Game Programming Help

This may sound kinda dumb, but I really want to be able to make some decent games with C++. All I can make now is stupid text-RPGs and stuff.

I really don't know that much C++, really. I've gone through the first 13 lessons from this site,

...And the first 8 1/2 lessons here:

...And with OpenGL, all I can do is make triangles and quads that rotate.

Can anyone give me some advice on what I should do if I wanna start programming games fast? Where can I learn lessons about how to program games, and important things in game development?

I've tried NeHe's tutorials, but I dunno...some of the stuff in his tuts seems kinda hard, and doesn't teach you how to program games specifically.

What I'd like to be able to do is to make a Tetris, tic-tac-toe, or a Snake replica with C++. But I really have no clue how to do that with what I know so far.

For something like Tetris or Snake, you really don't need something as complex as OpenGL. Try a more simplified library, such as Allegro.

It will make it much easier to create simple 2D games than if you tried to make them in OpenGL.

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Originally posted by Krak

Can anyone give me some advice on what I should do if I wanna start programming games fast?

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There is no quick way to suddenly be good at making games.

I'm working on one now using SDL, I'm planning for good features and everything. I've used C for about 2 years and Java for more.

So don't try and rush it, you gotta be really good at normal programming until you can do games.

BTW, incase anyone's interested, the site for my game is http://sdl-invaders.sf.net It's gonna be SDL, I'm making it for Linux though there will be a windows port. Open Source of course.

I second that, you won't be able to make good games fast. At least nothing complicated and done in 3D.

I would recommend starting with SDL to learn graphical programming. I started with it and it helped alot to have that background before going into OpenGL. Although the transission from 2d thinking to 3d thinking was MIND BLOWING...but I've (mostly) adjusted now :)

//napKIN

I would recommend... GDI :D It's a little slower than the others, but everything in Windows API is already pretty much built to use it, so... yeah.

*p.s. Sorry, didn't notice that you're still doing console programs. But most people learn Windows API sooner or later, so you might as well learn it sooner ;)

I've heard of someone actually making a FPS in console mode. He made "graphics" routines for making ASCII art in pure assembly language, and coded the engine in C.

Hey, there's an idea for my next project! I'm going to make some ASCII console-mode graphics routines! All I got to do is make some inline assembly code and I could have full color ASCII stuff. No, maybe I won't...that sounds gay :D

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I would recommend... GDI It's a little slower than the others, but everything in Windows API is already pretty much built to use it,

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and also crashes the whole system if you mess up with GDI royally,:D

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I've heard of someone actually making a FPS in console mode. He made "graphics" routines for making ASCII art in pure assembly language, and coded the engine in C.

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me to, i think that was also the guy that made all of his own graphics in pencil, and all of his sounds by himself, using his body.


Now for game programming, you need to decide which type of graphics system you want to use, 2D or 3D. 3D may look cooler, but if your doing a game as a one man job, you could spend so much time on the engine alone, that you would never get the rest of the game into line(like BIS said with NWN, how it took them 3 years to make an engine in which every building and dungeon looks the same, and the mountains arent climbable:rolleyes: .

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and also crashes the whole system if you mess up with GDI royally

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Hey hey, where'd you hear THAT? :eek: GDI is probably a lot safer than lots of other graphics libraries, as long as you know what you're doing!

Any program you make can mess up your computer ;). GDI is bad at eating system resources, at least if you don't know what you are doing. Just make sure you have a original HBITMAP for all your HBITMAPS so you can destroy them cleanly, and take other precautions as well.

I started gaming in mode 13h, and would not recommend it to anybody. I recommend a library like Allegro, SDL, or GDI to start off with. If you plan to go big with DirectX later on, start with GDI, if you plan to go big with OpenGL start with Allegro or SDL and pick up GDI along the way.

Another suggestion would be to learn QT. It is cross-platform, and I think it is a great API for making windows. It runs on X-Windows and Win32, and I think there is a version out for MacOS. It has a lot of functionality, and it has a thing that is kinda like GDI, but it is easier to use. It also has a system similiar to GLUT for making OpenGL programs. The only drawback is that it only works in C++. But I myself, being a C++ user, think that is actually a good point :D

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Another suggestion would be to learn QT.

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since i have been using linux more and more recently(well 100%, since my windows harddrive blew on me......lost 6 damn months of projects), i was thinking about learning that. I agreee with you that it has great potential, and looks like a great API for those that wish to port code to different systems.