Cheat Engine

[Crunx]

Hello all,

So this past week I have been researching about making video games how to construct them and any tutorials on getting them done fast. Me and my friends want to make a good game but I do not want a crappy clone of another game or something like that.

I do understand these two points: It won't be easy and it won't be fast.

There are some things that I can't seem to get a grasp of and I turn to this forum because you guys seem to know what you are doing.

Question 1:

Where do I start? What programs are required to get started on making a game. I know It's nice to know a programming language and I am planning on going with C++ but is it necessary?


Question 2:

What is a game engine? I know Cryoma had a post about them and they help you make the game what else would you need besides a game engine? I can't seem to understand why we would need to learn a language if these exist.



I have a team of 5 people (so far) and they are willing to learn anything they need to help me out with this but I'm afraid I can't assign them jobs yet until I FULLY understand how to make a video game.

I plan on making tetris then pac man and finally a simple 3d game before I go on to make the game i in vision for myself and my team




ANY help to clear these questions up would be greatly appreciated!

[M.CORP]

You can use any programming languages for making games and does not always need to be C++. You could also use some other languages to link up with the primary ie. ASM.
Game Engine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_engine
P.S. Game programming, you need to design your concept first before you can make any of those 3d games because, when making a game you have to balance all the things to make it fair for the user. It takes Weeks - Months to learn all the stuff you require. Lastly, for the 3d, use OpenGL.

[Crunx]

Thanks for the reply! I understand it alot more though there is still some questions still standing. But right now most of my team can agree on these things:

~3D
~Medieval/fantasy time with swords and magic and such
~PvP maybe even guild wars


It seems like Unreal Engine is a really good gaming engine and it uses C++ I skimmed through ASM (assembly language) and gonna get started on the tutorial tomorrow. To fully use unreal will I need C++?

I did look at OpenGL and while all these things are easy to understand separated I'm having a hard time putting them together but if i understand them more then i think i can get it.

[hcavolsdsadgadsg]

1. Use whatever you want.

If you want the technical answer:
Graphics wise, 2d is absolutely easier to jump into for a million reasons, mostly for the obvious. If you aren't comfortable with the language then you are going to be in for struggle. You're in for a struggle regardless if you're just jumping into graphics, let alone the actual engine part. I think writing your own software renderer, even a simple implementation, is a borderline must before getting into a 3d api. All the fixed function stuff is depreciated in both APIs and you'll be left doing all the work yourself. Actually implementing the innards yourself at one point will make it easier to dive into.

The basic math isn't too bad, I have the (horrific) source to a super simple software 3d engine in binaries. It doesn't do near plane clipping so anything behind the camera effectively gets its projection flipped and you get garbage polygons but it's entirely functional otherwise. Writing your own stuff is a pretty monumental task no matter how you slice it, it's only magnified by being new to it. Even the smallest project has a million nuances and things for you to learn. Not for the faint of heart, but that's what makes it fun.


2. The actual core program that manages all the assorted subsystems and goodies that ultimately serve to make up your game. Sound, input, graphics, timing, etc.

And yes, that's part of the reason as to why they exist, so you don't have to write your own. Modify what exists rather than reinventing the wheel. This is a good thing and something you should take advantage of.

[hcavolsdsadgadsg]