Long OverDue Newb Game Project
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My first exchange on this site/forums was one of the most helpful I've ever experienced (I can't calculate how many forums and topics I've posted to but it's well over hundreds), so I don't want to post something as general as this. I like posting comments after working on a problem and getting stumped and knowing there's one small precise answer. Unfortunatley (I will not do posts like this) because this is more general. The scenario is i've been wanting to build a game for a LONG time. But I focus on code and a language (almost always java and recently, what I prefer, python), then get distracted or occupied with some other project or thing in life and then months or years later return to the making the game project. It coudl be brick out or tictactoe. Something very simple. but I want to understand every line of code in it (so just typing out and copying code wouldn't suffice). I often get entangled on which language (java is widespread, but python I almost always prefer and understand better and seems more elegant) and then getting the IDEs setup and packages etc. I also guess I want to really understand every component of the (probably very simple) game application (so I can add on more later). I picked up Ian Cinnamon. programming video games for evil genius (java) Game Dev with python and pygame. Will McGugan. But I am very selective with learnign resources and like 5% of learning resources only actually "work". I found an excellent singapore tutorial site that helped me understand some aspects of java I could never comprehend until recently. I end up taking notes and blogging on concepts I learn in the books and don't want to just type out the code without understanding it, but have a huge snag with the project of "make a game". I'm proud most all learnings I've done with computers have been primarily autodidactic. I did take one comp. sci. class but greatly disliked the class environment. But in that class (which did more harm and was more confusing than good because of infusing grades and teacher-student hell stuff with just something I wanted to learn. didn't care about grades just want to code!) but was paired with someone very advanced in comp. sci. and made chess game. I had no idea what he was doing. This is rambly and too general and a mess of a post and i won't post posts like this on this site (only if have very specific "stumped" code question) but wondered if anyone has ideas on making a game. Maybe I'm just more in a learning about code phase.
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are you serious? If so...thanks for the encouragement. I don't see how my rambling about what obstacles could be thwarting moving forward in game coding project would be helpful to anyone (except possibly myself or someone with a similar conundrum), but thanks!
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My first exchange on this site/forums was one of the most helpful I've ever experienced (I can't calculate how many forums and topics I've posted to but it's well over hundreds), so I don't want to post something as general as this. I like posting comments after working on a problem and getting stumped and knowing there's one small precise answer. Unfortunatley (I will not do posts like this) because this is more general. The scenario is i've been wanting to build a game for a LONG time. But I focus on code and a language (almost always java and recently, what I prefer, python), then get distracted or occupied with some other project or thing in life and then months or years later return to the making the game project. It coudl be brick out or tictactoe. Something very simple. but I want to understand every line of code in it (so just typing out and copying code wouldn't suffice). I often get entangled on which language (java is widespread, but python I almost always prefer and understand better and seems more elegant) and then getting the IDEs setup and packages etc. I also guess I want to really understand every component of the (probably very simple) game application (so I can add on more later). I picked up Ian Cinnamon. programming video games for evil genius (java) Game Dev with python and pygame. Will McGugan. But I am very selective with learnign resources and like 5% of learning resources only actually "work". I found an excellent singapore tutorial site that helped me understand some aspects of java I could never comprehend until recently. I end up taking notes and blogging on concepts I learn in the books and don't want to just type out the code without understanding it, but have a huge snag with the project of "make a game". I'm proud most all learnings I've done with computers have been primarily autodidactic. I did take one comp. sci. class but greatly disliked the class environment. But in that class (which did more harm and was more confusing than good because of infusing grades and teacher-student hell stuff with just something I wanted to learn. didn't care about grades just want to code!) but was paired with someone very advanced in comp. sci. and made chess game. I had no idea what he was doing. This is rambly and too general and a mess of a post and i won't post posts like this on this site (only if have very specific "stumped" code question) but wondered if anyone has ideas on making a game. Maybe I'm just more in a learning about code phase.
How about you just start doing it? Just make a game that is "just a normal program" without all that fancy renderloop nonsense (that can come later) - such as tick tac toe (far too easy really) or sudoku (generating these is nontrivial, but you'll live) or Binary Puzzle (excellent chance to practice your bit-skills, especially for 8x8, or just ask me for a free back-end while you do the front-end (C# and Java available)). Use an IDE you already have, ignore packages, and just do it. If it fails, so be it - it's just the first try anyway. Breakout is harder than it looks, it may be best not to start with that.
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How about you just start doing it? Just make a game that is "just a normal program" without all that fancy renderloop nonsense (that can come later) - such as tick tac toe (far too easy really) or sudoku (generating these is nontrivial, but you'll live) or Binary Puzzle (excellent chance to practice your bit-skills, especially for 8x8, or just ask me for a free back-end while you do the front-end (C# and Java available)). Use an IDE you already have, ignore packages, and just do it. If it fails, so be it - it's just the first try anyway. Breakout is harder than it looks, it may be best not to start with that.
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What's so hard about breakout? That was one of the first programs I ever wrote and it took only about 512 bytes, including 256 bytes video memory.
I'm invincible, I can't be vinced
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Not hard, just harder than it looks. Suddenly there's render loops and input polling and timing issues, tick tack toe sudoku or Binary Puzzle doesn't have that.
True, but they are simple GUI applications. He might just as well try to do the typical calculator exercise. As you say, a program that is not driven by a GUI and its events is a very different beast. He will have to learn some new things, but that's what the whole idea should be about. If he did not insist on using Java, I would suggest that he takes a look at XNA. There he will get everything he may need served on a silver plate and there are enough articles on what to do with them.
I'm invincible, I can't be vinced
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True, but they are simple GUI applications. He might just as well try to do the typical calculator exercise. As you say, a program that is not driven by a GUI and its events is a very different beast. He will have to learn some new things, but that's what the whole idea should be about. If he did not insist on using Java, I would suggest that he takes a look at XNA. There he will get everything he may need served on a silver plate and there are enough articles on what to do with them.
I'm invincible, I can't be vinced
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Yes he did suggest tick tack toe himself though, so I didn't think it was critical that it was a "gameloop" type game.
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are you serious? If so...thanks for the encouragement. I don't see how my rambling about what obstacles could be thwarting moving forward in game coding project would be helpful to anyone (except possibly myself or someone with a similar conundrum), but thanks!
ya sorry for late replying.. my email id is venkatesh.net.in@gmail.com. i need to chat with u about game programming.. i have more interest in it.. pls contact me.
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How about you just start doing it? Just make a game that is "just a normal program" without all that fancy renderloop nonsense (that can come later) - such as tick tac toe (far too easy really) or sudoku (generating these is nontrivial, but you'll live) or Binary Puzzle (excellent chance to practice your bit-skills, especially for 8x8, or just ask me for a free back-end while you do the front-end (C# and Java available)). Use an IDE you already have, ignore packages, and just do it. If it fails, so be it - it's just the first try anyway. Breakout is harder than it looks, it may be best not to start with that.
This is helpful (and obvious). I don't know why. I guess I have had too much (WAY) too much going on. Just start doing it is pretty vague though. I would need to have all libraries installed, know how to do that, etc. there's a lot of steps. I do look forward to this project though.
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This is helpful (and obvious). I don't know why. I guess I have had too much (WAY) too much going on. Just start doing it is pretty vague though. I would need to have all libraries installed, know how to do that, etc. there's a lot of steps. I do look forward to this project though.
johtnkucz wrote:
I would need to have all libraries installed, know how to do that, etc. there's a lot of steps.
Well that's exactly what I didn't mean. Instead of preparing, just start. Then when you need something, you will know what it is exactly that you need - it's kind of hard to anticipate that if it's your first time.