Beginning game programming course

[eds1275]

I like the ideas I've seen here. I do think though that it wouldn't hurt to take a step back and consider what you think you are capable of. I mean, we are all capable of just about anything. But if you start with a massive project that is your masterpiece from the beginning, what are the chances it's going to get done? In regards to secrecy, I'm indifferent. If someone steals my ideas, then they better execute them better than I can!

[Generic Eric]

I like the ideas I've seen here. I do think though that it wouldn't hurt to take a step back and consider what you think you are capable of. I mean, we are all capable of just about anything. But if you start with a massive project that is your masterpiece from the beginning, what are the chances it's going to get done? In regards to secrecy, I'm indifferent. If someone steals my ideas, then they better execute them better than I can!

word. Pong first.

I don't want to presuppose the course work either.  I was hoping to see other ideas too.  I didn't share my big ideas anyway.   

[Generic Eric]

Downloaded software.  Will install this evening.

[yotsuya]

I'm not concerned about ideas being stolen as I am about bloat being added.

Anyway, anyone have any recommendations about design documents?

[yotsuya]

To answer my own question, I found this:

http://www.runawaystudios.com/articles/chris_taylor_gdd.asp

The Word.doc seems pretty sound, it might be fun to fill them out and trade them with each other for feedback.

[Admiral688]

Hmm..... Have some free time so I might give this a whirl.... I like the idea about more trackball games.... Perhaps an advanced missile command.

[eds1275]

That is neat. I will try to fill it out today or tomorrow!

I had some time this morning and began doing some 3d modelling for my lawn darts trackball game. This one is a step up from my Ramp and Roll Skeeball game, hopefully in graphics but also in features. Gotta challenge myself, y'know???





In R&R, (if you haven't played it, you should!) after you make a shot there are voices that heckle you similar to Shuffleshot. I want to do that again so I am going to have a picnic table full of spectators, and after a shot the camera will turn to face them. Other things I want to implement: random level select when you begin a game. This will basically just select one of a number of locations for the scoring rings. Audio - it's easy enough for me to get a nice quiet backyard sound. Maybe a lawn mower going in the background, etc. Throwing angle... this is hard for me to wrap my head around. There are two ways I can do it, one easy and one hard... the easy way is to toggle between some set angles. High, low etc. The hard way is a user definable angle. I don't know how I'd go about doing that. Something to think about...

[yotsuya]

That's cool, my friend.

Mine is going to be a low rez 80s style game. I just downloaded a picture of the Galaga ship and redrew it 1:1 pixels. That helped me wrap my head around the design shape of the ship in my game.

[yotsuya]

Does anyone here remember this toy? The Milton Bradley Starbird Avenger...



I had one of these as a kid and loved it  (yeah, but did I freaking take care of it? Nooooooooooooooooo). Anyway, I'm using it as the model for my protagonist ship...

[wp34]

Does anyone here remember this toy? The Milton Bradley Starbird Avenger...



I had one of these as a kid and loved it  (yeah, but did I freaking take care of it? Nooooooooooooooooo). Anyway, I'm using it as the model for my protagonist ship...

I had one of those as well and loved it.  Didn't the engine sound change based on the direction the nose was pointed?

[wp34]

Hopefully life doesn't get in the way of me completing the course!

Even if you don't complete the course, it's a good idea to always download all the course materials at the beginning of every week. Then the only thing you would miss out on is the peer review bit.

Is the peer review bit optional?  I'm interested in auditing the course and don't want to leave another fellow student in the lurch who is expecting a peer review.

[yotsuya]

I had one of those as well and loved it.  Didn't the engine sound change based on the direction the nose was pointed?

YES!!!!

[wp34]

I had one of those as well and loved it.  Didn't the engine sound change based on the direction the nose was pointed?

YES!!!!

I hadn't thought about that ship in years.  I played the hell out of it.   Great idea for your game.

[Generic Eric]

Hopefully life doesn't get in the way of me completing the course!

Even if you don't complete the course, it's a good idea to always download all the course materials at the beginning of every week. Then the only thing you would miss out on is the peer review bit.

Is the peer review bit optional?  I'm interested in auditing the course and don't want to leave another fellow student in the lurch who is expecting a peer review.

I think you might have been bitten by autocorrect.  You want to audit, but you are worried about not auditing enough?
 

[Admiral688]

Does anyone here remember this toy? The Milton Bradley Starbird Avenger...



I had one of these as a kid and loved it  (yeah, but did I freaking take care of it? Nooooooooooooooooo). Anyway, I'm using it as the model for my protagonist ship...

That must have been one of my favorite toys when I was growing up.

[yotsuya]

Does anyone here remember this toy? The Milton Bradley Starbird Avenger...



I had one of these as a kid and loved it  (yeah, but did I freaking take care of it? Nooooooooooooooooo). Anyway, I'm using it as the model for my protagonist ship...

That must have been one of my favorite toys when I was growing up.

Me too. Must. Resist. Ebay. Urges...

[Admiral688]

Does anyone here remember this toy? The Milton Bradley Starbird Avenger...



I had one of these as a kid and loved it  (yeah, but did I freaking take care of it? Nooooooooooooooooo). Anyway, I'm using it as the model for my protagonist ship...

That must have been one of my favorite toys when I was growing up.

Me too. Must. Resist. Ebay. Urges...

I don't think mine looked that nice after some use.... In my universe it probably wound up on tatooine as spare parts..... Although I still have a tote full of star wars figures and stuff packed in the basement somewhere.

[eds1275]

Hopefully life doesn't get in the way of me completing the course!

Even if you don't complete the course, it's a good idea to always download all the course materials at the beginning of every week. Then the only thing you would miss out on is the peer review bit.

Is the peer review bit optional?  I'm interested in auditing the course and don't want to leave another fellow student in the lurch who is expecting a peer review.

If you don't do the peer review you don't get graded. If you don't care about the grade then it doesn't matter you can still learn regardless but if you care about the number then it doesn't matter.

[wp34]

Hopefully life doesn't get in the way of me completing the course!

Even if you don't complete the course, it's a good idea to always download all the course materials at the beginning of every week. Then the only thing you would miss out on is the peer review bit.

Is the peer review bit optional?  I'm interested in auditing the course and don't want to leave another fellow student in the lurch who is expecting a peer review.

If you don't do the peer review you don't get graded. If you don't care about the grade then it doesn't matter you can still learn regardless but if you care about the number then it doesn't matter.

Perfect. Thanks!

[Generic Eric]

Hopefully life doesn't get in the way of me completing the course!

Even if you don't complete the course, it's a good idea to always download all the course materials at the beginning of every week. Then the only thing you would miss out on is the peer review bit.

Is the peer review bit optional?  I'm interested in auditing the course and don't want to leave another fellow student in the lurch who is expecting a peer review.

If you don't do the peer review you don't get graded. If you don't care about the grade then it doesn't matter you can still learn regardless but if you care about the number then it doesn't matter.

Don't stress over the review.  You are less than likely to have to worry about someone saying "WP34's game is janky."

Last years session included examples of peer review as such:

[wp34]

I'm signed up.   

[yotsuya]

I'm signed up.   

[lordnacho]

I just joined.  I use C# for web dev at work, but have always wanted to look into XNA

I always wanted to make a clone of Star Control, the multi player part. 

[Generic Eric]

I'm signed up.   

[eds1275]

Thanks for putting me at the back. Makes me feel tall!

[lordnacho]

Hah nice.  But how did you get a hold of more pics of me?  Stalker!!!

[shponglefan]

Hey, I'm the teacher!  (and I have boobs! )

[shponglefan]

In regards to secrecy, I'm indifferent. If someone steals my ideas, then they better execute them better than I can!

If anyone is worried about protecting their ideas, a quick search of either existing or in-development games will probably quash that.  There are so many games out there that any idea anyone comes up with has either been done or someone is currently working on it.

Like you say, it's really about the execution.

[melvinbates]

I'm just hoping to get an idea for a game.  So all you that have more ideas than time, I'd be happy to take one off your hands. 

[Generic Eric]

I'm just hoping to get an idea for a game.  So all you that have more ideas than time, I'd be happy to take one off your hands. 

You can have any of mine. 

In regards to secrecy, I'm indifferent. If someone steals my ideas, then they better execute them better than I can!

If anyone is worried about protecting their ideas, a quick search of either existing or in-development games will probably quash that.  There are so many games out there that any idea anyone comes up with has either been done or someone is currently working on it.

Like you say, it's really about the execution.

I thought about Ghostbusters some more then I hit the internet.   It turns out the Ghostbusters have already met the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

[eds1275]

But have The Ghostbusters met The Real Ghostbusters?

[Generic Eric]

But have The Ghostbusters met The Real Ghostbusters?

Gotta save something for the sequel.

[lordnacho]

I thought about Ghostbusters some more then I hit the internet.   It turns out the Ghostbusters have already met the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Just read this comic to the kids.  Could have been so much better. 

[shponglefan]

Here are a few game items of mine.  Most of these are from when I originally tried making games in my youth.

Open World Space Trader w/ 2D Shmup Graphics + Combat  - I was thinking a crossover between Elite, a bullet hell shooter, and Asteroids.  In particular, I want the Asteroids style control to allow for strafing type shots.

2D Tactical RTS based on Aliens  - This is a tactical RTS based on the Aliens movie.  The idea is you have a squad of colonial marines and have to investigate and clear out infested colonies.  A big game mechanic involves line-of-sight; you can only see what your squad can see.  Since the levels are mostly tight interiors with lots of corridors, you need to maneuver your squad to maximize your situational awareness and avoid being taken by surprise.  Back in the day I actually built an engine for this, but never got past the basic prototype.

2D Street Hockey Game - I played a lot of street hockey when I was younger and wanted to make a game based on that.  It would be 2-on-2 with a single goalie/net.  Teams would switch between offense and defense based on whoever was carrying the ball into the offensive zone.  One feature would be the ability to use a tennis ball versus an orange ball, and have different physics result.  Again, built a basic prototype complete with ball physics, but never got around to programming a goalie...

Text-based Hacking Game - You know those scenes in movies and TV where people are hacking or counter-hacking and they are madly typing away like crazy?  I always thought that would make for an interesting game mechanic.  Most of the game would just be standard text commands.  But every once in awhile there would be a timed hacking scenario, forcing the player to type very quickly.  And I figure there might even be a way to work in typing in random gibberish as quickly as possible (i.e. flooding the opponent with nonsensical data to slow down an attack or something).

Anyway, these are some of my ideas.  Not all that original, especially these days, but stuff I dabbled with before and may again...

[yotsuya]

Great ideas. I think I'd play any one of those.

[wp34]

Ha ha!

I'm signed up.   

[Vigo]

Here are a few game items of mine.  Most of these are from when I originally tried making games in my youth.

Open World Space Trader w/ 2D Shmup Graphics + Combat  - I was thinking a crossover between Elite, a bullet hell shooter, and Asteroids.  In particular, I want the Asteroids style control to allow for strafing type shots.

If you are looking for that game, (either for inspiration or for a fun game to play), try out the escape velocity series, particularly EV Nova. I think that game is exactly what you are describing.

Text-based Hacking Game - You know those scenes in movies and TV where people are hacking or counter-hacking and they are madly typing away like crazy?  I always thought that would make for an interesting game mechanic.  Most of the game would just be standard text commands.  But every once in awhile there would be a timed hacking scenario, forcing the player to type very quickly.  And I figure there might even be a way to work in typing in random gibberish as quickly as possible (i.e. flooding the opponent with nonsensical data to slow down an attack or something).

Check out Hacker for the commodore 64. 

[Vigo]

In High school, we had our science teacher out on an extended leave, and we had a tech teacher fill out our semester. We ended up taking a semester making our own video game in class using some utility I can't remember. My game was one of the only ones that mecahnically was a completed and working game. It was called Super Bean Puzzle, and it was pretty much an Adventure of Lolo clone. The only other games that my classmates were able to finish no problems was a frogger style game and a maze style game.

Just a few theme ideas for people thinking K.I.S.S.

[shponglefan]

Just a heads up for anyone who might be using Monogame instead of XNA 4.0; I've already run into an issue.  For whatever reason, exclusive fullscreen support under DirectX and OpenGL does not work in Monogame.  It's apparently been an issue since 2011, and appears to be being worked in 2014.  But the latest stable Monogame (April 2014) doesn't support it.

The workaround is to use borderless windowed fullscreen mode.

I don't know what this course will cover, but based on my experience with Monogame so far, I'd probably just go with VS Express 2010 + XNA 4.

[shponglefan]

Here are a few game items of mine.  Most of these are from when I originally tried making games in my youth.

Open World Space Trader w/ 2D Shmup Graphics + Combat  - I was thinking a crossover between Elite, a bullet hell shooter, and Asteroids.  In particular, I want the Asteroids style control to allow for strafing type shots.

If you are looking for that game, (either for inspiration or for a fun game to play), try out the escape velocity series, particularly EV Nova. I think that game is exactly what you are describing.

Cool, hadn't heard of that specific game series before so I'll check it out!

But I'm under no allusions that my ideas are in any way unique.  I recently started combing through indie 2D space games and was amazed at the sheer number and combinations of different game types and genres.  Apparently a lot of people are combining shmup-esque games with other mechanics like open world exploration/4X/RPGs/etc.