From DirectX to Game Engine: need suggestions

by ivy

I worked on DirectX for long time and now i assimilated the concept of how graphic works. I made game with the d3d and managed to load static and animated models. What i'm looking now is for a free Game engine. I worked...

I worked on DirectX for long time and now i assimilated the concept of how graphic works.

I made game with the d3d and managed to load static and animated models.

What i'm looking now is for a free Game engine.

I worked with c++ with DirectX so i pointed at UDK.

I've installed it but it runs like crap since for now i'm stuck on this laptop with an intel graphic card.

So now (at least till i buy a new pc) i am searching for a good game engine but first few questions:

Should i switch to C# and work with an engine based on that language (since most of the engines are following that way)?
if Yes, is there a way (even if i know that c++!= c#) to learn c# avoiding the really basic stuff (aka can you point at some tutorials of this genre)?

Now, what i'm looking into a Game Engine:

- My platform will be windows mainly, but if the engine provides more platform it is indeed welcomed.
- I want to work in a 3d environment (if it supports 2d that's cool too)
- Since i want to use it for practice for the moment (will use it for commercial purposes in the future) i do not have any restriction in genre. Maybe just be able to produce something in 3rd person and RPG like (i repeat something generic and not too specialized).
- Like i said earlier: it should be free (indie style).