Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!argonet.co.uk!argbc08 From: R Fred Williams Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.freetalk.english Subject: Re: Join me Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 21:04:24 BST Organization: ArgoNet, but does not reflect its views Lines: 53 Distribution: world Message-ID: References: <01bd17ca$7ce8b4e0$bb3e63c3@2badlineone.net> <6u2tmb$fsh4@chuka.playstation.co.uk> <36058B00.11A787A0@bigfoot.com> <36066d0c.17675118@news.playstation.co.uk> Reply-To: R Fred Williams NNTP-Posting-Host: userk707.uk.uudial.com X-Newsreader: NewsAgent 0.84 for RISC OS X-NNTP-Poster: NewsHound v1.37ß2 In article <36066d0c.17675118@news.playstation.co.uk>, richard.cutting@virgin.net (Richard Cutting) wrote: > >Nick Slaven wrote: > >> Have a look at Petes 3d tutorial, & if you get nowhere with that then > >> start with 2d. > >Definately start with 2D. No exceptions. That is the only way to learn. > >You can't take shortcuts. > >'Darco > Absolutely. My opinion is that the best way to start is to copy a 2d > game that has fairly simple game mechanics. That way you don't have to > worry too much about the way that the game works and can concentrate > on the Yaroze. I started with Space Invaders as it's game mechanics > are very simple and it was something that I'd done before. I'll just back this one up. Learning experiences *must* be kept simple. No coder should start by saying "I want to do a Quake clone. I'll pick up 'c' and the Yaroze hardware/lib stuff as I go". Don't laugh. Some people really think this way. Needless to say, it doesn't get them anywhere. Even if this hypothetical novice *did* pick up c & the hardware stuff as they went, the Quake clone would never be finished to anything resembling a playable state. Start small. Think "a blank screen with 2D sprites". As Richard said, if you can get a game where the mechanics are already defined, then that's even better. Space Invaders, Pong (!), Breakout, PacMan if you feel up to the AI coding... Note - That last remark was serious, & I hope wasn't taken as being patronising. Pacman AI coding is a *very* good AI excercise, especially if taken to the "enemys team up to block you in" level of sophistication. Even the "aim to where he's *going*, not where he *is*" requires pretty sophisticated coding! I've learned two new platforms now by coding "sokoban/boxxle" on them (puzzle game, hence *no* AI! :) ), and then "polishing" it up to get the hang of sound, etc. If I get my hands on some Dreamcast kit, guess what I'm gonna write on it first! ;) *Definitely* the way to travel. ttfn Fred -- R. Fred Williams PushyII... for the Acorn http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/rfredw & PSX Yaroze http://www.netyaroze-europe.com/~RFREDW