Where to start for programming?

[bzar]

SDL, Penjin, Sparrow3D, glhck (nah, not yet)


There are several options . I did my first game for pandora using Qt

 

[pmprog]

What did you decide as the project you're doing?

 

[Snoa]

Im thinking of something simple, somewhere along the lines of Snake or Connect 4. What do you suggest?

 

[pmprog]

Either are good choices... Connect 4 possibly the best starting project - you don't have to worry about frames per second... Simple basic input, minimal animation if you wanted (but optional), known logic, and relatively simple AI to boot...


Do it


You can use practically any lib - even SDL on it's own if you wanted.


Edit: And there's plenty of devs around if you need a hand

 

[Snoa]

Ah alright alright. Now I just gotta start back at square one. Haven't programmed ANYTHING in four years. But the basics should come back pretty quickly. How long does it usually take to get good at programming? Like, to the point where I could make something like in the original post?


EDIT: Also, care to point me in the right direction as far as guides go? Ive always used anti-rtfm, but I dont think he goes much in to games

 

[pmprog]

That's a pretty ambiguous question. How long is a piece of string? It depends totally.


You can't just be able to code, you have to know how to design (unless you get somebody in to design your game). Even then, you choice of libraries makes things easier/harder. It's all about trial and error (or some really comprehensive reading, but that's not as much fun IMO). I have shed loads of tech-demos that never made it to games for one reason or another

 

[PokeParadox]

SDL, Penjin, Sparrow3D, glhck (nah, not yet)


There are several options . I did my first game for pandora using Qt

If you are wanted to learn how things work then you probably want SDL + C++.


Penjin and Sparrow3D do some of the work for you (preparing sprites, etc) so that may or may not be what you want?


I would still choose Penjin(biased of course) or Sparrow3D since you can just open up the source and see how certain things are done by each library and also there are many people on this board that can help you with specific issues you may encounter.

 

[ekianjo]

Start and end here:


http://www.glbasic.com/

Apparently glbasic is not free to compile for Pandora... anyone using glbasic can confirm ?

 

[erico]

I guess free only for desktops (mac linux pc)


Other platforms requires the premium version, which is no in any way expensive into what it delivers.


Anyway, it costs, so you might wanna give the free a go to see if it is your stuff, you may start doing a pc/mac/linux game with the specs of a pandora (resolution and so on).


Should you later believe that it is your game and buy premium, then your code will also compile to it.

 

[ekianjo]

Anyway, it costs, so you might wanna give the free a go to see if it is your stuff, you may start doing a pc/mac/linux game with the specs of a pandora (resolution and so on).


Should you later believe that it is your game and buy premium, then your code will also compile to it.

Too bad, I was interested to learn how to use it, but I'm not giving 80 euros to make freeware on Pandora


I'll go for other solutions.

 

[erico]

You could also push that freeware into android too, but it is your call.


In my case, I can´t afford time to learn lower level languages (like C or ASM).


Since I learned basic million years ago and most of my best games came out during AMOS era, my only way is to find a BASIC language, and after searching a lot, I found this to be the best.


My premium license was actually bought from revenues on GFX I did to a board friend on a game he sold through the i-phone/pad app store.


2 years prior to that, I have used the free version just to check things.

 

[ekianjo]

Since I learned basic million years ago and most of my best games came out during AMOS era,

AMOS!! A fellow Amiga owner then ?


Did you try Blitz Basic at the time on Amiga, which came way later after Amos ?

 

[erico]

yep, I actually bought a full copy + ring bounded manual hoping to pull AGA from my old A4000.


and then...could not even do a simple lunar lander, nothing, re-read the manual a trillion times and was never able to do a game with it,


it got me really pissed, specially since in AMOS I did many games including complex ones, a king of fighters clone, etc etc...


I guess blitz required way more code knowledge to make things happen, way more then I knew at the time.


So all my love went to amos (got it from a CU amiga cover disk hehe).


For that reason, when I stumbled on GLB, I spent a few months testing the free one before actually committing to purchase it.


There was a board game competition going and I planned to take part in an attempt to prove myself I would not get into another blitz.


I actually completed the game quite quick, it is a Solaris board game, but I had to move to a new house and had no time to finish it up for the compo.


Later I lost interest on it as it was just a test, and it went successfully, the thing is playable and it works as devised, lacking proper gfx and sound, but the full mechanics and display is there. On another reason, this project would take a bit more time to finish I thought better to invest in a more potentially commercial game.


I still love amos, and have some of my old codes, ripped kickstart from my amiga and made an image of the HD so I´m able to run it till this days.


I heard there is a ´packed´ amos+emu with windows installer going on these days.


a bit off topic but here goes a couple images of the king of fighters+yie kung fu kind of game (don´t laugh!), I stopped messing with it when I got 6 different players, proper AI and a few secrets...


I think it is at aminet and amos factory too.