Question on game programming

tele

So fellas,
I have a bit of time on my hands and I am wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a site to help start programming games. I would love to do something in the Dizzy style (basic colours and basic gameplay).
I grew up playing those games...ahh the memories.
take into consideration that I don't know the first thing anbout programmin sprites or indeed games in general.
Am i right in saying that those games were in written in basic?
the closest thing I have done to games is text adventure stuff, but I got bored with trying to keep trac of myself and endless if-then statements.

I would appreciate any pointers.
Tele

Baz_

www.gamedev.net
www.gamasutra.com

phobos

I don't want to jump in on this with a pesimistic attitude or anything, but I see so many people wanting to create games, and I don't think they actually realise how difficult is to create something half decent. I have been programming for not long under 10 years, and I don't have the technical capabilities ATM to create something that would WOW anyone to any great degree. I know you are just talking about a simple 2D sidescroller, but at the same time you're talking about things like sprites, which were terms used, back in the days when things were done with QBasic, and Basic on the C64. So you've just shown that your skills are a little rusty to say the least.

In the beginning kids said things like "I want to create computer games". Then as they got older, they said "I want to learn how to program", but at the same time their overall goals never changed. They got nowhere, because they were starting to learn how to program by jumping straight in the deep end. Granted in your case you said you've done text based adventures, written in some proceedural language, I'm sure, with excessive use of if-else blocks. Times have changed and in order to create something interesting you are going to have to do it in C++ using something like OpenGL to handle the graphics. There are other good options, but C++ & OpenGL are the fastest (which is important)

I personally have some experience with the two technologies, having completed a module on OpenGL programming for my B.Sc., but I know I would have to take a really REALLY deep breath if you asked me to create something interesting with the technology.

Again I am just stating some facts and I don't want to discourage you from exploring the world of games development . But for me, it's like hearing a broken record, when someone says they want to learn how to program games. If you're just learning how to program, I recommend adopting more simple projects (for 2 reasons)

1. You will learn better programming foundations
2. You won't be discouraged from programming due to complexities (and 4am migranes )

Anyway I wish you good luck. If you are interested in OpenGL programming, get back to me, or you could look at the site and get yourself acquanted: www.opengl.org

;-phobos-)

tele

i have no intent of saying that my programing is anything but "little rusty to say the least" I will be the first to admit I have heaps to learn, but that is what I like doing.
I have only gotten really interested in programming recently enough, where I have been trying on my own rather that doing stuff for college. I am just interested in how these games were done. I know enought about programming to say that I have an idea of the basics. all I have been using lately is vb/vb script. I have also touched on basic, c/c++ and fortran.
I would just like to know how games like Dizzy, tetris, pacman etc were done. If I don't get it then I don't.
you have to start somewhere and since I haven't a clue where that start is I just decided to throw out a question and see what answers I got.

tele

sorry man i just read that last post and it seem narkier than I ment it to be. i'm tired and I still have 3.5 hrs of a shift to do.
I appreciate how the "I want to make a game" line could piss someone off.
I am just in this to try and learn how things are done.

phobos

You came to the right place because there are plenty people on here (including myself) that can tell you where to start. I know exactly how you fee. I will admit when I was about 13 years old, I just wanted to make games, and all I could do is make a ball bounce around a screen. But hey, you're right you have to start somewhere. But I learned that games weren't the right direction from some more experienced programmers I met in my teens. So I started to learn C, and I never looked back. Now I would class myself as a J2EE developer with an interest in programming embedded wireless devices.

As for you my good man, I had a quick look and here is a 2D sidescrolling (space type) game that I found written in VB.

Check it out here
http://www.freevbcode.com/ShowCode.Asp?ID=1664

These type of games are all well and good, but if you want to do anything interesting I still refer back to my C++ & OpenGL rant.

[edit]

I appreciate how the "I want to make a game" line could piss someone off.

It doesn't piss me off. I just meant that I've heard it a few times too many, and I see it as a trap for potential programmers. That's all. Anyway Im going offline now, because Revenge of the Nerds is starting[/edit]

Take care,
;-phobos-)

tele

ya its a prettyt cool game.
are the simple games like I described above around in code versions?
I grew up playing dizzy on the commadore 64 and those games rocked.
how about tetris???
I also did the bouncing ball prog in basic years ago, hey... it was cool at the time. that was on the c64. also did number guessing games........god the memories.
I can just imaging the work that goes into silent hill or metal gear solid or games like that

tele

To tell you the truth i ain't really interested in creating masterpieces or anything I would just like to be able to do something on my own. I like learning new stuff and this is something I have been thinking about since I was 15-16.
thatnks for the help man

tele

I think I am going towards the 'egg picks up bucket----egg fills bucket with water

---

egg puts out fire'etc

satchmo

Originally posted by tele
I think I am going towards the 'egg picks up bucket----egg fills bucket with water

---

egg puts out fire'etc

lol I remember that bit. Dizzy rocked.
As for game programming... Learn C++ first, ask questions later.

tele

so can anyone point me to a site that will explain or show me the code behind any of the old games mentioned above(tetris, dizzy...etc)?
I know enough about code to recognice stuff or to know where to go to help me figure sh!t out

Dazzer

http://www.planet-source-code

Great site to learn but try not to rip the code otherwise you wont learn a thing.

Has source code and tutorials on many programming languages. Maybe Visual Basic would be ideal for the kind of game you are trying to make.