Thread: Where to start...

  1. #1
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    Where to start...

    I'm a novice programming thats doing novice things in college. I want to get better... I need places to start. Hopefully I'll make some great things in a few years and have some kind of "portfolio" (is that even possible with game programming).

    I figure i'll start with tetris... what do you guys recommend? I'm not much of an artist so i don't like making graphics (even though i know some opengl), but i really liek the "algorithm aspect" into making these games.

    So where to begin...?

  2. #2
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    tetris is a great place to begin

  3. #3
    Carnivore ('-'v) Hunter2's Avatar
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    Other suggestions:
    -Tic Tac Toe/Connect Four (if you think tetris is too advanced...)
    -Some sort of 2d real-time game (birds-eye-view or sidescroller for example)
    -Other puzzle games like the "slide the mixed-up square tiles until you have the original picture" game
    Just Google It. √

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    tetris was my first full-blown graphical windows app. i think thats a just fine place to start, especially since you already mentioned it so i assume its a project youd like to do...

    ( i did it in console first and then ported it to win32 when i learned how to do it )
    I came up with a cool phrase to put down here, but i forgot it...

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    I'd like to hear more about what i should really DELVE into..... what subject matter is important to me to learn to be a great (game) programmer.

    I figure programming games is alot tougher than most apps... am i correct?

    I'll try to have tetris done in a few days. I think I have the knowledge to do it... i need to look into the whole "timer" thing more first however.

    What should i try after tetris? Do you think it's important that I make a good graphical interface for tetris? I was planning on just ASCIIing it up =)

  6. #6
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    if you want to get into 3D games, learn a lot of vector and matrix math, maybe learn some pathfinding algorithms, know your data structures inside out...

    it really depends on what you want to get into. if you just want to be a hobbyist and do games on your own in your spare time, then you pretty much have to be a jack-of-all-trades...

    game programming isnt necessarily harder than programming for other things, so much as its different. in business application programming, you are usually trying to conserve memory and cpu, where as in game programming, you take all the memory you need to make it go as fast as possible. also, game programming is a lot about not doing things exactly like they are in real life, but rather faking it to make it LOOK like you are doing things exactly as they are in real life.

    after you finish tetris, think of a genre that you enjoy, and think of what you would consider a cool game in that genre, something a little more challenging and complex than a game like tetris. do a little design work (highly recommended) and then jump into programming it. youll learn a lot along the way.

    keep in mind that you have the cprogramming community here to answer any questions you have. dont be afraid to get in over your head. you cant learn to swim if you can always touch the bottom...
    Last edited by ...; 03-18-2004 at 01:13 PM.
    I came up with a cool phrase to put down here, but i forgot it...

  7. #7
    Carnivore ('-'v) Hunter2's Avatar
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    I'd like to hear more about what i should really DELVE into..... what subject matter is important to me to learn to be a great (game) programmer.
    That depends on the game you're making. For example, if you're making a game that involves realistic computer-controlled enemies, you'll need quite a bit of AI. If you're planning a online head-to-head deathmatch game, AI is completely irrelevant unless you want to make bots for your game. At this point, I don't think "a lot of vector and matrix math, maybe learn some pathfinding algorithms" is going to help you much () but you might want to figure out how you're going to display ASCII graphics, maybe even write an ASCII-Gfx library or something in preparation for your game.
    Just Google It. √

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