2D or 3D

So I've been slowly developing an RPG, but most has just been the story and some programming. Now I have a total of four different versions just to test things out; 2D and 3D in Unity and a 2D and 3D in Unreal. Now I what I was wondering if I should go for a 2D or 3D viewpoint. I want the game to be able to run on most hardware and I'll be able to accomplish that either way (likely going to be doing pixels/voxels) but the problem lies in what others would enjoy, immersion, and my (lack of) artistic skills XD To actually phrase the question(s) directly...
1)Which do you guys think would be easier for someone without much artistic talent/which assets would be easier and cheaper to obtain? (I'm extremely poor and it's even difficult to maintain my Photoshop license XD)
2) Do you think 2D games can't be immersive?

I apologize for taking up your time but thank you for taking the time to read this. I'm so sure on what I want to do but when it comes to art I have to ask for opinions because I'm so poor at it. Also, I'm not entirely positive if this is in the proper category or not, so I apologize if it isn't.

 

Looking at the market there are some really good & some really bad games in 2d & 3d around so in answer to your question, both can be immersive.

I'm not an artist but art students at school have said 2d is harder to light to show changing lighting/effects etc. have you thought about looking in the collaboration thread for an art partner? There's also some free art assets around where the artist just wants crediting but some of them are open to negotiation for new artwork. I guess you could look into that as well?

 

Build a 4D game. It's about time we had a game that broke the traditional mold of 2D and 3D.

 

if time is the 4th dimension then they already exist. I've managed to lose more time on games than it feels like I have.

 

Nah, as in true 4D geometry, up/down, left/right, forward/back and sideways/unsideways.

I really should do a proof of concept one day. I'll probably do it in 2D + sideways, rather then write an entire new physics engine for it.

 

get your apprentice working on it before their mind is warped by to much schooling in what is & isn't possible

 

If in 1D you can see no sides if a cube, 2D you can see 1 side of a cube, and 3D you can see only 3 sides of a cube, does that mean in the fourth dimension you see 6 sides of a cube. Am I crazy or is my logic correct?

 

That would be a wire framed game, wasn't there a tank game in arcades that was all wire framed?

 

Sounds about right. In 0d you have a point. In 1d you can build a line from 2 points. In 2d you can build a square from 4 lines. In 3d you can build a cube from 6 squares. In 4d you can build a megacube(?) from 8(?) cubes.

I'd have to do the math to check how many sides that leaves visible.

 

Ok, serious answer time:

It depends. 2D assets take shorter to make than 3D ones and also may look better in certain cases. 3D on the other hand gives you more freedom, but making good looking 3D assets takes much time, unless you're like me and are able to forfeit high polycount and textures entirely:

Hello!​

You could also go for the mix of two: 3D levels, but 2D characters/objects (think Paper Mario). Or vice-versa.

 

Like one of those low-poly styles? http://pre15.deviantart.net/f728/th/pre/i/2013/246/5/3/4_low_poly_by_prusakov-d6ks4mp.jpg

 

Yeah, like that, but even less polygons. Think earliest 3D games like Atari's I Robot arcade machine (no relation to Asimov's book or the movie)

 

Both 3d or 2d could be cheaper and easier, depending on what you are trying to do. 2d is easier if you have a limited amount of actions for each character. 3d is easier if you have tons of actions.

2d is a static cost across the board. Where as 3d has a high buy in for models and rigging, but the animations are easier than redrawing the whole thing over and over.

Also, there's always doing a combination of the two like with Final Fantasy Tactics.


EDIT: Also, @BoredMormon , you joke. But just wait until I make my 4d puzzle game using marching cubes that have 4d values to shift through. Ever heard of Flatland? That as a puzzle game.

 

I'm not. I quite seriously have the design docs for a 4D rpg half built in my head. Like I said before, I really need to build a prototype for dimensionally challanged individuals to see.

 

Well, IMO, marching cubes would be the easiest way to do that. The 4th direction could move you through the dimension as cubes appear and disappear. Or, conversly, you could jump between four perspectives, turning off dimensions as you flip through them since you'd never end up in a wall. Of course, navigating a mazed like that would be MADDENING and I doubt very much fun at all.

I wonder what that would look like with multiple camera's going all at once though...

ACK! The whole thing gives me a headache thinking about it.

Sorry, what was the topic again?

 

Apparently some 2D or 3D thing

 

From memory it was some noob who doesn't have the guts to commit to an art style.

 

I prefer 3D, if it's well done..

But, in general a 2D game would/should cost less and isn't as complicated to accomplish in a artistic standpoint...