[Ace in yo face]

I am a total noob when it comes to game development. I am here and joined this great site to get help I need.

I enjoy a game right now called "Dogs of the seas" I want to make my own game on that same engine. not exactly the same engine(unless I could) to make my own ganme in another style.

A war based game unlike the pirate theme the engine runs now. Something with pvp and mmo

Can someone tell me, as a noob with no experience if its possible for me to accomplish this? Without enrolling for 75k a at Mainsail. Something I can do from home?

I want this to become a reality. This site was my first step in doing that.

This post has been edited by macosxnerd101: 26 December 2010 - 09:45 AM
Reason for edit:: Title renamed to be more descriptive

[macosxnerd101]

*Moved to Game Programming from Flash for more discussion*

An MMO isn't something you're going to be able to make overnight. You're honestly biting off a ton, especially if you don't have a ton of experience. Aim for smaller projects to gain skills. Familiarize yourself with database design and interactions. Learn some web development. Pick up some client-side/desktop programming as well. This is something that takes teams of developers years to do, and is not an easy task. And also considser the other aspects like Graphics, music/sound, plot, testing, etc.

[(Cryptic)]

As macosxnerd101 said pointed out its all true.. but if your hard headed, and still want to get into game programming with Flash.

I would recommend you the Action Script 3.0 University book. To get started. I started with that and had no regrets.

[aaron1178]

My Advice to you is:
If you really want to get into game development then do it I myself want to get into this industry, that is why in a few years i am going for my diploma in Game Design. There are three main areas of Game Design as follows:

• Game Developer
  
• Game Programmer
  
• Concept Artist

You may as well figure our which one you would like to do.
A Game Developers job is to develop the storyline, plot, UI(User Interface), Levels, 3D Modeling, Animation, Physics ect. A Game Programmers job is to use a specific language (Most games us C++) to create the links between the Graphics, The programming of the UI and various other things like making physics work inside the game. This person is the core to any game development team. The Concept Artists job is to draw concept art like Structures, Characters, Creatures ect so the Game Developers can then take the drawing and turn it into a fully functional 3D Model ( This also includes animations, but only if the object will move, like a character or creature).

These are the 3 parts to Making a game. A lot of math is involved in games. So if you think you have what it takes to devote 90% of your time and write thousands of linds of code, then by all means do it. You never know, you might be good at it and develop the next hit MMORPG

But overall have fun doing it, because making games, is supposed to be as fun as playing them.

Happy Coding,

Thanks,

[ButchDean]

aaron1178, on 17 January 2011 - 12:39 PM, said:

My Advice to you is:
If you really want to get into game development then do it I myself want to get into this industry, that is why in a few years i am going for my diploma in Game Design. There are three main areas of Game Design as follows:

• Game Developer
  
• Game Programmer
  
• Concept Artist

You may as well figure our which one you would like to do.
A Game Developers job is to develop the storyline, plot, UI(User Interface), Levels, 3D Modeling, Animation, Physics ect. A Game Programmers job is to use a specific language (Most games us C++) to create the links between the Graphics, The programming of the UI and various other things like making physics work inside the game. This person is the core to any game development team. The Concept Artists job is to draw concept art like Structures, Characters, Creatures ect so the Game Developers can then take the drawing and turn it into a fully functional 3D Model ( This also includes animations, but only if the object will move, like a character or creature).

These are the 3 parts to Making a game. A lot of math is involved in games. So if you think you have what it takes to devote 90% of your time and write thousands of linds of code, then by all means do it. You never know, you might be good at it and develop the next hit MMORPG

But overall have fun doing it, because making games, is supposed to be as fun as playing them.

Happy Coding,

Thanks,

If I may but in here, this isn't entirely correct. Game developers/programmers have nothing to do with the design of the game, we just design and the tech on which the game runs according to the requirements of the design team. The programmers and designers compromise to come to the best finished product possible within the time frame and budget.

Whether artists are part of the game design team is debatable, but a game design role is certainly different from an artist's role. The game designer comes up with the overall picture for the game in terms of an idea of the background story, gameplay mechanic and control scheme. The artists fill out the details of the characters and environments/worlds, and writers complete the details of the background story to the game.

It isn't true that the game programmer is the core of the game development team - it's actually the 'Producer' who is the project manager responsible for keeping the development of the title on track and on budget. Every game has four groups as part of its development team:

• Production.
  
• Programming.
  
• Art.
  
• Design.

Any one of these teams falls short, then so does the title.

Also it isn't true that most games are entirely written in C++ if that is what you're implying. Every major title is actually written in more than one language, although it is very true that they are mainly written in C++. It is usually at least C++ with one other scripting language like Lua. This is because it can be a lot more work to write triggers in C++ rather than just a line or two in a scripting language, for example.

What are the three parts to making a game you speak of?

No-one ever said that making games is supposed to be fun. When you get in to large projects (or even before that) you will see that making games is nothing like playing them in the least! Sometimes it gets very frustrating, hence the reason why few actually succeed in making a game at all.

Sorry to be pedantic, but it's always better to get an accurate picture.

[SixOfEleven]

Nice insight ButchDean. Thank you for bring this to the discussion. You are very right on every point you made. A lot more goes into making a game than most people realize. There are many hats involved in developing a game and I'm sure you've just glossed over a lot of things.

[ButchDean]

SixOfEleven, on 17 January 2011 - 06:27 PM, said:

Nice insight ButchDean. Thank you for bring this to the discussion. You are very right on every point you made. A lot more goes into making a game than most people realize. There are many hats involved in developing a game and I'm sure you've just glossed over a lot of things.

I have, SixOfEleven - and I forgot to mention QA who actually make sure the game is bug free.

[stayscrisp]

This is why making a game on your own as a hobbyist takes so much time. You have to take on all of these roles

[Kilorn]

That's another benefit of going to school. You'll meet other people to work with, and if you're lucky, you'll end up with at least 1 really good artist, and 1 really good programmer, and hopefully some more people to fill the needs as they arise. Networking in your area can be invaluable as well. Find some meetings for game developers in your area, if there are any, and go to all of these meetings, hand out business cards and get contacts. Ask people if they need any help with the projects they're working on and bring something to show what you're capable of. Get a small team together if possible and start pumping out some games whether it's for profit or just for portfolio.

[ButchDean]

Kilorn, on 17 January 2011 - 08:08 PM, said:

That's another benefit of going to school. You'll meet other people to work with, and if you're lucky, you'll end up with at least 1 really good artist, and 1 really good programmer, and hopefully some more people to fill the needs as they arise. Networking in your area can be invaluable as well. Find some meetings for game developers in your area, if there are any, and go to all of these meetings, hand out business cards and get contacts. Ask people if they need any help with the projects they're working on and bring something to show what you're capable of. Get a small team together if possible and start pumping out some games whether it's for profit or just for portfolio.

Very, very true. It's how I got into the industry. Check out the IGDA Chapters - I used to run the one in London, England.

[Kilorn]

Yea, the IGDA Chapters are a really great place to look. I'm a member of the local chapter called the Georgia Game Developers' Association, or GGDA.

[ButchDean]

I must check out what the GGDA are up to.

[Kilorn]

Clinton Lowe is the president of the GGDA, and he's also a project manager at World Touch Gaming where I work. He got me the job I have here after I went to a GGDA meeting.

[ButchDean]

And that is the importance of networking!

[aaron1178]

Very Nice Butch Dean I know i was out on my facts but i could not find the site were i read it I Myself am going up the path of Game Programmer, because i have a thing about code, i dont know what it is but im good at it When i do mt diploma i mainly study coding but also a little animation and project management