View source for Software:SAGE (game engine)

{{Infobox software
| name                   = Strategy Action Game Engine
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| developer              = [[Company:Westwood Studios|Westwood Studios]], EA Los Angeles
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| operating_system       = [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]], [[Engineering:Macintosh|Macintosh]], [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]], [[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]]
| genre                  = [[Software:Game engine|Game engine]]
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'''SAGE''' ('''Strategy Action Game Engine''') is a [[Software:Game engine|game engine]] used primarily for [[Software:Real-time strategy|real-time strategy]] games developed by [[Company:Westwood Studios|Westwood Studios]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gregory |first1=Jason |title=Game Engine Architecture |date=15 June 2009 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4398-7918-4 |page=27 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Company:Electronic Arts|Electronic Arts]]. Earlier implementations of the engine were known as '''W3D''' ('''Westwood 3D''') while later versions were branded '''SAGE 2.0'''.

==History==
The first version of the engine, originally named W3D, was a major modification of the SurRender 3D engine developed by Hybrid Graphics Ltd.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120227180912/http://linuxpr.com/releases/2227.html Majik 3D Project announces co-operation with Taika Technologies, Ltd.] - SurRender 3D is one of the leading 3D libraries on the market and is currently being used in many commercial titles such as Westwood Studios' Command & Conquer: Renegade.</ref> Westwood first used W3D for their [[Software:First-person shooter|first-person shooter]] ''Command & Conquer: Renegade'' and their [[Finance:Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|massively multiplayer online role-playing game]] ''Earth & Beyond''.

After Westwood was dissolved by their parent company, Electronic Arts, the engine was renamed SAGE (Strategy Action Game Engine) and updated for the release of ''Command & Conquer: Generals''. The rendering portion remained nearly identical to the W3D engine, but most other elements had been redesigned from the ground up. The updated SAGE engine allowed for [[Computer graphics lighting|dynamic lighting]] that would cast realistic shadows and reflections on most objects, as well as higher quality visual effects and a stop-motion camera feature. The SAGE engine would continue to be used by EA Los Angeles on additional titles in the Command & Conquer series and on the real-time strategy series ''The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth''.

Following the release of the ''Command & Conquer 3'' expansion ''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 ([[Software:RenderWare|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 was that the new engine itself was called RNA when in fact RNA only referred to the renderer. The last title to use the SAGE 2.0 engine was ''Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight''.

==Games==
===W3D engine===
*''Earth & Beyond''
*''[[Software:Emperor: Battle for Dune|Emperor]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/emperor-battle-for-dune/|title=Emperor: Battle for Dune|author= Lennart "TaxOwlbear" Bachman|date=February 7, 2019 |website=hardcoregaming101.net  |access-date=2023-03-07 |quote=Powered by the W3D engine, it was Westwood’s first 3D game. W3D was supposed to be used for Command & Conquer 3: Incursion, the sequel to Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun.|language=en}}</ref>
*''Command & Conquer: Renegade''
*''Command & Conquer: Tiberian Incursion'' (canceled)
*''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==
{{Reflist}}

{{SAGE engine games}}
{{Video game engines}}

[[Category:Video game engines]]

{{Sourceattribution|SAGE (game engine)|1}}