clean & optimized than Java MC, which would probably help a lot. I think the modding community would be VERY eager to develop for a MC edition that runs on pretty much everything except the aforementioned Linux & Mac, and has both cleaner/faster code AND an OFFICIAL mod API.

 

And as for Linux & Mac, PE will almost definitely get ported to both at some point, and as for Linux, it's already technically possible thanks to this: https://github.com/MCMrARM/mcpelauncher-linux So it wouldn't be that hard of a port. I think the only reason it hasn't happened yet is that it's not a top priority right now (feature parity is), and also that PE needs an official account system. (And judging by the Realms beta test and Win10 Edition, it looks like Xbox Live may be that system.) The devs have already stated they want Minecraft to run on everything, and so while it may take a while I highly doubt that PE will never be ported to those 2 OSes.

 

So will MCPE become the main edition? Absolutely. Definitely not now (due to the reasons you've stated), but both obstacles are almost definitely going to be overcome at some point or another. But I guess to know for sure, we can only wait, hope, and see...

[Bektor]

The problem with Minecraft Pocket Edition would basically be, the performance. I mean, think about mods like Thaumcraft or large Modpacks like FTB... There is no smartphone which would have enough power for such things.