Making a game: How to code?

Hey guys, I decided I want to make some sort of game that's not too complicated, is there any free basic coding thing I can use to learn how to make games with?

Try to send Maver1ck a PM. He's a friend of mine and constantly annoys me with talk about how he is coding games for Android and other stuff. I'm sure he will be glad to give you tips, as that is really the only thing he is talking about.

Wikipedia.

It's important to decide what sort of game you will make. I have a large library of links but I never got into game design myself.

Consider these issues:

• Will it be graphical or text-based? You can always replace the text with graphics later on quite easily if it's 2D. Don't forget this directly depends on your artistic merit.
  
• Will it be 2-dimensional?
  
• Will your game be web-based? You won't have to compile anything in that case and compiling in certain languages is full of headaches.
  
• In what genre will it fit (important in choosing a game engine, coding your own is extremely difficult)?
  
• Do you have any prior programming knowledge?
  
• Will it have music, for instance? Important in considering what third-party libraries you will use.

These are the basic questions you need to ask yourself. Drop me a reply and I'll find some resources for you. Just one thing: you can easily give up when faced with something like this. DON'T GIVE UP.

Or you know the Crysis 2 graphic engine? well you can download it for free and make yourslef an amazing 3D game (just make sure it dont suck) like since your a history buff Gar make a game about WW1 idk your choice

Napísal FaLLenXH3R0ESx, 07.12.2011 at 22:02

Or you know the Crysis 2 graphic engine? well you can download it for free and make yourslef an amazing 3D game (just make sure it dont suck) like since your a history buff Gar make a game about WW1 idk your choice

I actually wanted to make a game based around the Great lakes region that could be either strategy or FPS, where you select your plot of land, start building your settlement, build walls to fight off raiders, expand your kingdom etc. Something like minecraft, but realistic with elements of strategy, fps and rpg.

Oh, and i'm very busy at the moment, so once the holidays start i'll look into all of this. Thanks for the help guys!

Napísal Garde, 07.12.2011 at 22:19

Napísal FaLLenXH3R0ESx, 07.12.2011 at 22:02

Or you know the Crysis 2 graphic engine? well you can download it for free and make yourslef an amazing 3D game (just make sure it dont suck) like since your a history buff Gar make a game about WW1 idk your choice

I actually wanted to make a game based around the Great lakes region that could be either strategy or FPS, where you select your plot of land, start building your settlement, build walls to fight off raiders, expand your kingdom etc. Something like minecraft, but realistic with elements of strategy, fps and rpg.

Oh, and i'm very busy at the moment, so once the holidays start i'll look into all of this. Thanks for the help guys!

hell make it that Zombies invaded screw realism

Napísal FaLLenXH3R0ESx, 07.12.2011 at 22:23

Napísal Garde, 07.12.2011 at 22:19

Napísal FaLLenXH3R0ESx, 07.12.2011 at 22:02

Or you know the Crysis 2 graphic engine? well you can download it for free and make yourslef an amazing 3D game (just make sure it dont suck) like since your a history buff Gar make a game about WW1 idk your choice

I actually wanted to make a game based around the Great lakes region that could be either strategy or FPS, where you select your plot of land, start building your settlement, build walls to fight off raiders, expand your kingdom etc. Something like minecraft, but realistic with elements of strategy, fps and rpg.

Oh, and i'm very busy at the moment, so once the holidays start i'll look into all of this. Thanks for the help guys!

hell make it that Zombies invaded screw realism

Meh, i've been working on a sort of story for something like this for years now...basically The world as we know it ended when humans evolved faster by some sort of man-made tech (this is set way in the future). Humans looked different, were smarter, did not require as much energy to run due to global obesity being the now 1# energy source when it is plentiful, when it is not, the normal diet is 1#. Things like Polymerization and Newton's principles are taught in 1st grade due to a much more useful brain, and most importantly- there is no need for any sort of government anymore, due to the fact knowledge is so broad that every flaw in a regime is quickly noticed. This flaw in our new-forms is what ends us, modern society collapses on it's ego, every colony in the galaxy unties itself from Earth, and the human race on Earth dies out from massive suicides, and general craziness. Some of these crazy organized many things to happen- such as the flooding of northern Illinois to create a new great lake, or even some scientists attempting to create a tectonic plate mover. Humans pretty much went apeshit and going crazy, sadly no straight jackets were present. You are placed in this world as one of a few humans emerging from the sands, one of the only humans who didn't evolve to this state. You build yourself shelter, and eventually other survivors find you. Your village turns to a kingdom, then to a country, then to an empire. You build on the Earth that was left charred, and along the path you meet your final puzzle piece, your mentor, and your destiny.

Thats the general idea. How's it sound? It's very far-fetched, but when I mean "evolve" I mean through the use of technology. Dumbed down, imagine strapping a computer to your head and somehow it adds on to your brain and gives you the mental power of the computer. Things such as this, only more...realistic.

Napísal Garde, 07.12.2011 at 22:34

Napísal FaLLenXH3R0ESx, 07.12.2011 at 22:23

Napísal Garde, 07.12.2011 at 22:19

Napísal FaLLenXH3R0ESx, 07.12.2011 at 22:02

Or you know the Crysis 2 graphic engine? well you can download it for free and make yourslef an amazing 3D game (just make sure it dont suck) like since your a history buff Gar make a game about WW1 idk your choice

I actually wanted to make a game based around the Great lakes region that could be either strategy or FPS, where you select your plot of land, start building your settlement, build walls to fight off raiders, expand your kingdom etc. Something like minecraft, but realistic with elements of strategy, fps and rpg.

Oh, and i'm very busy at the moment, so once the holidays start i'll look into all of this. Thanks for the help guys!

hell make it that Zombies invaded screw realism

Meh, i've been working on a sort of story for something like this for years now...basically The world as we know it ended when humans evolved faster by some sort of man-made tech (this is set way in the future). Humans looked different, were smarter, did not require as much energy to run due to global obesity being the now 1# energy source when it is plentiful, when it is not, the normal diet is 1#. Things like Polymerization and Newton's principles are taught in 1st grade due to a much more useful brain, and most importantly- there is no need for any sort of government anymore, due to the fact knowledge is so broad that every flaw in a regime is quickly noticed. This flaw in our new-forms is what ends us, modern society collapses on it's ego, every colony in the galaxy unties itself from Earth, and the human race on Earth dies out from massive suicides, and general craziness. Some of these crazy organized many things to happen- such as the flooding of northern Illinois to create a new great lake, or even some scientists attempting to create a tectonic plate mover. Humans pretty much went apeshit and going crazy, sadly no straight jackets were present. You are placed in this world as one of a few humans emerging from the sands, one of the only humans who didn't evolve to this state. You build yourself shelter, and eventually other survivors find you. Your village turns to a kingdom, then to a country, then to an empire. You build on the Earth that was left charred, and along the path you meet your final puzzle piece, your mentor, and your destiny.

Thats the general idea. How's it sound? It's very far-fetched, but when I mean "evolve" I mean through the use of technology. Dumbed down, imagine strapping a computer to your head and somehow it adds on to your brain and gives you the mental power of the computer. Things such as this, only more...realistic.

well story isnt what makes a game (makes it interesting) but balance. When you make your game balance it out instead of just story like Farmes have like maybe limited amount of time before Winter/or runs out so stockpiling food would be a priority.Add some cool dimensions to it instead of the common survival game so gl

Doesn't that story sort of contradict itself? I thought people wouldn't want a form of government. I do like the anti-anarchist commentary though, for the most part I would agree it's a stupid and poorly thought-out ideology.

Anyway, I think you're thinking of what a game such as Dwarf Fortress wants to be in the future:
Currently it has two modes: Adventurer mode and Fortress mode.
Adventurer mode fits best into the roguelike genre though it takes place over a massive world and isn't confined to a dungeon, which I really like. You can do all sorts of things like enter caves and slay mighty beasts, fight powerful necromancers who create armies of re-animated bodies (this is the latest development), deadly vampire lords and more.

Fortress mode is more akin to grand strategy games though it takes place on a fairly small scale--your fortress. You manage absolutely everything and it's like SimCity in a sense as you manage dwarves and their emotions and character affect heavily what they'll do when they grow up and many, many more things. The game creator wants to create the most fleshed-out and most interactive world there could possibly be in a video game, as well as making it fun to play. He's doing a good job so far but the learning curve is still enormous as is the game's difficulty!

Worlds are generated and have legends and such things placed in them which can be browsed through 'Legends mode', basically a history of the generated world. This may include what you, the player, has done in it. This idea of the user shaping the world and more importantly, being rewarded for taking part in this shaping is fundamental for all modern sandbox games.

Back to my main point; Dwarf Fortress' final aim is to have a mode where you can begin as an adventurer and fight (but not necessarily, it aims to be open-ended) your way to glory. You can go in a fortress with your cronies, kill the king and become the overlord and then ravage your weak elf neighbours; you could become a privateer of sorts and raid human caravans until the lord lets you go off and build your own castle with a few dwarf friends. But the point is that the game shifts seamlessly from strategy to the protagonist behind it all.

As for your story, I think this is what you're aiming for. It's certainly far fetched and the sheer progress Tarn Adams (developer of DF) has made on the game in 6 years--even with his immense programming skill--is truly stunning. If you're committed enough anything can happen. As for the other idea that there is some final quest the hero has to undertake; I love this idea. A linear, loose sort of aim is the right thinking, it's why I didn't use to like Minecraft because it was simply a huge sandbox and nothing more. The player needs to have a goal and feel as if they have a purpose in the world. Story is not what makes a game, like Fallen said; it's how involved the player feels. Or at least that's my opinion though game designers can back me up on this, I've read many theories and critical works on gaming.

BTW, I like the story. Check this out as well. Tesla knew the dangers of what he created, but how about an essentially good person unintendedly causing the world to go up in flames with some amazing machine? Maybe he wants to get revenge after he has been wronged but makes things worse for everyone by his error? This would be very tragic and ideal for the story. Aristotle said that in tragedy, the hero must not fall apart due to a vice (like being an evil bastard) but due to some sort of error, without straying far from his character. He isn't perfect but he is more or less good. Consider these elements in creating a tragic story. If you're going all out on this, you might want to read Poetics as well, written by him. It's classical tragedy but it's the de facto standard. A summary of his views is available here.

So do tell, Gardevoir chap, in what genre will this game fit? You can totally pull this off with determination, you have the imagination and the skill isn't hard to pick up. Go for it, my man, and keep us updated.

Napísal YOBA, 08.12.2011 at 09:03

Doesn't that story sort of contradict itself? I thought people wouldn't want a form of government. I do like the anti-anarchist commentary though, for the most part I would agree it's a stupid and poorly thought-out ideology.

Anyway, I think you're thinking of what a game such as Dwarf Fortress wants to be in the future:
Currently it has two modes: Adventurer mode and Fortress mode.
Adventurer mode fits best into the roguelike genre though it takes place over a massive world and isn't confined to a dungeon, which I really like. You can do all sorts of things like enter caves and slay mighty beasts, fight powerful necromancers who create armies of re-animated bodies (this is the latest development), deadly vampire lords and more.

Fortress mode is more akin to grand strategy games though it takes place on a fairly small scale--your fortress. You manage absolutely everything and it's like SimCity in a sense as you manage dwarves and their emotions and character affect heavily what they'll do when they grow up and many, many more things. The game creator wants to create the most fleshed-out and most interactive world there could possibly be in a video game, as well as making it fun to play. He's doing a good job so far but the learning curve is still enormous as is the game's difficulty!

Worlds are generated and have legends and such things placed in them which can be browsed through 'Legends mode', basically a history of the generated world. This may include what you, the player, has done in it. This idea of the user shaping the world and more importantly, being rewarded for taking part in this shaping is fundamental for all modern sandbox games.

Back to my main point; Dwarf Fortress' final aim is to have a mode where you can begin as an adventurer and fight (but not necessarily, it aims to be open-ended) your way to glory. You can go in a fortress with your cronies, kill the king and become the overlord and then ravage your weak elf neighbours; you could become a privateer of sorts and raid human caravans until the lord lets you go off and build your own castle with a few dwarf friends. But the point is that the game shifts seamlessly from strategy to the protagonist behind it all.

As for your story, I think this is what you're aiming for. It's certainly far fetched and the sheer progress Tarn Adams (developer of DF) has made on the game in 6 years--even with his immense programming skill--is truly stunning. If you're committed enough anything can happen. As for the other idea that there is some final quest the hero has to undertake; I love this idea. A linear, loose sort of aim is the right thinking, it's why I didn't use to like Minecraft because it was simply a huge sandbox and nothing more. The player needs to have a goal and feel as if they have a purpose in the world. Story is not what makes a game, like Fallen said; it's how involved the player feels. Or at least that's my opinion though game designers can back me up on this, I've read many theories and critical works on gaming.

BTW, I like the story. Check this out as well. Tesla knew the dangers of what he created, but how about an essentially good person unintendedly causing the world to go up in flames with some amazing machine? Maybe he wants to get revenge after he has been wronged but makes things worse for everyone by his error? This would be very tragic and ideal for the story. Aristotle said that in tragedy, the hero must not fall apart due to a vice (like being an evil bastard) but due to some sort of error, without straying far from his character. He isn't perfect but he is more or less good. Consider these elements in creating a tragic story. If you're going all out on this, you might want to read Poetics as well, written by him. It's classical tragedy but it's the de facto standard. A summary of his views is available here.

So do tell, Gardevoir chap, in what genre will this game fit? You can totally pull this off with determination, you have the imagination and the skill isn't hard to pick up. Go for it, my man, and keep us updated.

Well, I guess it would be a standalone genre. i mean, what other game is an RPG, an FPS, a totally sandbox game, and a Strategy? I had an idea for it today, maybe pressing the X button or something brings up a chart similar to that in Gears, your allies pop up on this larger mini-map, but here's the thing- if your in a "safe location", you can buy different structures to be built in the territory you own. Say your on a big map- and you own the river delta, but it's being attacked and their aren't enough people to save it. If you have enough funds, you can bring up this 3D mini-map, and place the turret in the area of your choosing. In a campaign, this would be more of placing traps in hallways, or making walls to withstand attacks etc. Btw, the story is very far-fetched, so I thought I should explain differently- imagine having a supercomputer grafted into your body. This gives you the knowledge of it, and the processing power. But it's too much to hold, and you go rampant, just like an a.i. Once you die, your essence is stored in the supercomputers hard disc, so basically you live until the computer is destroyed. Now, imagine a bunch of perfect A.I. beings running around on Earth, scary right? Thats kind of my idea for how the world ended, and these crazy's also conducted many experiments to make the un-evolved humans "better". For instance, you could have a child who acts like a male but is female- through these experiments they could make this female look perfect for the Tom-boy class, but the traits stay the same. Basically, trying to make everyone who they are, but not what they look like. In some cases, this could be great- but in others, bad. Thanks for the enthusiasm