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[Soulliard]

I'm about to start working on my next serious project, but before I get too deep into it, I'd like some advice on what development tool to select.

The game will be a 2d tactical RPG, targeting the PC. The biggest technical challenges are likely to be the AI and online multiplayer (turn-based, thankfully).

I'm very experienced with Game Maker, so I'm strongly considering making it in GM Studio. I know GM will be able to handle most aspects of the project, but I'm not sure how well GM handles multiplayer. I know multiplayer GM games exist, but I don't have any experience making one myself. Also, GM Studio was only just released, so it's still unproven.

Unity should certainly be able to handle the project, but the engine isn't intended for 2d games. Using Unity for a 2d project could be more difficult than it is worth. Also, I haven't ever completed a game with Unity. Unity is also more expensive at $1500, but I can use the free version just fine unless I make $100000.

I can of course create my own engine. However, I have never done this before, so this option might be too risky.

I'm sure there are other options, too...

Any advice you can give me would be useful.

[Desert Dog]

In GM, using 39dll, it's not that hard for a turn-base. (well, obviously it depends on the scale of what you're wanting..)
Basically, set up .dll in your project, then 'check' every several steps or so for a message from the server. (either a dedicated server, or a player who is 'hosting' the game)

If a message comes through, read it (it can just be a long string, etc) read it, see who's turn it was, read his moves, update the game position. If it's your turn next, then stop checking for messages (unless you have a chat box, or something) and play away, until you've finished your turn, submit, ping a message to the server.

That's roughly how you'd go about doing it.

GM-Studio.. is super new, though, and a good chunk has changed, so I don't know how well those DLL's will run in them. Is there any particular reason you couldn't use GM8.1?

[Soulliard]

There's no reason I can't use 8.1, but Studio looks like it has some other nice features. Probably nothing I can't live without, though.

[Desert Dog]

GM-S can export back to GM8.1 (And they are relatively compatible), so it isn't like you can't do that if GM-S turns out to be a bit to temperamental at this stage.

If you can get the 39dll working in GMS, then that'd be pretty good, I mean, the option of a mac port, (assuming 39dylib works, too) is right there.

[moi]

I'd chose unity, 3D will make a lot of things easier over 2D and unity I think has already some useful libraries available, like for pathfinding and stuff

[nox]

If you want to actually finish a game, I would go with GM. Unity is perfectly capable of making a 2D game, but I would expect it to be more difficult than GM in nearly every way. If completing the game is secondary to learning how to make the game, then I would roll your own engine in some low level language.

[Soulliard]

Sounds like good advice. At this point, finishing the game is most important to me.

[PompiPompi]

I don't know about game maker multiplayer, but multiplayer is usually bound by the network, not by CPU performance. Unless something is terribly wrong, and this might be true for game maker, I don't know.
It would also help if you knew or found other game maker games that have mutliplayer and if possible ask their developers about it.
If game maker can't work for a multi player turn based game, then I don't think any multiplayer game will work with it. So my gut feeling is it will be fine.
But again, better find out more about it before starting to work on the project. Google, and fellow indie developers that have a clear answer(which you can google for afterwards to verify).