SAGE (game engine)

SAGE (Strategy Action Game Engine) is a game engine used by Westwood Studios and Electronic Arts for real-time strategy games.

History

The first version of the engine was known as W3D (Westwood 3D) was highly modified version of SurRender 3D engine, developed by Hybrid Graphics Ltd.^[1]

Westwood used W3D for Emperor: Battle for Dune and updated for Command & Conquer: Renegade.

After Westwood was dissolved by Electronic Arts the engine was further updated for Command & Conquer: Generals, and renamed to SAGE. The rendering part remains nearly identical to the W3D engine, but most other elements have been redesigned from the ground up.

The SAGE engine allows for dynamic lighting that casts realistic shadows and realistic reflections on most objects. High quality visual effects are now possible with the SAGE engine powering games. One example of a unique effect is the stop-motion camera. Blow up a gas station, for example, and the action will freeze in mid-explosion, and the camera will quickly pan around the environment, revealing pieces of debris and shrapnel suspended in the air, before the action promptly resumes. The SAGE engine also allows games to take place during different times of the day, with realistic lighting and shadow changes, etc.

After Kane's Wrath, the engine underwent a large overhaul of its major systems. This new version of the engine was called Sage 2.0, and was first used on Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. Major upgrades included support for the PlayStation 3, an upgrade of the renderer to RNA (RenderWare New Architecture), complete replacement of the math library with RenderWare Math, integration of RenderWare Physics, dynamic environmental music, and numerous minor internal improvements. A common misconception is that the new engine was called RNA which is incorrect; RNA refers only to the renderer.

Games

W3D engine

• Emperor: Battle for Dune - without any Modding SDK
• Earth & Beyond
• Command & Conquer: Renegade
• Command & Conquer: Renegade 2 (canceled)
• Command & Conquer: Continuum (canceled)

SAGE engine

• Command & Conquer: Generals
  • Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king
• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
  • Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath

SAGE 2.0 engine

• Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
  • Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising
• Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight

References