Hey, I have been studying C/C++ for about 3 months and have completely read through SAMS C++ In 21 Days. I recently took a 2 week workshop at DigiPen and have successfully created my first game, so originally entitled Pong v1.0. If you need an idea of how much I know then heres a link to my game Pong. As you can see I know how to load bitmaps, do scoring, basic collision detection, control methods, blah blah blah. My question is, would it be to presumptuous of me to start on a new project from scratch that would be pretty much exactly like teenage mutant ninja turtles 3 except with my own original plot, artwork, etc.? If you've read this far I thank you, so what do you think, am I biting off more than I can chew? And if you think I am, than what should my next project be? [edited by - T R i K s A N D on July 6, 2002 11:37:17 PM]

Yes. Try something like Arkanoid or Space Invaders first. Then maybe Tetris. Maybe then you''ll be ready for a side-scroller, but I can almost guarantee you''d abandon it if you started it now.

Peace,
ZE.

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Also, some hints for the future:
*End users don''t need your BSC files.
*Learn about framerate dependent motion, please.

Later,
ZE.

Thanks for your quick response(s). I know about what end users want I just didn''t bother in this case. And I will try to figure out how to do framerate dependent motion. Thanks for your advice ZE.

"Biting of more than you can chew" is kind of relative. I''m not too familiar with TMNT 3 but wasn''t it a 2 side-scroller? If so then from what you''ve said you should be able to handle it.

I would recommend sitting down with a pen and paper before you get started coding and work out at least a basic design doc. Some things you''ll want to work out is your scrolling algorithm, since Pong doesn''t use scrolling.

If TMNT3 is what I think it was then the basic game is described (not necessarilly in the order you''d want to do them) :
1 - get user input
2 - blit bitmap to screen
3 - detect collision with enemy and check for state changes.
**ie: if you are touching the enemy and punching, subtract from his health, if he''s punching and you''re not, subtract from your health**
4 - detect collision with objects
**ie: if you touch a piece of pizza and your health is below MAX then add to your health, etc.**
5 - track current ScrollX/ScrollY and get current RECT to blit from the background bitmap

Of course there could be more to it than that, but basically that''s the jist of it and except from the scrolling, you''ve got experience with everything here in one form or another.

I say go for it!

If you do decide to go for it the one thing I encourage you to do is finish it. At least to the point of having a single level playable. It''s so easy to start a game, and yet SO hard to finish it. Good luck!

MSVC++ 6
DirectX 7

I was a T.A. for level 2 summer workshop, and helped out level 1 one day. I don''t know if you saw me there, but I hope you enjoyed the class. I think we pointed a lot of our students to this site for future education, so you may find some of your classmates here from time to time.

I recommend you try to port (reprogram) your pong game for DirectX in C/C++. Using FUN gave you a taste of what C/C++ is capabable of. Now that you''ve learned the basics, it may be good to try to see how FUN actually works by learning the language it was programmed in.

The reason you didn''t have to deal with framerate independent motion is because of how FUN locks framerate. In FUN everything is done by frame, but in larger games we do everything by time. It may take awhile to think in terms of units per second, over units per frame per second. Its worth the effort though.

Also if you still have purchased the year license for FUN, there are sidescroller projects that are going to be on the website. You''ll get everything you need to program a side scrolling TMNT like game from it.

You''re also wise for realizing you may be going beyond your skillset by attempting such an ambitious project. You may want to consider writing a miniature version of your game. By getting a prototype working you can learn what mistakes made things hard to get the game working, so that when you write your full engine you''ll avoid said mistakes.

- Kevin "BaShildy" King
Game Programmer: DigiPen
www.mpogd.com

Hey BaShildy,

I actually decided not to use FUNEditor during the course. A friend and I actually programmed PONG in C/C++ because we hated the idea of not being real game programmers one day . I hope to attend DigiPen full time starting in 2004 so maybe I''ll see ya. Thanks for your feedback.

To the rest of you, thanks for the advice so far,

Obviously I feel a little torn on whether or not I should start this. I believe that I can follow through with it until it''s done. I really don''t feel like making a game like Space Invaders because it''s not fun, and isn''t that the reason most of us started making games in the first place?

I honestly have no idea how to begin making a side-scroller. I just ordered 2 books today on Amazon (they''re on their way) that may or may not help me. "Tricks of the Windows..." you know the rest and "Programming Role-Playing Games With Direct X 8.0".

Does anybody know if either of these books would help me to actually complete my TMNT3 clone. Whether the answer is yes or no what else do you reccomend, book(s), web site(s), a congressman???

Thanks alot,
- Luc

Tricks Of Windows Game Programming Gurus is a wealth of information (even though it uses Directx 6.1). It includes sidescrolling, AI, collison detection, etc...


The Little Corvette that Could.

That''s good to hear. Now you''ve got me all anxious for its arrival. I knew I should''ve selected Next Day Air.

Does anybody else have resource suggestions for me before I embark on my seemingly impossible journey?

- Luc

Google.

Oh yeah, read page 909 first (the part under Typecast Errors). And then, never ask the infamous question "Why won''t FREAKOUT compile?"

Later,
ZE.

//email me.//zealouselixir software.//msdn.//n00biez.//
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