racketboy.com

I am hoping to try my hand at making a game this year, so would welcome any suggestions from any of the intrepid folks here who have been down the same path...

Specifically, what free game design software do you recommend for someone who doesn't know how to code but who wants to make a 1990s-style FPS (though perhaps without shooting)? Bonus points if the software allows you to compile/release a final build across platforms...

Does such a thing exist?

I'd suspect your best bet would be something along the lines of a Doom TC; at a bare minimum it would require providing new art assets and compiling your own levels. Several of the more popular source ports are designed with moddability in mind, so it should be fairly attainable to do so. If they did things right a lot of the game's properties will be config driven (so, for example, monster health and weapon damage being defined in a config file rather than compiled in the code), which would keep you away from actual coding.

I would suggest Unity. It is certainly most powerful for programmers, but it does include enough tools to make simple projects without too much technical acumen, assuming you are willing to read documentation and watch videos. In that way Unity can also be a tool you grow into. There are lots of tutorials and such on-line.

DarkBASIC Pro is easy to use and now it's free. It's how I made this game, and I'm making a little money from it: http://store.steampowered.com/app/65241 ... nd_Oaxaca/