So, why do I want to make my own engine? The short answer is that I derive great personal satisfaction from doing so. I do not see the underlying technology as an "implementation detail" that I want to skip in order to focus on game design; the underlying technology is the best part for me.
I feel the same way every time I have worked on similar projects. Sometimes the goal is what is at the end of the journey. Sometimes the goal is what it takes to get there and the learning along the way.
You can learn so much more about programming and doing it well through doing bigger tasks like writing your own engine.
Yup. Plus, there are tangible benefits beyond just learning for myself. Players can tell the difference between games where the developer skipped all the technical details and ones where the developer scrutinized over those details. That's not to say that devs cannot apply this level of quality to a game built in something like Unity, but devs who build their own engines tend to care more.
I feel the same way every time I have worked on similar projects. Sometimes the goal is what is at the end of the journey. Sometimes the goal is what it takes to get there and the learning along the way.
You can learn so much more about programming and doing it well through doing bigger tasks like writing your own engine.
Yup. Plus, there are tangible benefits beyond just learning for myself. Players can tell the difference between games where the developer skipped all the technical details and ones where the developer scrutinized over those details. That's not to say that devs cannot apply this level of quality to a game built in something like Unity, but devs who build their own engines tend to care more.
Yep! Some games (due to there mechanics) may only ever work well with a custom (or at least heavily customised engine).