Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

DarkBASIC Professional Discussion / What is a good first project to take on for a noob?

Author
Message
Wizzerd
15
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Jan 2011
Location:
Posted: 18th Oct 2011 00:54
So, I have owned DBP for a while now I bought the Bonanza special and, bought some books on DBP, but I never really got a chance to get in to it.

I am a noob, how ever I do understand the basics of programming, I have not written much code other than a bit of Liberty Basic, a few years back but nothing serious.

I have though about doing something in maybe 2D for my first DBP project but I am not sure if DBP is 2D friendly for a noob.

I would like to get your opinions on what would be an easy small game to try out for a beginner?
Runtest
14
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 15th Oct 2011
Location:
Posted: 18th Oct 2011 02:08
Start with the books mate. If you understand the basics of programming you are well on your way. For my first project I did a 2D pong game for a school project. We called it 'Freakout'. There was a paddle on each side of the screen and on top and bottom. You kept a ball in bounds while knocking out blocks, obstacles ect ect. We won 2ND place in technical prep.

The judge said we would have had first but the media teacher purposefully placed use in the wrong category 'networking' so we would not show up her students.

There are a ton of game tutorials, that is where we started after moving through some tutorials.

Game design takes FOREVER. That little game took 4 months working on it 6 days a week at least 3 hours a day. So building a solid foundation in only a couple months is really warp speed.
Brendy boy
20
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 17th Jul 2005
Location: Croatia
Posted: 18th Oct 2011 11:28
Quote: "I would like to get your opinions on what would be an easy small game to try out for a beginner? "

MMORPG would be your best choice. All the noobs are making it

Kezzla
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Aug 2008
Location: Where beer does flow and men chunder
Posted: 18th Oct 2011 11:46
Quote: "MMORPG would be your best choice. All the noobs are making it"
that's mean, don't send him on a goose chase.

Maybe try a very very simple text based choose your own adventure game.

a bit of story, multiple choice, branches of story. when you got that down you can keep adding to it.

start with text, then add static pictures.
add sounds
add animated sprites.

It doesnt have to be a huge adventure, just build it big enough to grasp the commands used for it.

that's what I did when I first got db pro.

mine was as simple as

"you are walking along and see a giant monster"(stick figure drawing of monster)

you....
1: charge in valiantly, determined to fight of the monster and prove you metal in battle.
2: moon him
3: do a fancy dance
4: yell in his ear
5: run away

as it turned out all the options ended with different misfortunes for the player and there was no winner. I just grasped the syntax and moved on to newer things.

hope this helps.

kezzla

Sometimes I like to use words out of contents
Wizzerd
15
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Jan 2011
Location:
Posted: 18th Oct 2011 22:31
@ Kezzla, thanks a lot, I never though about doing something text based, and that would be a great way to learn the syntax.After that initial project what did you move on to do?

@ Brendy Boy, Thank for the tip, Ill have a WOW built in a few days for you to test lol.
Kezzla
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Aug 2008
Location: Where beer does flow and men chunder
Posted: 18th Oct 2011 23:54
After that project I moved onto simple 3d(it was my initial goal to work with 3d).

from memory, my next study was to make a box controlled by the arrow keys which jumped smoothly when I pressed the spacekey.

then I made a randomized matrix terrain with a moveable camera which stays rooted to the ground where ever it goes.

the next few steps I took involved making that terrain more realistic. I turned it into an island, I added water, textured the backdrop to look like the sky, made some bilboard trees and randomly placed them above sand level.

as you can see I worked on understanding basic syntax, then built my way towards The type of project i was interested in making.

My process was to try and make a very simple skin and bones version of my goal. then i would think about the stuff I left out and one by one, make projects that worked out how to create the desired effect.

I think about all the stuff I have coded that could look nicer and make projects to sharpen those up too.

So every time I have a problem, I start a new project specifically designed to address and understand the problem. Then I take what ive learned and make a new version of the original project implementing the new idea(i personally find that adding new ideas to an old project can lead to a nightmare of tangled code and outdated processes)

Hope that helps.

good luck and have fun

kezzla

Sometimes I like to use words out of contents
WLGfx
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Nov 2007
Location: NW United Kingdom
Posted: 19th Oct 2011 00:21
Write a few demo progs.

Whether you choose 2d or 3d just experiment with the commands that are there and make some demos and play around with it. The more demos, the more fiddling about with the extra commands to suss out.

Get better then write demos mixing 2d and 3d...

Always good fun I reckon.

Mental arithmetic? Me? (That's for computers) I can't subtract a fart from a plate of beans!
Warning! May contain Nuts!
IBOL
Retired Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 30th Mar 2004
Location: @IBOL17
Posted: 19th Oct 2011 00:45
space invaders.
player movement. player shot. collision detection.
static shields. enemies move in formation and descend.
*lots* of things that will help you just generally learn how to *do* things.
(asteroids-type game is good too)

it is best just to choose something and do it.
it doesn't have to be your best game ever.
just something that gets you thinking in DBP.

Wizzerd
15
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Jan 2011
Location:
Posted: 19th Oct 2011 01:37
@ Kazzla: I was not aware you can make terrains in DBP, or islands, did you do that purely on DBP or did you have some modeling software?
Kezzla
17
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Aug 2008
Location: Where beer does flow and men chunder
Posted: 19th Oct 2011 11:28 Edited at: 19th Oct 2011 15:13
It was done purely with DBPro.
I've got a cleaner version of the code here (original was a bit ugly being new to programming and all)

check it out if you want a spoiler(I think its best to code it yourself then check out how I did it )


pick it apart and do what you will with it.

have fun

kezzla

Sometimes I like to use words out of contents
BlackChaos
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 2nd May 2010
Location: London
Posted: 21st Oct 2011 16:37
I've got a 2D Turnbased RPG if your interested(The demo .exe and .DBO/.DBA project files are free).

Check my site's examples. If you want to work on it together just let me know.

Do you know how to use photoshop by the way?

Check out my website -> Ameadus Project <- Free Project files and Over 2,000 textures
Wizzerd
15
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Jan 2011
Location:
Posted: 21st Oct 2011 18:10
I've got a 2D Turnbased RPG if your interested(The demo .exe and .DBO/.DBA project files are free).

Check my site's examples. If you want to work on it together just let me know.

Do you know how to use photoshop by the way?[quote]


Hey BlackChaos! I would love a chance to work with you on a project!

I know how to use Photoshop, and I have a legally bought copy of CS5.
Wizzerd
15
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 25th Jan 2011
Location:
Posted: 21st Oct 2011 18:40
Damn I meant to quote BlackChaos not myself lol
BlackChaos
16
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 2nd May 2010
Location: London
Posted: 21st Oct 2011 21:14
@Wizzerd

Send me a email

Check out my website -> Ameadus Project <- Free Project files and Over 2,000 textures
Mychal B
15
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 21st Jul 2010
Location: Coos bay, rainville
Posted: 21st Oct 2011 22:12
3 years later and im still working on my first project... lol. It's yet another fps zombie game

The fastfood zombie killer

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2026-07-11 02:55:45
Your offset time is: 2026-07-11 02:55:45