View Full Version : Getting into Game Dev
Sharky
27-09-2009, 09:26 PM
I am interested in getting involved in game development, but I have absolutely no idea where to start.
Could I please have some suggestions for where to begin?
dammit
27-09-2009, 09:37 PM
This (http://forums.tidemedia.co.za/nag/showthread.php?t=3452) is a good place to start :)
dislekcia
28-09-2009, 01:06 AM
I am interested in getting involved in game development, but I have absolutely no idea where to start.
Could I please have some suggestions for where to begin?
What do you want to do? Answer the following questions and we can help you do what it is that you're keen on:
Do you want to develop games as a career in the future or are you keen on it as a hobby right now?
Do you want to program, create art or make sounds for games?
Do you have ideas for games that you want to build or do you want to work on other people's games?
Do you have any experience that you could maybe use to make games with? (Like done a programming course, produced random flipfile art to make an animation, worked in Flash with someone, etc.)
Sharky
28-09-2009, 09:45 AM
Thanks dammit
@ dislekcia:
-I would like to pursue game development as a career, but for now only as a hobby.
-Programming would be what I want to do, but I would like to try the other aspects of development.
-I have the occasional idea, but I would rather work with the more creative ones from others.
-Programming wise, I have done a course in Blitz Basic but currently on use Delphi.
So, I do see that I am lacking in most skills, but that is what I’m changing now.
dislekcia
28-09-2009, 01:47 PM
Thanks dammit
@ dislekcia:
-I would like to pursue game development as a career, but for now only as a hobby.
-Programming would be what I want to do, but I would like to try the other aspects of development.
-I have the occasional idea, but I would rather work with the more creative ones from others.
-Programming wise, I have done a course in Blitz Basic but currently on use Delphi.
So, I do see that I am lacking in most skills, but that is what I’m changing now.
Sweet :)
In that case, I heartily recommend Game Maker (http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker). Download it and start going through the official tutorials (http://www.yoyogames.com/make/tutorials) (as well as any others you can find in the resources thread (http://forums.tidemedia.co.za/nag/showthread.php?t=3452)), pretty soon you should have an idea of how it all works. Once you do, pick a "simple" game that you know well and make it in GM from scratch. I like challenging people to make Tetris, but remake whatever you like, provided it isn't too complex... The idea is to give you a feeling for how games work, you want to remake something that seems simple when you first think about it ;)
After you've messed around with GM and posted your remakes and little experiments here for a while, you'll have quite a solid grounding in game programming/logic (don't worry about other languages yet, you'll understand what I mean soon enough) and you'll also have been exposed to making your own graphics and sounds too. At that point, see what's out there on the forum that people are working on and join a team, post solutions to problems or just mess around and have fun!
There are few things as rewarding as watching someone play a game you've made.
Bonezmann
28-09-2009, 08:55 PM
There are few things as rewarding as watching someone play a game you've made.
QFT!
Wouldn't Tetris be a tad too complicated? I can make cars run down dogs and cats, I can make terrorists self-destruct, I can even make two peas find love in this crazy world, but I sure as hell can't make anything tetris-ish. :)
TiNRiB
28-09-2009, 11:43 PM
@ Sharky.... I don't want to scare you away, but I got into programming with my main goal being to work on games one day. It's not as easy, simple or fun as it sounds. (though very rewarding)
I now program for a bank after getting my degree! Oh joy! :P
Etiko
29-09-2009, 09:43 AM
Tetris is not that complicated and it's a very good first-game to develop.
I created a tetris game in DOS prompt. That was my very first game :)
Sharky
29-09-2009, 10:26 AM
Cool, will do GM here I come!
Thank you to you all for the great advice.
dislekcia
29-09-2009, 01:14 PM
QFT!
Wouldn't Tetris be a tad too complicated? I can make cars run down dogs and cats, I can make terrorists self-destruct, I can even make two peas find love in this crazy world, but I sure as hell can't make anything tetris-ish. :)
Tetris is not that complicated and it's a very good first-game to develop.
I created a tetris game in DOS prompt. That was my very first game :)
Tetris is a nice one because it requires some thought about how you store the game's state other than simple objects. You have to solve a few really nice little problems that keep cropping up elsewhere in games... There are about 4 ways to solve those in GM, finding those sorts of solutions is great learning ;)
@ Sharky.... I don't want to scare you away, but I got into programming with my main goal being to work on games one day. It's not as easy, simple or fun as it sounds. (though very rewarding)
I now program for a bank after getting my degree! Oh joy! :P
99% of the coders I've met all started because they wanted to make games. Just because it's hard and finding a job doing it doesn't mean that it's a bad idea, especially when it's easier to do now than ever before.
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