Stupid Question concerning game development

[SeaHag]

How do you make a game..

Where do you get the graphics?
Do you use DirectX as a programing enviornment?
Is ~Flash~ a bad word?

Where do I start...

That is all

Seahag

[Sastraxi]

1. I made craptastic first ones that are just colours to test stuff and then do the actual sprites by hand in Paint. (RPG)
2. DirectX is an interface, not an environment. You use parts of DirectX (Graphics, Audio, etc.) in Visual Basic, C++, or anything that supports it.
3. I didn't think it was, but people may get confused between flash (to flash something on the screen) and Flash (Macromedia Flash).

[zoso]

Hey all

I was about to start a new thread when I realised this is more or less asking the same question I wanted to.

At the risk of sounding like a complete newbie, "I too would like to start building my first game". Im not new to VB, but havent had much experience in this area. Id like to start off simple, Im thinking of a very basic 'Thrust' type game. It will basically be a 2D-ish game with a 3Dish look. Something similar to Worms, if youve ever played that.

My question is this:

What do you experienced game coders recommend I build it with? DirectX or using the BitBlt API? Are there any pros and cons to using either? Is there an advantage to using DX for a mostly 2D game?

Thanks for your help.

[vshammas]

bitblt is easier, directx is faster i think. plus you get cooler stuff with direct x, but might not be worth it if you dont have much experience. start out small with an easy game or you'll get overwhelmed by the things you have to think about. then again, if you're already a pro then just go for it.

[zoso]

Thanks for the feedback .

My main worry is that a few months down the line, when I have some sort of working version, I will start to discover that things I want to implement are easier or can only be done in DirectX. So if I have worked so far using the BitBlt and sprites, I might find myself having to backtrack and redo the work.

Is there any drawback to doing 2D games in DirectX, apart from the fact its a little more complex to learn?

[Zaei]

If you are running in fullscreen, exclusive mode, and you get some error, you may end up resetting your computer. Also, VB isnt very good at debugging DirectX (no debug output, etc).

Z.

[SeaHag]

So How do you go about making a game??
What are the steps involved?

With VB .. is there a game control (lol ?? really dont know)

Pls Help

[zoso]

Heh, if only it was so simple!

(incidentally, if anyone *does* have the amazing incredible 'game control', please send it on! heh heh)

The steps to follow? Hmm. This is something I would also like to hear about, as I dont really know much about game coding either. Is there anyone out there that can point us to a resource or outline the fundamental concepts behind coding a game?

One thing is certain for me...the first step is definitely lots of reading!

[SeaHag]

YUp..
Looking at tutorial now..
Happy reading