Why didn't they use the same rendering engine as meat boy?

[spencewah]

Just curious if anyone's heard why this decision was made, SMB runs like smooth butter (as it should) but BoI is jitter city.

[cipher86]

Because they wanted to cash in after 120 days instead of nearly 2 years, that's why.

[ASecondOpinion]

Because Tommy (The coder for Super Meat Boy) didn't make this game.

I wish people would stop thinking it's Team Meat who did this. Only the Edmund half of Team Meat was on this project.

[J3n0v4]

So Mac users could play it.

Hurrrrrr hurrrrrr Mac users *mac jokes by someone who has never touched a mac* hurrrrrrrrrrr

They recently translated VVVVVV over to a non-flash engine and didn't charge, didn't they?

[Red15squirrel]

Since this wasn't supposed to be a "feature length" game, as McMillen put in one of his blogs, just a side project, I'm not expecting an engine change.

It's amazing for what's supposed to have been a side project and small, $5 game. But, I like to keep in mind that it is still a side project and a small, 5$ game so as to reign in my expectations.

[Jalan]

Super Meat Boy had issues with lag as well, but not nearly as universal as this game. Again the response from Ed and Tommy regarding SMB's lag was to lower the detail.

They recently translated VVVVVV over to a non-flash engine and didn't charge, didn't they?Terry Cavanagh mentioned on the Reddit IAmA (or AmA, forget which) that they rewrote the entire game from scratch in C++ (or similar, I again forget which) when the game was included in one of the most recent Humble Indie Bundles.

The only way I can see Isaac getting such treatment is if it were to follow a similar pattern. Not likely though. The only other scenario, as unlikely, would be if they allowed the community to bus in patches or code optimizations to Ed or Florian and then they could look them over and apply/submit them through Steam.

[ASecondOpinion]

Super Meat Boy had issues with lag as well, but not nearly as universal as this game. Again the response from Ed and Tommy regarding SMB's lag was to lower the detail.
Although, they slaved for a few nights and days to

Create the low-res textures/etc
Implement the launch options to use the lower res textures!

Terry Cavanagh mentioned on the Reddit IAmA (or AmA, forget which) that they rewrote the entire game from scratch in C++ (or similar, I again forget which) when the game was included in one of the most recent Humble Indie Bundles.
If by "They" you mean "Not Terry"? :p

[Jalan]

Although, they slaved for a few nights and days to...Didn't say they put no effort toward it (and if my post seems to imply it, let me say it here - I'm not saying that - I appreciate Tommy busting his ♥♥♥ off on that game and if no effort had been put forth it would've been a complete waste of everyone's time), just said that the option to combat said lag was to lower the detail.

If by "They" you mean "Not Terry"? :pYou'll notice I said that Terry answered the question (well, mentioned, my bad), not "Terry rewrote the game all on his own" or anything of the sort. :p

[ASecondOpinion]

Didn't say they put no effort toward it (and if my post seems to imply it, let me say it here - I'm not saying that - I appreciate Tommy busting his ♥♥♥ off on that game and if no effort had been put forth it would've been a complete waste of everyone's time), just said that the option to combat said lag was to lower the detail.
Indeed... but is that not the way for all games? If your computer can't handle it, lower the detail?

Obviously, it needs some extent of optimisation, but generally if your computer can't run it you just lower the detail.

You'll notice I said that Terry answered the question (well, mentioned, my bad), not "Terry rewrote the game all on his own" or anything of the sort. :p
"Terry said ... That they rewrote ..." :p

[Jalan]

I used Terry as a means of who was mentioning it, I didn't include him in the use of the pronoun they, though again I say to that my bad. It was vague phrasing on my part. I guess I figured after mentioning the Reddit thread, anyone truly curious would just track that down and see his words there and get the full extent of info that way.

..but generally if your computer can't run it you just lower the detail.I don't disagree there. But when someone (myself and I imagine a good number of people who have bought the Binding of Isaac) has a system that exceeds the recommended specs for the game, the common place to arrive at would be "I can play this without needing to compromise, my system shouldn't see it as a problem".