Talk:Custom Game Engine/@comment-108.175.225.20-20130507130758/@comment-141.123.243.100-20130603164807

The easiest way to get an early start on 3D graphics is to research a custom engine after your 3rd game (It takes 3 games to get enough Research points). Build your first engine with JUST 2d graphics V2, nothing else. Use that engine for the rest of your garage era games.

Depending on how your luck swings, most of the time you'll be getting your first smash hit (9.0 + review scores) at the same time you level 2d graphics V2 to level 3...which will unlock 3d graphics V1 (and 2d graphics V3, but that is super expensive at this point).

You can then make a new engine with 3d graphics v1 plus a bunch of other features and use that to start making your first medium games.

Of course, doing it this way normally results in silly things like using a 3d engine to develop games for the TES and Gameling, but the game doesn't seem to mind.