Hi there. I just thought I'd post in order to point out a few things that may (or may not) help you along your way. I notice quite a few people haviing some decent ideas for games, but with absolutely no clue with regards to how to proceed on making them, and very little knowledge on blitz's commands.
Before you even consider starting a game, such as the size of a RPG, you should, for your own sanity and progression, start off with a simple game. Something along the lines of tetris, or space invaders. Ask yourself the question.
Could I program Tetris? Could I make a Space Invaders clone? What about a mine sweeper game?
Think also about the game you are creating. What will it involve, code wise? Do I have the knowledge to do these things? Can I move a character about the screen? Or detect when my character is near a door? What about the other characters in my game. How will I handle them?
Can I get my characters to move around on their own, or follow a set of waypoints. What about a script? How will you set up what each character has to say? Data statements? An array? What about a type collection?
Ask yourself alot of these question before proceeding into a large project. I know the appeal of playing a RPG then coming into Blitz and loading a 3d mesh and texturing it. You mind starts to wonder and think of how great it would be to do your own, and you set out right away to get your character (probably a cube or a cone) moving around the screen, and you feel alot has been accomplished.
After all, moving your character is one of the most important parts of making your game. Now, it's just the small matter of everything else.
I'm not having a go at anyone learning a language. Everyone has their own ways of doing things, but there is nothing more frustrating than seeing people who have just joined the forums, and asking a broad ranging question like:
"How do I move my character about and speak to people, and get them to give me items?"
If you've ever asked that, your NOT ready to be making a RPG game. Again. Break that down there. You have 3 different aspects of your game just there. 2 of them pretty big.
1. Speaking to people. This would involve giving each character a list of things to say, even giving the character options for replies. Each text the character says, has to link to another, and possibly loop ever. Talking to that character might lead to another character reacting differently to you. It's a huge part of your game, and not something can be just programmed without any knowledge of programming in general.
2. Items in a RPG (or any related games). Again, a massive part of your game. Most RPG rely on items to drive your quests and each needs to be thought out on what purpose it serves. Most importantly, you'll need a good understand of the underlying code. Can you drop items at anytime? Or use items only at certain locations. How will you determine if you are at that location. The list goes on and on.
However. If you create a simple tetris game, which in my experience, is easier than space invaders, you build up your coding skills, and you can apply these to more advanced skills.
You will learn to:
Use arrays,
Draw images (or move meshes)
Take input from the keyboard
Have a front end, where you choose options.
Keep a score.
Learn about game timing.
All of these things are vital to move to the next level. I hope I have helped at least one beginner here. Just remember we aren't frustrated because you are learners, or new to the language, but because you are making things alot more difficult and frustrating for yourself.
Before you even consider starting a game, such as the size of a RPG, you should, for your own sanity and progression, start off with a simple game. Something along the lines of tetris, or space invaders. Ask yourself the question.
Could I program Tetris? Could I make a Space Invaders clone? What about a mine sweeper game?
Think also about the game you are creating. What will it involve, code wise? Do I have the knowledge to do these things? Can I move a character about the screen? Or detect when my character is near a door? What about the other characters in my game. How will I handle them?
Can I get my characters to move around on their own, or follow a set of waypoints. What about a script? How will you set up what each character has to say? Data statements? An array? What about a type collection?
Ask yourself alot of these question before proceeding into a large project. I know the appeal of playing a RPG then coming into Blitz and loading a 3d mesh and texturing it. You mind starts to wonder and think of how great it would be to do your own, and you set out right away to get your character (probably a cube or a cone) moving around the screen, and you feel alot has been accomplished.
After all, moving your character is one of the most important parts of making your game. Now, it's just the small matter of everything else.
I'm not having a go at anyone learning a language. Everyone has their own ways of doing things, but there is nothing more frustrating than seeing people who have just joined the forums, and asking a broad ranging question like:
"How do I move my character about and speak to people, and get them to give me items?"
If you've ever asked that, your NOT ready to be making a RPG game. Again. Break that down there. You have 3 different aspects of your game just there. 2 of them pretty big.
1. Speaking to people. This would involve giving each character a list of things to say, even giving the character options for replies. Each text the character says, has to link to another, and possibly loop ever. Talking to that character might lead to another character reacting differently to you. It's a huge part of your game, and not something can be just programmed without any knowledge of programming in general.
2. Items in a RPG (or any related games). Again, a massive part of your game. Most RPG rely on items to drive your quests and each needs to be thought out on what purpose it serves. Most importantly, you'll need a good understand of the underlying code. Can you drop items at anytime? Or use items only at certain locations. How will you determine if you are at that location. The list goes on and on.
However. If you create a simple tetris game, which in my experience, is easier than space invaders, you build up your coding skills, and you can apply these to more advanced skills.
You will learn to:
Use arrays,
Draw images (or move meshes)
Take input from the keyboard
Have a front end, where you choose options.
Keep a score.
Learn about game timing.
All of these things are vital to move to the next level. I hope I have helped at least one beginner here. Just remember we aren't frustrated because you are learners, or new to the language, but because you are making things alot more difficult and frustrating for yourself.