Game Development Questions

[Hansika]

Okay so before you rant about how you think I'm a huge fag, I'm 23 and I want to make games! Okay now I know a good bit about Java programming of course still at Novice level but I know enough to teach someone the basics. I'm mainly having trouble with the whole concept of a GAME. So my major question is where would I start (obviously once I know the answers to the other questions I have). I have no clue where to start, I know what I want to do, I have a good storyline in my head but I don't have the first clue as to how to put it together. Do I start on the main class? Do I start with the player's image? Do I make a GUI first? You see what I'm getting at?

Okay so yeah thats my major question but I need these questions answered as well

- What is the best way to make a customizable GUI. I know both "java.applet.Applet;" and Swing. Swing for me is the easist to "customize" but I don't have the first clue as to how to add images and key events ect into the GUI.

- I keep having problems with moving the image around. My key events don't seem to work. I made a public void for them, I tried some other way that was really stupid and I still cant get all my key events to work. I can get them to do this "System.out.println("Left Key")" and they work but when I try to add something like x_pos++ or x_pos-- it wont do anything!

- This question is for later but how would I make it so that when objects collide they do something or if an object is near something and a button is pressed how would I make it do a selected event, and also would I need an extra class for that (ie. NPC's)

- Would using cases for items and NPC's be a good idea?


I know those sound like kiddie questions but what would be the point of calling me a noob and telling me to google it? If you can answer at least ONE of these questions please do so. That would so much easier for me. Every time I get on forums and ask a question people never answer them or they talk to me like I already know what I'm doing. So for once in my life I'm actually going to ask you to talk to me like a first grader.

Thanks for any help,

[Ernest]

If what you have is a story and no game programming knowledge, you shouldn't start by making your own game engine. Start by using an already made game engine. You'll find out that just programming the game logic can be quite a challenge the first time. Depending on the type of game you have in mind, you can start with a 2D game engine like the ones at: Gamemaker.nl, garagegames.com/products/torque-2D, tkool.jp/products/rpgxp/eng/, Adventuregamestudio.co.uk, or dead-code.org. They all come with tutorials or examples to get you started.

If you want to see your story come to life, spending four months just to get the pixel-accurate collisions and the parallax mapping working can be a bit discouraging.

You could try starting with a 3D engine, there are also many 3D game engines available, but it is considerably harder.

Once you've been able to make a refined game with an existing game engine, then you can start making your own engine in a general purpose language. You'll find that it will be easier to code the basic I/O functions once you've programmed high level I/O routines in a game setting.

[ZWF_BES]

I think you should first figure out what exactly you want. Making games is usually not a one man show.
If you decide to do on your own it anyway, start with transfering your story from your head to sheets (virtual or real).
Then you have to think about which game mechanisms are accurate to transfer the story into a game.
Then you look which programming techniques are necessary to actually make it real.

If you already did all that and you questions are the result of that process then i misinterpreted your knowlegde and you can forget my answer. :D