Visual Basic Beginner

Atomic Pineapple

Hi , I am a 1st year college student and were doing Visual Basic 6 as a programming language.
As a project we will have to create a game in VB , and i have always wanted to create a game but iam not sure of VB's capabilities or how to create a game.
We have currently only learned easy stuff like creating forms which calculate sums and distances etc.......
I was just wondering if anyone could give me a few tips on what to expect when makeing a game and could give me any pointers in how to create a good programme?

phaxx

Hrm, difficult to say, I've tried to do little games in VB, usually they don't turn out well. I've sort of given up VB, am getting into VC++ instead.

Don't aim for any high-framerate thing.. I think, unless you're using directx for your graphics it's very slow, I know my little one with a few lines and circles only got ~30fps on a duron 700, so that's pretty shíte.

Pick something graphically simple, perhaps a small turn-based game? This way, you don't spend most of your time getting the graphics looking pretty, your time is spent solving actual programming problems, not VB-specific things.

Just my opinion.

Look around web game sites for simple games, try to make a clone of one.

I'm also learning Java at the moment... so far it looks very cool, and there seems to be a lot of small java games about, so it can't be too hard. www.free-arcade.com has some I think. (beware shíte design and popups )

koloth

Probably a little advanced for you, but if it's a game your interesting in writing in VB (.net), you need to see Donkey .NET

Requires VB.NET, Directx 8, Win2000/XP

kayos

Right so you want to be able to programme a game in VB. Well I agree with phaxx in the fact that unless you use DirectX it will be really slow and even with that I would not attempt the write a FPS. Games can be written in VB though and there are plenty of tutorials on the net on using DirectX.

Maybe you could do something multiplayer if your allowed use DirectX and you can have all the bells and whistles like a chat are before hand and all your net code is pretty much taken care off.

As for where to find tutorials on the net just use google and pick the ones that suit you.

As for ideas maybe a worms clone as you have a good few things in that physics/input/graphics/sound and maybe mutliplayer... Any way good look and if you get stuck mybe we can help.

bonkey

Lads....honestly....

He's a first year learning VB - do you honestly think he's going to be writing an fps game or anything which is dependant on directX? I somehow doubt it.

To be honest, draffodx, you want to find something realtively simple - even coding a turn-based game of cards or something like draughts is going to be quite tough, especially if you are going to be coding a computer-based opponent.

Start simple - look around / ask your lecturer what *type* of stuff this project will involve. Once you have a better idea, then ask more specific questions. What you're asking is one step removed from saying "we will have a project where we have to write a program, has anyone any ideas".

jc

phobos

He's a first year learning VB - do you honestly think he's going to be writing an fps game or anything which is dependant on directX? I somehow doubt it.

That's exactly what I was going to say!!

Anyway, I remember when I was doing VB I found a site called VB Explorer very useful. It covered everything from basic VB stuff like what you are doing now (Forms, texboxes and getting acquanted with the other default toolbox components).

But it also covers game development in VB, and a mate of mine used it, and his game project was a success a few years ago.

Enjoy
http://www.vbexplorer.com/vb_game_developer.htm

HTH
;-phobos-)

Mixie

Theres plenty of sample games on the internet, all depends on the type of game you want. For games like pacman, minesweeper, whack-a-mole, gorillaz etc. there's plenty of sourcecode and tutorials available on sites such as:

http://www.planet-source-code.com/vb
http://www.freevbcode.com
http://www.vbcode.com
http://www.vbexplorer.com
http://www.developer.com

and a search on google would turn up even more useful results.

I have/had a bunch of game sources on my HD, will have a look over the weekend, and if I still have them I'll upload them for you and email you the address.

Hope that's of some help to you.

kayos

Originally posted by bonkey
Lads....honestly....

He's a first year learning VB - do you honestly think he's going to be writing an fps game or anything which is dependant on directX? I somehow doubt it.

Bonkey just to let you know DirectX programming in VB is fairly simple and if this is a year long project (which by the post it looks it) DirectX should not be out of anyones grasp. After about a month of learning C++ I was writing text based card games (which I then added graphic to in second year when we learned BGI). I would honeslty think something like a worms clone is not that hard Why you ask?

Its Turn Based
It is simple physics. (if I fire a ball up in the air at this speed in this direction where abouts will it land)
Graphics are easy a nice backdrop (plain old image file) and a clone worm be it a worm or a snail with a canon on its back.
DirectX is not that hard to learn the easy stuff with and all the above should be fairly easy.

It also demos that you understand a few important things.
ActiveX and using COM compenents
Coding maths
And if you break it out into activeX dll's your creating COM compenents.

I would not advise any thing more than one or two worms a side and diffo not more than two teams and to keep the terrain fairly simple and only have one terrain.

If you do something like this and the rest of the class do draughts or poker or blackjack your laughing all the way to honour roll But make sure you feel up to it before you try look around for some tutorials and see what you think. Also run it by you Lect. as they might want you to code everything yourself if so revert back to a easier project.

The Corinthian

Originally posted by draffodx
I was just wondering if anyone could give me a few tips on what to expect when makeing a game and could give me any pointers in how to create a good programme?

Games programming is, imho, the most complex programming there is. Other than the heavy UI/graphics that you need to employ, the AI necessary to create a worthwhile computer opponant is a b1tch.

VB is also better suited at business apps and utilities than games as it's quite weak on the graphics side of things on its own. I would suggest you try out a simple game such as O's and X's or Paper, Sissors, Stone and concentrate on the AI - such as in the latter case, programming the application to examine (and learn from) patterns in the human's choice and thus double guessing him/her in future games.

Atomic Pineapple

yeh i know VB is quite weak for creating games , but thats what we gotta do , were moving on to c++ next year , but the project is only a half year project and i have to get VB on my own pc if i was gonna really dig in and do a pretty good project (which i am , because i have always loved games and hope , just hope , i can get into it) BTW any of you guys know where i can pick up VB and for how much?
Thanks for all the help , still feel like i dont know what to do , but thats probably just me!
X & O's sounds a bit too smale scale for me , but i know what your saying , i would prefer to do something fancy that would "Enthrall" the class , but if i have to revert to something smale scale i will no point in doing a crap job of something fancy!

Atomic Pineapple

Also most of the VB games seemed uninspired and dull , I wanna create something different and inspiring , I was thinking about a Zelda(on the gameboy) style looks and game but that seems to be pretty much out of reach!
Any hints and tips on What would make a good game that VB is capable of?

Sorry , I have so many qeustions , but i really want to get into this a be proud of what i create!

Atomic Pineapple

Two Qeustions

-Where Can I get VB? (PC World?)
-How much does it cost?

Mixie

PC World, Compustore, etc. all do em.

Compustore (longmile road) had Visual Basic 6 Learning Edition for ~£50 a few weeks back, came with tutorials on CD, MSDN CDs etc.