[xweetok59]

I want to make a game like this:

1. Go to http://www.neopets.com/.
2. Make an account.
3. Go to games.
4. Search for PlushieTycoon.
5. There is an game made by PHP.

I tried 2 programming languages to make the game:

1. Visual Basic 6, result = Big Fail
2. Visual Basic.NET, result = Fail

Now i want to try it on PHP. Should a beginner be able to make a game like that...?

[no2pencil]

Beginner or not, if someone is determined & puts their all into a task, they can create anything.

[xweetok59]

Can u or someone maybe look at the game and tell me how hard it will be (0/10)?

This post has been edited by xweetok59: 28 June 2010 - 09:26 AM

[ShaneK]

10

There's a team of skilled professionals making that site, though it may be a kid's game, it's going to be difficult to emulate. You should actually try learning a language and what it does before just scatter shotting trying to find out what will be easiest.

Yours,
Shane~

This post has been edited by ShaneK: 28 June 2010 - 09:46 AM

[mahcuz]

A beginner will not be able to make that site, no. If you try, you *will* fail; you'll either complete the site, but have a truly terrible code-base, or you'll burn yourself out and decide you hate PHP and vow never to use it again. Neither are good options.

Learn the language first. Learn how to program. Understand the concepts and designs of large software development.

Jumping in at the deep end really sucks if you can't swim.

[xweetok59]

Dude, i don't mean whole neopets!
I mean a game in it.
I'm sure you wouldn't give that answer if you readed the topic.

This post has been edited by xweetok59: 28 June 2010 - 11:15 AM

[mahcuz]

What I said still holds. Game development is hard. Game development with a *good* design and code-base is harder still.

When you have a more specific question, be sure to ask it.

Mark.

P.S. Requiring us to sign-up to a site to answer your question is a little much. We do this out of our (limited) free-time.

P.S.S. I don't mean to sound rude... it's just you asked a very generic, broad question without really considering the kind people here. Again, I don't intend to sound rude!

[macosxnerd101]

@xweetok59: It might be better if you describe for us the rules, requirements, and scope of the game you are trying to emulate. As it requires us to sign up for an account, I don't know how many members are going to follow through, plus having a copy on DIC provides pedagogic value for future DICs looking at this thread. In addition, I think you'll get better help this way.

[ShaneK]

xweetok59, on 28 June 2010 - 11:13 AM, said:

Dude, i don't mean whole neopets!
I mean a game in it.
I'm sure you wouldn't give that answer if you readed the topic.

The game will be the hardest portion. My post still stands.

Yours,
Shane~

[xweetok59]

Well, it is not a big game, i think it will not be THAT hard, but i don't really know where to begin or what so i asked this.


In the game you have a factory, warehouse and a shop (thats yours). In the game you have to sell the most plushies. You begin with 50.000 money. You have to pay rent every 7 days. You have another shop in the game, one that you don't own where you can buy supplies to make plushies. You can hire personnel for the factory and they make plushies for you. You can also upgrade warehouse for faster load time to bring it to the shop, and you can also upgrade the shop. The reason why i want to make something like that, is because i like the game very much, but until 1 update (to make plushies and to sell plushies) comes, you have to wait until 1 minute after the NEW HOUR. That can take very long...

This post has been edited by xweetok59: 28 June 2010 - 10:30 PM

[macosxnerd101]

I agree with ShaneK here. I'd say I'm a fairly experienced developer, and I'd estimate that this would take me 20-30 hours for a crude, text-based version. When you talk about designs and graphics, you're easily doubling that estimate. There is a reason that teams of developers do this. If this is your first project, then it might be a little frustrating to tackle.

[ShaneK]

xweetok59, on 28 June 2010 - 10:28 PM, said:

Well, it is not a big game, i think it will not be THAT hard, but i don't really know where to begin or what so i asked this.


In the game you have a factory, warehouse and a shop (thats yours).

Databases.

Quote

In the game you have to sell the most plushies. You begin with 50.000 money.

Databases.

Quote

You have to pay rent every 7 days.

Cron jobs or maybe "advanced" timing methods (using databases).

Quote

You have another shop in the game, one that you don't own where you can buy supplies to make plushies.

Databases.

Quote

You can hire personnel for the factory and they make plushies for you.

Databases.

Quote

You can also upgrade warehouse for faster load time to bring it to the shop, and you can also upgrade the shop.

Databases.

Quote

The reason why i want to make something like that, is because i like the game very much, but until 1 update (to make plushies and to sell plushies) comes, you have to wait until 1 minute after the NEW HOUR. That can take very long...

As you can tell, the game is very database heavy (most are). First you'll wanna learn the language, then you'll wanna learn about databases, then you'll wanna learn about being secure and avoiding Bobby Tables.

After you've done all of that (and yes, it will take time, that's doubtless), you can begin working on a game. Before that, though, you'll just become frustrated with everything you'll try because you won't give it the time it will require.

Edit: Also, this thread will help you. And so will this one

Yours,
Shane~

This post has been edited by ShaneK: 28 June 2010 - 11:15 PM

[JBrace1990]

If you don't know the language, you won't be able to make a game no matter what you do. Making a game requires intimate knowledge of the programming language you choose, as well as knowledge about how games operate.

You should look at the stick topic posted above this called "Web Based Game Essentials", as it'll answer most of your questions.

For difficulty, a very experienced programmer could make that in 5-10 hours with help from a graphic designer. You strike me as neither, so multiply that by about 20, and you're probably close.

[no2pencil]

ShaneK, on 29 June 2010 - 12:09 AM, said:

xweetok59, on 28 June 2010 - 10:28 PM, said:

Quote

You have to pay rent every 7 days.

Cron jobs or maybe "advanced" timing methods (using databases).

Or scheduled tasks, if it's a Windows server.

[ShaneK]

no2pencil, on 29 June 2010 - 12:05 AM, said:

ShaneK, on 29 June 2010 - 12:09 AM, said:

xweetok59, on 28 June 2010 - 10:28 PM, said:

Quote

You have to pay rent every 7 days.

Cron jobs or maybe "advanced" timing methods (using databases).

Or scheduled tasks, if it's a Windows server.

Touché.

Yours,
Shane~

This post has been edited by ShaneK: 29 June 2010 - 12:12 AM