How to get back into game programming?

-=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- (c) WidthPadding Industries 1987 0\|56\|0 -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=- -=+=-
Socoder -> Off Topic -> How to get back into game programming?
Wed, 26 Dec 2007, 10:13
garand	Hey Everyone, I need some help. I cant seem to get started with programming again. Especially game programming. I work with a company that does C# programming. It got me into it a bit. I want to get back into game programming but one thing stopping me is my lack of knowledge in blitz, that may come as a surprise but I dont really know that much blitz. I have two books so Ill try to look into those but I dont know. I think that I will try to finish a game for the next Wed. Workshop. One thing that happens when I start to work on a game is that I always start with a menu, splash screen, graphics, that sort of thing. I think that I need to get right into the code for the game. If anyone has any ideas or comments to help a fellow coder. Please let me know. Thanks for all your help. Garand.
Wed, 26 Dec 2007, 10:22
Jayenkai	Well, yeah, Wed.Workshop's great for that type of thing. It essentially strips away all the frontend stuff, and tries to get right down to the core gameplay first. Alternatively, head into the Campfire area, and try fiddling around with some of those projects.. Take something from the Code Snippets and have a play about with those. Or maybe just aim for a nice big recreation of a game you've not played in a really long time. Whichever you choose, try to make the game feel fun before worrying about it's presentation. Let yourself be lazy for a change -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
Wed, 26 Dec 2007, 14:12
power mousey	well, I'm surprised myself. and if you like, I'll gladly take your job with the C# programming and you can take my interest and learning of game programming and especially of 3d graphics and animations. Just joking,kidding. here is something for ya garand and to get you started: Graphics 800,600,16 SetBuffer BackBuffer() lillies=LoadImage("c:\resources1\Waterlilies.bmp") bug=LoadImage("c:\resources1\alien2.bmp") ;main loop wx=20 wy=100 flgx=6 flgy=2 maxx=ImageWidth(bug) maxy=ImageHeight(bug) start=MilliSecs() While Not KeyDown(1) If (MilliSecs()-start)>=8 DrawImage lillies,0,0 DrawImage bug, wx,wy Flip Delay 2 wx=wx+flgx If wx>=795-(maxx) Or wx<=0 flgx=-(flgx) EndIf wy=wy+flgy If wy>=580-(maxy) Or wy<=0 flgy=-(flgy) EndIf start=MilliSecs() EndIf Wend End --v I'm sure you can follow it. But if you need some help...then don't hesitate then. myself...well, along with going further with 3d graphics and animations I want and like to get back into assembly language. And especially with 6502 assembly language. In the alpha version of the XGS 6502 assembler/emulator/editor I'm starting to work on a little snippet called Pixel Poodle. The only problems are-->since its only an alpha a lot of features and options are still missing and the docs are only complete as so far as being an alpha. A few instructions don't work properly cause again its a rushed alpha release to show off of what is coming. I can't wait for XGS the 6502!
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 11:24
Forklift_Fred	Wednesday Workshops did the trick for me I think. Having spent a couple of years away from coding games, just a dabble here and there for web gallery automation and basic file handling, I wanted to get back into the games I was making before I got distracted and took up other hobbies that sucked all my time. The recent 1 hour challenge was perfect for really drilling down to basic thinking. I had an idea that I then failed to implement very well because it was too complicated, I then simplified things further and made a reasonable game within the limit. Sounds like a good idea to have regular 1 hour challenges for yourself actually because you can't get bogged down with details and you feel more free to just throw code away because it doesn't work. The more you do, the more inclined you'll be to do more and the more likely it will be that things in ordinary day life spark a little thought that could be a game element. Get to a PC and make it happen. You never know, it could build and build into a bigger project. My Christmas game, for instance. It stubbled a couple of times but along the way I've formed ideas that will make it so much bigger than the Halloween maze game it started from. It will probably take until next Christmas (on and off) to get everything in and working. Of course, I'll also have time to glitz it up with a nice frontend and probably make better models as well... Look out Dec 2008, I'm coming to get you! -=-=- Come rain or shine...
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 12:10
Jayenkai	I've said it before, and I'll say it again.. 90% of the Wed.Workshop challenges can be done just as well in a couple of hours. Stick the clock by your side, and time yourself.. Make up your own rules. This weeks is photo based. Cut images up, shove 'em back together. couple of hours at the most. -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 17:30
dna	Your code gives me an Illegal Memory Address error. -=-=- DNA
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 17:54
power mousey	your code? dna, are you referring to the code that I posted? If you are..if you are referring to the code that I posted, then it has to be the media assets I used in the program. The two lines that load up the 2 bmp files. One for the lillies and the other for the alien bug image or sprite. Replace and use your media...like a bmp for the background picture and the other bmp for use as a image or sprite. Place and load them in the directories and folders of your choice on your computer.
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 18:03
Afr0	I dunno if it's of much help, but if you wanna try your hand on an MMO, I've posted an entry called 'WoWServ' in the Showcase section that shows off how to do basic SRP negotiation between a client and a server (WoW style!). Basically, the key thing is that you're not at any point transmitting an account's password over the wire, only the hashed version of it, so any possible snooper would have to un-hash it (which could take anywhere from a month or two to several years). Sadly, it ain't available for download right now - I tested it earlier today, and either SaveFile.com is getting a little shitty, or Blizzard has been swift to ask them to take down the file (though I never got an error message from SaveFile - I just couldn't download the bloody file!). Don't worry though, I'll re-upload the file tommorrow on another host, and this time it will include a full userguide on how to get the AuthServer application up and running, and what you need to compile it so that you can use the code in your own projects! Good luck and Merry Christmas! - Afr0 out -=-=- Afr0 Games Project Dollhouse on Github - Please fork!
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 18:13
garand	Thanks everyone. Im just going to go through the Blitz Book for now and I will make a few simple programs.
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 18:57
garand	Look at www.krypton-media.com/blitz. I will put all of the stuff that I do in Blitz on their. Dont laugh . Right now their is only one thing on there. Its a simple little thing but check it out anyways. Maybe Ill improve on it.
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 22:53
mindstorm8191	Garand: if you want to get into games dev, i recommend you start your projects off as a game. Don't worry about the menus, intro screens, any of that. Just have a player running around on a map, to start your project out. It will probably be a rough shift for you, but doing it this way will let you test out the game code before anything else is there. And if it doesn't work, or needs tweaking, you can do it without worrying about anything else breaking from it. Hope this helps. I, on the other hand, need to work on getting to the end of a project. -=-=- Vesuvius web game
Thu, 27 Dec 2007, 23:05
JL235	I'd suggest ringing round some game development companies. See if you can talk to someone in charge of recruitment and ask them what sort of entry level requirements they have. Although most ask for a degree.
Fri, 28 Dec 2007, 06:50
garand	Thanks guys.
Fri, 28 Dec 2007, 09:30
Hotshot	[url]https://www.gamedev.net/reference/design/features/makegames/default.asp [/url] GOOD Luck
Fri, 28 Dec 2007, 10:43
garand	Thanks alot Hotshot. I'm going to try tetris.
Fri, 28 Dec 2007, 12:21
power mousey	hey garand, look thru the demos and samples provided in the Blitz package. And also thru the tutorials and perhaps that Game Programming for Teens book and also 3d Game Programming for Teens. yet, the code I provided should get you started on somethimg moving around....actually bouncing arond on the screen. like I told DNA, just change the media assets and the directories and folders to place them and load them. lillies=LoadImage("c:\resources1\Waterlilies.bmp") bug=LoadImage("c:\resources1\alien2.bmp") lillies is the background picture. and bug is the image or sprite that moves and bounces around.
Fri, 28 Dec 2007, 12:58
garand	Mousey, instead of using your code I'm going to make my own tetris game.
Fri, 28 Dec 2007, 13:10
power mousey	cool! and of course, use whatever you want. again, I just posted the code there to get ya started maybe some encouragement too. But you got it.