Searching for a good tutorial.

[Cerberus_e]

I'm searching for a good tutorial how to make your own tile-based 2D platform game (like commander keen for example).

language: C, C++ or visual basic. I don't know which would be the best for doing such a thing on modern pcs?

I have good (ok, relatively good) knowledge of visual basic, and have basic C programming knowledge (once hired a c++ book, also done lots of javascripting etc...)
probably not enough I think http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif but who knows, after all it's just a tile-based sidescroller, not a 3D FPS

I can't find a good tutorial, most of the things are people stuck with their project, nothing else http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

the most important is decision of what language to use, if that's wrong chosen, the whole project is failed.

I already have some basic gameplay ideas.

if possible, the tutorial could also explain how to do sounds and background music (if I did it myself, soudns would overlap each other etc http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif, same for images, you would see white lines when a moving tile moved over the background if I started programming without a basic tutorial)

I could do it myself, but then it would be visual basic, with graphical bugs, and the game would slow down if there are 10 moving objects at the same time because I wouldn't know how to optimize things http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Vexed]

I'm not even sure if you can find a A to Z to making any game (maybe something like tic tac goddamn toe). You have to find various tutorials and then put the pieces together like a puzzle.

You'll find that "just" a tilebased sidescroller becomes very complex if you want to do it right.

[Cerberus_e]

I'm sure there exists such a thing, because it exists for flash games http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
but I xon't make a flash game because you can't have many moving objects at the same time then on slower pc's.
it could be a little complex, yes, but at least I want to try http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I have made a dumb game before in visual basic http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/redface.gif

[Vexed]

Well if they exist it shouldn't be hard for you to find them right? http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[Cerberus_e]

the problem is it's hard http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Eddy Willson]

Cerberus_e said:
the problem is it's hard http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif



http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mryuck.gif http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mryuck.gif

[Cerberus_e]

I find some toturials, like http://www.2dgame-tutorial.com/, but it's not truly what I want.
if I don't find something else, I will use that tutorial, I'll adapt it a bit then (it's the not-truly tile-based that doesn't appeal me, but I can of course adapt that)

[Vexed]

I remember that site, didn't find it very useful at the time...


but it's not truly what I want

That's my point. If you want to make a game you're gonna have to take bits and pieces from tutorials and figure the rest out by yourself. I doubt you'll find a tutorial that tells you how to make a complete game from scratch.

[Cerberus_e]

I don't need a tutorial for a complete game though, just getting started http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I'll see what I can do with the tutorial

[DudeMiester]

Basic Graphics:
nehe.gamedev.net
Advanced Graphics:
www.opengl.org (http://www.opengl.org) (Read the OpenGL specifications!)
developer.nvidia.com
http://triplebuffer.devmaster.net/misc/yannl.php
http://graphics.ucsd.edu/~henrik/
www.humus.ca (http://www.humus.ca)
www.delphi3d.net (http://www.delphi3d.net)
General:
www.gamedev.net (http://www.gamedev.net)
msdn.microsoft.com (Look at C++ reference!)
www.gametutorials.com (http://www.gametutorials.com) (used to be free, not totally free anymore afaik http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif )
www.flipcode.com (http://www.flipcode.com)
www.gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com)

You can find your way from here http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Programming and games are 75% your imagination and creativity and 25% organisation and style.

[Cerberus_e]

thanks a lot dudemiester, I think I'll try what I can make this summer vacation, after exams, and all parties after exams http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif, are done.

[Night Hacker]

With your limited programming knowledge, I highly recommend using the Allegro (http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro/) game programming library. It has functions for everything you'll need, from sound and graphics, to input and a huge amount of other function I can't begin to mention. Plus, the library is available for pretty much every platform you can think of, from Windows and Linux to the MAC, BEOS, DOS and a few systems I have never used before! heh

On that website there are also a few tutorials. You should also check out http://www.allegro.cc which is a large online community of allegro game programmers with lots of games (mostly 2D!) and extra add on libraries for allegro (like a JPEG add on, OGG, MOD, PNG etc...)

If you go to my website and check out my Deluxe Pacman game, it was created using this library. It makes certain things easier for you yet the library is very fast! I played the demo game that comes with it and I got 7000 FPS! heh. It takes advantage of hardware acceleration as well.

I like the portability of it. If you write your code properly and use allegro functions where available (and there are lots available, believe me), you will be able to recompile your game on any other platform you can think of with little or no change to your code.

There's also an add on library called AllegroGL which adds OpenGL support to Allegro, which is kewl.

Anyhow, let me know when your game is done or if you want it tested.

I also highly recommend GAMEDEV and FLIPCODE mentioned above.

[Night Hacker]

Oh, and for tile based games, here's an excellent program for creating your own tiles and levels. There's a tutorial on the website that shows you how to create your own tiles as well, this is great, especially if you're new and graphically challenged like I am. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

This is, of course, free, like Allegro.

Tile Studio (http://tilestudio.sourceforge.net/)

[DudeMiester]

Oh how could I forget physics! http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~baraff/pbm/pbm.html
http://www.d6.com/users/checker/index.htm

[KillerByte]

Night Hacker said:
With your limited programming knowledge, I highly recommend using the Allegro (http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro/) game programming library. It has functions for everything you'll need, from sound and graphics, to input and a huge amount of other function I can't begin to mention. Plus, the library is available for pretty much every platform you can think of, from Windows and Linux to the MAC, BEOS, DOS and a few systems I have never used before! heh



I think it would also be wise to recommend the Simple DirectMedia Layer (http://www.libsdl.org) (SDL) Library. This is another relatively high level library which provides an interface to graphics, sound, input and network functions. It is also possible to write OpenGL code within SDL applications.

[DudeMiester]

Or if you're lazy you can just get Torque, Ogre3D, Nexuiz engine, etc... You can find a big list here:
http://www.devmaster.net/engines/

[Night Hacker]

Oooh, hey, nice website! Bookmarking that. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

(although I get far more satisfaction from doing it all myself)

[Cerberus_e]

DudeMiester said:
Oh how could I forget physics! http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~baraff/pbm/pbm.html
http://www.d6.com/users/checker/index.htm



please nooo http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif the most advanced thing I ever programmed was buttons moving over the screen you had to click http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

also, thanks for all new replies I got.
when I decide to start, which I'll try for sure, could take another month or so, I'll look into all of them http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Cerberus_e]

Night Hacker said:
(although I get far more satisfaction from doing it all myself)



I can understand that, and that's why I'll base my code on other examples, instead of literally copying it.
I always feel guilty when copying something, even if it's made for copying http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
that's why my button game is written by myself http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif probably also the reason why it sucks http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif but it was 2 years ago

[DudeMiester]

Cerberus_e said:
please nooo http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif the most advanced thing I ever programmed was buttons moving over the screen you had to click http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

also, thanks for all new replies I got.
when I decide to start, which I'll try for sure, could take another month or so, I'll look into all of them http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif



Yeah physics is mightly complex. I had to read Baraff's papers like 10 times, and google a bunch of stuff, before I understood it enough to implement it. However, I still don't fully understand why/how the constraint solvers work. But I'm sure if I looked at it again, I could figure it out.