Game Programming Inquiry please

[charmedcharmer]

Hi guyz, i need some help.. Please. I have this software engineering subject
My proposal is a strategy game which I have to pass by the end of the year.

1. What language should I use?
2. What other stuff should I learn?
3. What do I need to learn about graphics programming?

Please help me coz i'm confused with DirectX and OpenGL and other stuff. Please do help me.

Thanks a lot in advance. Hope you'll kindly help me guyz. thanks. Mwah

[xing]

hi there. gud luck on your software engineering subj...

i think u should use VB. i find it lot easier to understand than any other language. plus, its just as powerful.

knowledge in directX will be a plus factor. ah..i mean is a need when ur into game programming. it will let u use ur hardware instead of software, making ur program run faster. e.g. u can opt to use hardware-rendering instead of software-rendering if u have a powerful video card. it will also allow u 2 use input devices like joystick, gamepad, yada yada yada...

from what i know (guys, correct me if im wrong) openGL is more portable..it runs on both pc and mac platforms. directX runs only on Windows, i guess, microsoft eh.

[charmedcharmer]

please give me some more info guyz. I totally need ur help. thanks

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[Darkwraith]

I am assuming that you are trying to program a simple strategy game (simple being NOT Starcaft or Ground Control or Commandos)

Because I am assuming that implementation speed is an issue, I would use VB (if you know the language already,) but if you know C++ or DarkBasic, use those. If you are using C++, use a combination of OpenGL and the latest DirectX, however, if you opt to just to DirectX, then stick with DirectX 7.0.

Depending on your design, you could get away with either 3D or 2D graphical components, but if this game is in 3D, stick with the 3D components.

To help you in this endevor (it can be big like Tetris big, 4500 lines of code, or Doom big which is about 200,000 lines of code plus development tools,) I recommend the Prima Tech line of books and any books written by Andre LaMothe.

Hope this helps.

[charmedcharmer]

hi guyz, especially you darkwraith since you replied nicely to me..

I'm not asking you guyz to do the work for me (coz somebody told me that). All I'm asking is where to start in advancing and finished my stuff..

well, i know vb, i know the basics, but in advanced im quite not that familiar. I know C++ too, basics again.. So what do you recommend me to study first since I'll be doing a strategy game...

Can I do the graphics part like I'm gonna call an external animation done in 3d softwares. Its my idea, since basically I'll be doing comparing of values (since its just an strategy game)

Thanks a lot... I mean it..

[Darkwraith]

IF you can get away with it, you can try to do your game all in a dos console screen. That way, you will be able to eliminate the need for graphics / sounds (that is if you will be graded on implementation and not on presentation.)

However, if you need to use graphics, you can do 3D graphics in programs like 3D studio max and milkshape (I believe.) For DirectX, the 3D object will have to be created as an x-file, however, if you are using OpenGL, you will need to create it as an MD2. There is another type in which OpenGL will accept a 3D object, but I cannot remember as of now but there is a thread that discusses this on this forum.

Also, take a look into OpenIL if you are going to use a lot of pictures. I have not looked into this in depth, but the library looks interesting.

While you are designing your idea (please do this before implementing anything,) take a look in this forum for ideas on implementation. There is a lot of good stuff here.

(NOTE: Sorry for any errors here. I am (or was depending on when you look at this post) quite tired.)

[Fox]

For serious game programming C++ is the only alternative. But since this is a VB forum I'd recommend VB to start out - it doesn't matter in which language you learn how to make a game. Writing the code is just a secondary thing. More important are the internal game structures and game design in general.

As you've chosen VB there's no way around DirectX as soon as you're going to make a graphical game. Of course you can also try BitBlt but you'll soon reach it's border - eg. try to make a fullscreen 1024x768 Jump 'n' Run game, no way to realize this in BitBlt. Also, DirectX (version 8 recommended) is quite easy to handle and writing your own renderer class you get a tool as BitBlt, just better and faster.

It doesn't matter which file format you use - both, DirectX and OpenGL, are nearly the same. They can render polygons. The whole rest is your turn. But of course there are helpers such as D3DX which gives you pre-coded functionality. But then you're not longer independant from your file format.

Side note: Whether to use DirectX or OpenGL doesn't make a big difference... but you can say in general DirectX supports newer features faster than OpenGL. Also DirectX is not just a renderer - it's the whole suite (input, network, sound, graphics). So if you're chosing OpenGL because it's platform independant make sure the other parts of your engine are also platform independant.

Fox

[Darkwraith]

I found that OpenGL has more of a FSA type structure to it. Furthermore, OpenGL (I think the latest is 1.4) supports a lot more graphic cards than DirectX 9.0 or 8.0.

If you are going to develop on a linux distribution or if you choose OpenGL or if you decide to just make it a text-based / dos game, then you should go with C++.

However, if none of these apply, then wait before choosing a programming language. Design and then see what you will need for your game. It is true that you can do the same things in VB in C++, but you get a lot more control in C++ than in VB and C++ is quicker than VB.

I just cannot stress this enough: design and then implement. Don't do the same mistake as many of us did.

[Sastraxi]

DirectX "gets" new features faster than OpenGL? What kind of crock is that? Only reason cards are "DirectX Blah" compliant is 1) to suck up to MS and 2) because OpenGL uses a set of extensions to provide addons to the API -- something that DirectX in all of its *holiness* cannot do.

Bleh.

[Darkwraith]

What that a response to, Sastraxi?

[Fox]

To me. Well I just remember the time where DX supported all those nice things like pixel shaders and such while OpenGL didn't. Maybe that time's over, didn't compare the two lately..

[ChuckB]

Hi,
I have a small program a friend and I are developing that uses VB and OpenGL. Once you find the code for drawing stuff...it is easy to add/delete more stuff. It uses vbogl.tlb which can be downloaded and registered with your system.

The link is at http://homepage.dycon.com/cbolin/ai.htm. It uses a single texture BMP and is the beginning of a 3D football program. This may be helpful in getting started.Click on the project1 link to download...don't forget vbogl.tlb.

I do like the control with C++ and OpenGL and the fact that most game tutorials/books are targeted to C++. However, I must admit that I do like the VB development speed since that was my first Windows language...and I don't have to refer to help or reference books very often. :-)

I have only been working VB with OpenGL for 6 weeks...so far so good. Incidently, we are using VB because my friend had a tough time with C++...I just like programming on a team and so it did not matter too much to me what language we used...I do like OpenGL a lot.

Regards,
ChuckB

[charmedcharmer]

hi thanks for the tip chuckB! I just want to ask if I will be able to create a nice game for a short period of time.

I think I can coz, as Ive said, i dont need moving graphics on keyboard events. what i only need is a looping graphics (its just like representing what is happening inside the game)

I just want to know guyz if I can be able to do it..

Please help me..

Thanks

[mebhas]

how can i remain silent in this case???

well, anyways, i am working on a game, 3d. no, not a shooter or a rts. its just solve the puzzles. anyways, i have 2 alternatives for the development of the game. option 1: darkbasic which is very near to qbasic of the old days(i was quite good with qbasic). the engine was a bit slow tho. option 2: gauge 3d. it is a freeware engine that can support directx and opengl as required by the system. its in c++, visual c++ gnu c++ for windows and linux. so u got some real options in there. those were my choices only. there are more.

now, this should be interesting for you. check out this site:http://www.ambrosine.com/resource.html u should find everything u need.

cya

[Darkwraith]

Originally posted by charmedcharmer
hi thanks for the tip chuckB! I just want to ask if I will be able to create a nice game for a short period of time.

I think I can coz, as Ive said, i dont need moving graphics on keyboard events. what i only need is a looping graphics (its just like representing what is happening inside the game)

I just want to know guyz if I can be able to do it..

Please help me..

Thanks

I am a bit confused by this. Can you please clarify?