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Geek Culture / [LOCKED] What's the point of always coding your games?

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ReneGade RG
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 05:25
I am a happy and experienced DarkBasic programmer, but is coding always the answer? Should I spend hours upon hours, fixing one error and another! For my latest project, Nebula, I have taken a different route! Nebula is a 2d rpg which I am using RPG maker XP and Rubyscript to make! Hours nof work in less than 5 minutes!
What's your say on this!

It's amazing you're reading this, surprise... you still are.
Ace Of Spades
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 05:30
You get the most flexability hard coding it yourself.

Don't look at me like that!
Drew Cameron
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 05:59 Edited at: 3rd Jul 2005 05:59
Reasons people code:

It can be completely your own work - satisfaction!

Complete control over features, not just a clone of other games as those created in click'n'play tend to be.

Rights. Rights to sell, rights to give away and respect from other people that click'n'play users do not earn.

Power - click and play games suck and are usually lame, a good programmer can compete with (admittedly last generation) games, whereas a click'n'play game is usually rubbish and looks SNES or PSXish at best.

Coding is fun? What about the feeling you get upon completion of a product, that is all your own work.

And as somebody once said...

The hard way, is the right way.

Dumbo and Cool

WIP Board!
geecee3
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 06:35
I agree, Construction kits are a lazy way to put a game together, some of them may be fairly good, but it's not really 'your' game.
only when you write an engine and stick your game into that can you call it 'your' game.

using a construction kit is like a kick in the teeth for a real programmer, far too limiting. and you don't have to use c++ to be a real programmer.

mmmm....computer....
Ian T
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 06:44
Construction kits allow you to make someone else's game with your ideas tacked on like post-it notes stuck to a big glubbering mass of primal chaos writhing on dungeon level 36.

If I looking for blog
geecee3
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 06:45
here here.

'crowd goes wild for mouse'

mmmm....computer....
Eddie B
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 06:52
lol, I code for 3 Reasons...

1.) Fun!
2.) Competition bettween people ( Fun! )
3.) The best one, The end result

Email's Checked every 10 Minutes.. Go one , You Check yours
Keaz
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 06:55 Edited at: 3rd Jul 2005 06:57
Quote: "The hard way, is the right way."

I find that statement to be completely false. The easiest way to get a job done may not give "satisfaction" that the hard way does, but that doesn't mean it's "wrong" as long as you still get the same exact task finished.

P.S. Then why do I code? For the flexibility it offers. Why DB? It's easier and quicker for me than C. That's also why I use the DLLs available.

Breaking Stuff=Fun!,Bug Testing<>Fun!, Bug Testing=Breaking Stuff, so...
Bug Testing=Fun! Hmmmm....
DOES NOT COMPUTE! SYSTEM MALFUNTION!
James Morgan
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 06:59
I prefere to create a construction kit myself and then use that to program games. Unfortuantly this takes way too long for a sole programmer hence why im still creating my construction kit...

Hello!
Oneka
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 06:59
becuase coding is the best way....you can go beyond the limits set by a pregame maker...

Making better games everday!
Oh yeah and just so you know its Oh-nek-a not One-ka!
Manticore Night
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 07:49
I think it's because you can make really weird games and have totally neverbefore done gameplay. And have better speacial effects, AND funny games are funnier when they're coded(not sure why, probably having a "funny" gamplay is what's different).

It's amazing how much TV has raised us. (Bart Simpson)
Three Score
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 08:00 Edited at: 3rd Jul 2005 08:05
edit:
woops wrong tab



well renegrade i think u have earned the biggest n00b of the month
you can go ahead make your game maybe you can spam up there forums instead of ours

vid1987
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Location: Oklahoma
Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 08:24 Edited at: 3rd Jul 2005 08:25
Hello,

Reasons why I code:

1.I code for teh LORD ALMIGHTY!

2.It is a challenge and I feel a great accomplishment when I make games/applications and show them to my family.

3.There are a lot more options to choose from than a drag and drop program.

4.Someday I will sell my software and I want to sell something completely original.

5.Because it's fun.

There are a lot more reasons why I would choose coding over that drag and drop crap made for babies that can't even print "Hello world" on the screen...

Peace


"If I wasn't so poor... I'd be rich..." Me
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 09:47
I agree with Drew. Nothing good in life ever comes easy.

UnderLord
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 09:48
Well i code because those damn click and drag crap dosnt do what i want you can't control certaint things like bullet movement speed or even matrix style stuff liek you can do in a real programming language the drawbacks are to many.

I say just go learn to code you'll have fun and while your at it make a game as you learn.

When we talk to god, we're praying. When god talks to us, we're schizophrenic.
Schizophrenic beats eating alone.
Ian T
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 11:16
Quote: "Also, you can't create your "own unique game" until you create a programming language to suit it."


That's ridiculous . It only applies to some vague extent with interpreted languages, and DBP is compiled anyway.

Quote: "your just using lines of code that you may have picked up over time"


Hardly. Twenty-some syntax elements, hundreds of commands and about as many expressions mean there are millions of possibilities for each line in DBP, and of course that's without even including variable names. Infinite extention possibilities make the amount of customization possible limitless-- and for god's sake, that's just lines. The actual results could vary in the millions even if DBP had a quarter of the commands it does, and it's already as close to a click-and-drag game maker as any language comes.

Quote: "Programming is redundant, and I don't mean that it sucks, I mean that you have to program similar lines over and over and over"


Not if you're programming like you ought to be . Keep everything sorted in neat functions and types and there will be very little repetetiveness to it.

If I looking for blog
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 11:25
Merranvo: That's just called being lazy.

Ian T
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 11:43
That's fine, I was just pointing out some of the problems with your argument

If I looking for blog
CattleRustler
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 11:45
Quote: "The hard way, is the right way"


That'll make tgc and co. very happy to hear

DBP Plugins Latest Plugin: DBP_TPC_Databases
Mnemonix
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 11:46
Quote: "
Programming is redundant"


I think I have found a candidate for quote of the year

How do you think the click & drop creators, engines etc. were created?

Programming is not likely to become redundant any time soon I dont think.

WE SHALL BECOME ALL POWERFUL! CRUSH THE LESSER RACES! CONQUER THE GALAXY! UNIMAGINABLE POWER! UNLIMITED RICE PUDDING ! ! ! ETC. ! ! ! ETC.! ! !
Ian T
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 11:51
Quote: "How do you think the click & drop creators, engines etc. were created?"


ASM HAX of course!!!!!!111

If I looking for blog
The admiral
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 13:13
Coding is fun if its not fun then why are you doing it??

The admiral
zenassem
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 13:44
Just thought I would add construction kits are not always easy.

Did anyone purchase RPG maker for the Playstation?

What in the world made me think that it would be "easy" and "fun" to create an rpg with a game-pad as my only interface?

You can just imagine how much fun it was to enter the text.

The only saving grace was the Dexdrive I purchased. I never di complete a full RPG that I originally envisioned, but it was fun trying to force the app to produce minigames, and simple movies, or small adventures; and being able to share them with users around the world.


But I still look at that game-pad with anger!

"Yeah that's right game-pad I'm talking to you!!!!"

~zen

UnderLord
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 14:29
Hmmm

"DO YOU SMELL WHAT THE FLAMEBAIT IS COOKIN'"

Yep i think that says it all

When we talk to god, we're praying. When god talks to us, we're schizophrenic.
Schizophrenic beats eating alone.
TKF15H
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 14:33
Quote: "What's the point of always coding your games?"

There isn't one. Make an engine in your favourite language and then branch your games off it. No point in re-writing an FPS engine if it's gonna do the same thing. If you're gonna do something better, then there is a point: You're making an engine you need.

WarBasic Scripting engine for DarkBasicPro
DC emulator code size: 13MB
Dave J
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 16:01
Quote: "only when you write an engine and stick your game into that can you call it 'your' game."


Actually, a lot of games use commercial engines such as the Quake and Unreal engines and I'd still consider them to belong to their respective developers.


"Computers are useless, they can only give you answers."
Raven
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 16:20


Simple, yet a very basic game. One that is used in many other larger games nowadays; like Legend of the Green Dragon.

You don't have to do anything fantastically amazing for something to be a game, or surprisingly fun.
Further more creating your own engine to keep up with todays market is just stupid.. it take developers like Epic, id, Valve, Criteron 2-3years of dedicated professionals to create engines for several platforms to enable other developers to focus on content rather than reinventing the wheel.

This was the entire reason OpenGL and DirectX were created. If you want to get back to the heart of game creation, then grab you Assembler and get typing. Good Luck making your Half-Life 2 beater in Assembly.

Phaelax
DBPro Master
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 18:13
Quote: "I am a happy and experienced DarkBasic programmer,....
hours upon hours, fixing one error and another"


hmmm, how experienced?

PETA - People for the Eating of Tasty Animals
ReneGade RG
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 21:57 Edited at: 3rd Jul 2005 22:14
The point is that all my ideas are already in this construction kit and it also works with Rubyscript, so all the things that it does not feature I can code in straight away!I am unsatisfied with the first-person battle system, so I code it in such a way that I make it into a side-view battle system used in the early final fantasies.
The thing is, I want to actually make a game! It will take me months of work to code my idea together! I don't want to sell it, I just want to make it and play it with the least hassle!
I don't like to sound evil, but I am going to copy all the rubyscript code from the kit and download my own compiler, so no one but you guys will know! lol
Quote: "
hmmm, how experienced?"


I can code this game but the result may look alittle less professional, I might lose my social life trying to do it and the friend that is helping me refuses to code himself!

It's amazing you're reading this, surprise... you still are.
Hawkeye
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 22:02 Edited at: 3rd Jul 2005 22:03
Quote: " assembly... isn't that direct system commands... doesn't that have more power then any other language?
"

The more power... the more wear and tear on your poor fingers...


Benjamin says: fecking twat of a program [msn7]
Meh blog
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2005 22:24
Quote: " But I LIKE lazy... there is just no way to support it..."


It shows.

ReneGade RG
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Posted: 4th Jul 2005 18:47
OK fine! I changed my mind and I'm gonna code the game with DBPro until I fix this annoying error!

It's amazing you're reading this, surprise... you still are.
Van B
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Posted: 4th Jul 2005 19:55
The actual coding of the game is more fun, infinately more fun than playing it. It's like saying that we only ever solve rubiks cubes so we can mix all the squares up again.

Personally my coding style is very organic, I rarely take notes and when I do put pen to paper it's usually doodling or the odd sketch or diagram. But for me the real fun is in coding an idea into your game seamlessly, like you get an idea for a really cool effect and it ends up even better than you imagined - and with a few game projects under your belt you end up with lots and lots of code and techniques that can be re-used quickly.

Personally I like it when people read over my shoulder and haven't the foggiest clue of what's going on, that way they can't critisize - and when they do an open invitation for them to try is always enough to make them think twice. Frankly there isn't very much that makes me chair dance these days, busting a stubborn bug or coding something that works just how you like it is great fun - if other people like what you've done then great, and the credit due is so much bigger because it's home-grown.


Van-B

ReneGade RG
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Posted: 4th Jul 2005 20:56
Quote: "The actual coding of the game is more fun, infinately more fun than playing it. It's like saying that we only ever solve rubiks cubes so we can mix all the squares up again.

Personally my coding style is very organic, I rarely take notes and when I do put pen to paper it's usually doodling or the odd sketch or diagram. But for me the real fun is in coding an idea into your game seamlessly, like you get an idea for a really cool effect and it ends up even better than you imagined - and with a few game projects under your belt you end up with lots and lots of code and techniques that can be re-used quickly.

Personally I like it when people read over my shoulder and haven't the foggiest clue of what's going on, that way they can't critisize - and when they do an open invitation for them to try is always enough to make them think twice. Frankly there isn't very much that makes me chair dance these days, busting a stubborn bug or coding something that works just how you like it is great fun - if other people like what you've done then great, and the credit due is so much bigger because it's home-grown.


Van-B"


To you it is! I am too confident most of the time, I want the best results at the quickest time! I only enjoy the end, when I cry out loud "I FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and then play it!

It's amazing you're reading this, surprise... you still are.
Izzy545
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Posted: 5th Jul 2005 03:24
Renegade: As I learnt while talking to new writers, there are some people that don't want to write, they want to have written.

With you, you don't want to make games, you want to have MADE games.

This being the case, just go buy them at the store, it'll save you lots of pain.

vid1987
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Posted: 5th Jul 2005 03:32
Yes,

There's 2 different kinds of people... People that create things and people that use/read/play/listen to/etc. them

I happen to be the kind of person who creates..

Peace


"If I wasn't so poor... I'd be rich..." Me
Jeku
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Posted: 5th Jul 2005 05:50
I find that I can never exclaim "IT'S FINISHED!" because there's always something to add. Finally after adding and adding, one has to finally give up or find themselves never releasing anything.


--[R.O.B.O.I. and FireTris Coming Soon]--
TKF15H
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Posted: 5th Jul 2005 09:58
Quote: "I find that I can never exclaim "IT'S FINISHED!" because there's always something to add. Finally after adding and adding, one has to finally give up or find themselves never releasing anything."

Yeah, same here.

WarBasic Scripting engine for DarkBasicPro
DC emulator code size: 13MB
Flindiana Jones
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 05:12
why always code your game? why always drive your own car? why always choose your food? the answer to all three things is: CONTROL. While you may be able to get pretty good control off of construction kits, you get loads more out of hard coding it. also, once you get a good engine, it makes games of a similar nature very easy to create!

Drew Cameron
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 07:21 Edited at: 6th Jul 2005 07:21
Quote: "The actual coding of the game is more fun, infinately more fun than playing it. It's like saying that we only ever solve rubiks cubes so we can mix all the squares up again.

Personally my coding style is very organic, I rarely take notes and when I do put pen to paper it's usually doodling or the odd sketch or diagram. But for me the real fun is in coding an idea into your game seamlessly, like you get an idea for a really cool effect and it ends up even better than you imagined - and with a few game projects under your belt you end up with lots and lots of code and techniques that can be re-used quickly.

Personally I like it when people read over my shoulder and haven't the foggiest clue of what's going on, that way they can't critisize - and when they do an open invitation for them to try is always enough to make them think twice. Frankly there isn't very much that makes me chair dance these days, busting a stubborn bug or coding something that works just how you like it is great fun - if other people like what you've done then great, and the credit due is so much bigger because it's home-grown.


Van-B"


Here here.

Dumbo and Cool

WIP Board!
TKF15H
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 08:16 Edited at: 6th Jul 2005 08:18
Quote: " why always code your game?"

Ok, enough kidding around. I'll tell him the real reason here right now:
Once you complete the ultimate game, the games fairy will stuff MAD AMOUNTS of CASH in your PC at night!!! YEAH!!!

WarBasic Scripting engine for DarkBasicPro
DC emulator code size: 13MB
Benjamin
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 09:16
Dude, that was meant to be a secret.


"Lets migrate like bricks" - Me
TKF15H
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 12:28
I know, but I just had to tell someone!!!

WarBasic Scripting engine for DarkBasicPro
DC emulator code size: 13MB
Dave J
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 16:13
Quote: "There's 2 different kinds of people..."


There's a lot more than that.


"Computers are useless, they can only give you answers."
Izzy545
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 22:12
Quote: "[quote]Quote: "There's 2 different kinds of people...""


There's a lot more than that.[/quote]

No there's not. There's me, and everyone else.

Drew Cameron
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 22:15
There are three types of people;

Those who can count, and those who can't.

Dumbo and Cool

WIP Board!
Dave J
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Posted: 6th Jul 2005 22:37
Quote: "No there's not. There's me, and everyone else."


So what you're trying to say is that you're 'different' and everyone else is 'normal'?


"Computers are useless, they can only give you answers."
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 7th Jul 2005 00:38
What he means is "I'm very high right now". He apoligizes for the misunderstanding.

Eddie B
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Posted: 7th Jul 2005 01:17
Quote: "There are 10 kinds of people. Those who know bianary and those who don't."


Classic, Bit old though

Izzy545
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Posted: 7th Jul 2005 02:25
Quote: "So what you're trying to say is that you're 'different' and everyone else is 'normal'? "


No, that I'm sane, and everyone else is insane.

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