Game Ideas

MartinThatcher · 10-05-2009, 08:51 PM

Hello, I'm looking for game programming ideas and was wondering if anyone here could help with that. I've just recently learned about functions and references, but I can't do anything with graphics yet. I'd like to take on a somewhat ambitious text based game. Any ideas will be appreciated.

--MartinThatcher--

P.S. Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I wasn't sure where it should go.

jdragyn · 10-05-2009, 10:05 PM

Zork was one of the first computer adventure games I ever played. This version (the download link is at the bottom) works on Windows XP and my virus scanner says it's clean (i.e. use at your own risk, though I've had no problems with it).

It's a very simple game. I don't recommend it as game of the year or anything, but it might provide you some ideas.

MK27 · 10-06-2009, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinThatcher

a somewhat ambitious text based game.

Zork will probably be fun (it was), so I'm not discouraging it, but I also think that will be less of a "learning programming" experience and more of a "abstract design" experience with a lot of the actual programming being repetitious.

On the other hand, while the final product of a "hangman" type word game will be slightly less exciting, it may provide more and varied challanges, programming wise. The code base will be much smaller, so the number of new concepts and algorithms per unit of work (hours, lines) will be much greater.

But I've never done either one, so that is just a guess. Basically, I suspect programming puzzle type games will teach you more than narrative type games, altho from a user's perspective narrative type games may be more interesting.

mike_g · 10-06-2009, 08:28 AM

Text based games are more complex than they seem, unless they are very crude. I'd recommend using a relational database like SQLite to store the data. EG: locations, actions, descriptive text. It does require learning to use a library though.

MK27 · 10-06-2009, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike_g

Text based games are more complex than they seem, unless they are very crude. I'd recommend using a relational database like SQLite to store the data. EG: locations, actions, descriptive text. It does require learning to use a library though.

I did not think they were simple! I just think a somewhat more "compact" project will teach you as much or more without becoming something too obsessive and time-consuming. On the other hand, dealing with a big code base (several thousand lines) is it's own sort of experience, and there's nothing wrong with obsession. The problem is if you are still rapidly learning, on a big project, half way thru you will want to start again, or else be tied to the methods you first committed to, which as you learn they will start to seem crude and limiting. Whereas if you do shorter projects, you can move on, and bring everything you learned to the next one, and they will naturally become larger and more complicated.

SQLite is a good skill to have. But the OP might get more out of some clever classes/structs/functions and then plain text or xml files, which general parsing is a good skill to develop.

Mario F. · 10-06-2009, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinThatcher

I've just recently learned about functions and references. [..] Any ideas will be appreciated.

Here's one. Keep studying and forget about the goddamn games.

abachler · 10-06-2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

Here's one. Keep studying and forget about the goddamn games.

<milk spit>
Lol, yeah I sort of have to agree with that sentiment, but I also have to disagree. The idea of making games is what inspires many to take up programming in the first place. Te reality of the game industry is that you will be expected to work 12-16 hours a day 6 days a week, and longer when its 'crunch time', which is almost always due to the ingrained culture. After you finish your unpaid internship, which is usually at least 6 months, you may not even get a job, and if you do it will not be very high paid. There are simply too many people lining up to work for free for you to demand any kind of high salary unless you are in the top 1% of all programmers. Burnout in this industry is out of control. Most programmers don't last more than a few years.

quzah · 10-06-2009, 04:27 PM

If it wasn't for having a game to fiddle with, I probably wouldn't have bothered. If you want something to motivate you, and you enjoy games, sure, make games to get through your lessons. It may be a lot more fun to make a word game to learn strings, than it is to make "Hello World", or what not. Take recursion for example. It's more interesting to make a maze solver, than it is to reverse a string. At least I find that more interesting.

Quzah.

Mario F. · 10-06-2009, 05:57 PM

The point is that with functions and references you are stuck to the 80s. There's three decades of programming to go over still.

And when one needs that sort of motivation to learn a programming language, one should reevaluate their priorities. Sure, write small snippets of programs (which may as well include the notion of a game) to practice acquired knowledge. But the OBJECTIVE right now is to learn the programming language. The time for creating a game will come. There's no need to think of anything the size of game project.

...

As for the games themselves, the odds of anyone getting in the industry in a position to make a difference (to their own lives) is probably more or less the same of a kid wanting to become a soccer player ending up on the premiere league. And sure as hell, those that do make it, didn't do it asking around what games they should develop.

abachler · 10-06-2009, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

The point is that with functions and references you are stuck to the 80s. There's three decades of programming to go over still.

And when one needs that sort of motivation to learn a programming language, one should reevaluate their priorities. Sure, write small snippets of programs (which may as well include the notion of a game) to practice acquired knowledge. But the OBJECTIVE right now is to learn the programming language. The time for creating a game will come. There's no need to think of anything the size of game project.

...

As for the games themselves, the odds of anyone getting in the industry in a position to make a difference (to their own lives) is probably more or less the same of a kid wanting to become a soccer player ending up on the premiere league. And sure as hell, those that do make it, didn't do it asking around what games they should develop.

Well, I have always found it easier to acquire new skills in pursuit of a goal, rather than as the goal itself. e.g. I found it much easier to stay in shape when I was in the Army seeking to avoid a horrible and agonizing death in service to my country while helping the enemy die for theirs, than I do now, where I really have no use for bulging muscles and the ability to break concrete blocks with my fist...

quzah · 10-06-2009, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

The point is that with functions and references you are stuck to the 80s. There's three decades of programming to go over still.

How does that even make sense?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

And when one needs that sort of motivation to learn a programming language, one should reevaluate their priorities.

There is always a motivation for everything. Even if it's just to kill time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

Sure, write small snippets of programs (which may as well include the notion of a game) to practice acquired knowledge. But the OBJECTIVE right now is to learn the programming language. The time for creating a game will come. There's no need to think of anything the size of game project.

It's not a race.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

As for the games themselves, the odds of anyone getting in the industry in a position to make a difference (to their own lives) is probably more or less the same of a kid wanting to become a soccer player ending up on the premiere league. And sure as hell, those that do make it, didn't do it asking around what games they should develop.

Apparently you've never heard of the word "fun". You should look into it.

Quzah.

Mario F. · 10-06-2009, 07:10 PM

It's like "Free". As meaningless as a full bag of nothing. Unless one gets rid of all the cheap talk and tries to give it some meaning. You know... meaningful fun?

- "Oooh I want to have some fun with functions and references! Someone, quick give me something to do!"
- "Sure, here's something. Fun is good. Fun is... yeah"

---

But more seriously though, I do not critic the fact one may want to do a game after learning about functions and references in a multi-paradigm programming language more than I critic those who seem to encourage him to do just that.

quzah · 10-06-2009, 07:22 PM

Why? Encouraging someone to find a way to enjoy what they're doing is to be frowned upon? It's much better to read a boring ass tome... right?

Quzah.

MartinThatcher · 10-06-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

Here's one. Keep studying and forget about the goddamn games.

Um, considering the fact that I'm in a game programming class, I won't be forgetting about programming games any time soon.

Quote:

As for the games themselves, the odds of anyone getting in the industry in a position to make a difference (to their own lives) is probably more or less the same of a kid wanting to become a soccer player ending up on the premiere league. And sure as hell, those that do make it, didn't do it asking around what games they should develop.

All I was asking for was a few ideas since I'm having trouble coming up with ideas on my own. Please forgive me Mario F; I didn't realize that was against the law.

With all of the negative comments I've gotten in this thread, it may as well not be open.

Will any moderator who looks at this, please close it?

**Bubba** · 10-06-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Will any moderator who looks at this, please close it?

Not sure why you want it closed but since you started it I will be more than happy to grant your request.
Closed at the request of the OP.

10-05-2009, 08:51 PM	#1
MartinThatcher Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 14	Game Ideas Hello, I'm looking for game programming ideas and was wondering if anyone here could help with that. I've just recently learned about functions and references, but I can't do anything with graphics yet. I'd like to take on a somewhat ambitious text based game. Any ideas will be appreciated. --MartinThatcher-- P.S. Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I wasn't sure where it should go.
MartinThatcher is offline

10-05-2009, 10:05 PM	#2
jdragyn Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 30	Zork was one of the first computer adventure games I ever played. This version (the download link is at the bottom) works on Windows XP and my virus scanner says it's clean (i.e. use at your own risk, though I've had no problems with it). It's a very simple game. I don't recommend it as game of the year or anything, but it might provide you some ideas.
jdragyn is offline

10-06-2009, 08:28 AM	#4
mike_g Wheres the lesbians? Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: UK Posts: 1,219	Text based games are more complex than they seem, unless they are very crude. I'd recommend using a relational database like SQLite to store the data. EG: locations, actions, descriptive text. It does require learning to use a library though. __________________ Senior highbrow doctor of authority.
mike_g is offline

10-06-2009, 04:27 PM	#8
quzah +++ OK NO CARRIER Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 10,262	If it wasn't for having a game to fiddle with, I probably wouldn't have bothered. If you want something to motivate you, and you enjoy games, sure, make games to get through your lessons. It may be a lot more fun to make a word game to learn strings, than it is to make "Hello World", or what not. Take recursion for example. It's more interesting to make a maze solver, than it is to reverse a string. At least I find that more interesting. Quzah. __________________ Hundreds of thousands of dipshits can't be wrong. Are you up for the suck? Last edited by quzah; 10-06-2009 at 04:34 PM.
quzah is offline

10-06-2009, 05:57 PM	#9
Mario F. (?<!re)tired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 5,220	The point is that with functions and references you are stuck to the 80s. There's three decades of programming to go over still. And when one needs that sort of motivation to learn a programming language, one should reevaluate their priorities. Sure, write small snippets of programs (which may as well include the notion of a game) to practice acquired knowledge. But the OBJECTIVE right now is to learn the programming language. The time for creating a game will come. There's no need to think of anything the size of game project. ... As for the games themselves, the odds of anyone getting in the industry in a position to make a difference (to their own lives) is probably more or less the same of a kid wanting to become a soccer player ending up on the premiere league. And sure as hell, those that do make it, didn't do it asking around what games they should develop. __________________ Originally Posted by brewbuck: Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.
Mario F. is online now

10-06-2009, 07:10 PM	#12
Mario F. (?<!re)tired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 5,220	It's like "Free". As meaningless as a full bag of nothing. Unless one gets rid of all the cheap talk and tries to give it some meaning. You know... meaningful fun? - "Oooh I want to have some fun with functions and references! Someone, quick give me something to do!" - "Sure, here's something. Fun is good. Fun is... yeah" --- But more seriously though, I do not critic the fact one may want to do a game after learning about functions and references in a multi-paradigm programming language more than I critic those who seem to encourage him to do just that. __________________ Originally Posted by brewbuck: Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.
Mario F. is online now

10-06-2009, 07:22 PM	#13
quzah +++ OK NO CARRIER Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 10,262	Why? Encouraging someone to find a way to enjoy what they're doing is to be frowned upon? It's much better to read a boring ass tome... right? Quzah. __________________ Hundreds of thousands of dipshits can't be wrong. Are you up for the suck?
quzah is offline

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