[novakasss]

I'm newbie in game programming, and I want to know, for what we need to use programs such as Unity 3d? What they really doing? Only make 3d objects? And you still need tools like eclipse to finish project?

[modi123_1]

Unity is a game engine.. a toolbox to take your content and throw it on the screen, track user feed back, etc..

Yes, you would still need an IDE (a development environment) to program the code to utilize the aspects of the engine. Visual Studios, Eclipse, Scite, etc..

[novakasss]

modi123_1, on 08 August 2012 - 07:08 AM, said:

Unity is a game engine.. a toolbox to take your content and throw it on the screen, track user feed back, etc..

Yes, you would still need an IDE (a development environment) to program the code to utilize the aspects of the engine. Visual Studios, Eclipse, Scite, etc..

But I still can't get it. I made simple first person game, with the plane and cube(jump over it, walk around). I built game, run it, everything works. So why I still need eclipse for example? What is that mean "utilize the aspects of the engine." ?

[modi123_1]

What IDE are you using to compile your unity code now?

[novakasss]

modi123_1, on 08 August 2012 - 09:30 AM, said:

What IDE are you using to compile your unity code now?

For unity created game, I just pressed built/run command. Then choosed which platform I want to run this(from pc, xbox, smartphone I guess). After that, it created .exe and that's all. I didn't use any IDE. Unless Unity automatically used it. I don't know. For programming I used Eclipse. And I'm wondering, why I'm learning that Java, if I can create games with program?

[modi123_1]

Okay.. let's try this again. When you go clickty clack on the keyboard with the hopes of a ball being displayed.. where are you writing that code? Take a screen shot if this is going to get tedious..

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For programming I used Eclipse. And I'm wondering, why I'm learning that Java, if I can create games with program?

Eclipse isn't java.. java isn't eclipse... Eclipse provides a nice platform for development work to be done... syntax highlighting, some reference building, etc.. I primary use it for PHP and javascript.. but I could use it for java... or c++.. or what ever.

[novakasss]

modi123_1, on 08 August 2012 - 09:43 AM, said:

Okay.. let's try this again. When you go clickty clack on the keyboard with the hopes of a ball being displayed.. where are you writing that code? Take a screen shot if this is going to get tedious..

Quote

For programming I used Eclipse. And I'm wondering, why I'm learning that Java, if I can create games with program?

Eclipse isn't java.. java isn't eclipse... Eclipse provides a nice platform for development work to be done... syntax highlighting, some reference building, etc.. I primary use it for PHP and javascript.. but I could use it for java... or c++.. or what ever.

I think we got too deep. So I will ask concrete question " It is true, that you don't need any programming knowledge to create games with game engines? Only how to use them?"

[modi123_1]

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It is true, that you don't need any programming knowledge to create games with game engines? Only how to use them?"

That is false.. with a caveat. There are some platforms that try to be a drag and drop for components, but ultimately it just "makes" the same game with different skins.

[Ryano121]

You will need programming knowledge if you want to create a somewhat decent game.

[novakasss]

modi123_1, on 08 August 2012 - 10:22 AM, said:

Quote

It is true, that you don't need any programming knowledge to create games with game engines? Only how to use them?"

That is false.. with a caveat. There are some platforms that try to be a drag and drop for components, but ultimately it just "makes" the same game with different skins.

Another question "Make own game engine from scratch" <-- Does this means, open text editor and start writing, for example with Java code, that will solve your problem?

[Ryano121]

I think you are trying to bite off a lot more than you can chew at the moment.

You cannot expect to open up a text editor and start typing code, then magically a game engine will appear - you have to actually know what makes a game engine - the the programming logic and the math etc.

I suggest before you try and write game engines, go learn a language without the view of games in mind. Java, C#, whatever. Once you actually have some programming knowledge, you can start making something serious, instead of pressing a couple of buttons in Unity and it magically creating something for you.

[BBeck]

I haven't tried Unity yet. I did however use Torque's 3D engine for awhile. With Torque, you could use their level editor to really put together a "game", but to really make anything that someone would recognize as an actual game, you had to dig into the scripting and even start modifying the C++ code it was written with.

With Unity, I suspect that you have a level editor like this that allows you to do a tremendous amount of work towards creating a game. I believe with Unity, "most" of the real game building in Unity is through writing scripts in the level editor.

I say this having never tried Unity, but just having "some" familiarity with game engines. That and I've read up a little on Unity and know that it's pretty big on scripting.

So, you probably just need to dig in and start learning Unity's scripting abilities (I think it actually supports a few different scripting languages including C# and maybe even Java. [Yes, I know those are not scripting languages like Lua, but the Unity documentation seems to indicate that Unity uses them as scripting languages. All I know is what I read.])

[novakasss]

Ryano121, on 08 August 2012 - 10:31 AM, said:

I think you are trying to bite off a lot more than you can chew at the moment.

You cannot expect to open up a text editor and start typing code, then magically a game engine will appear - you have to actually know what makes a game engine - the the programming logic and the math etc.

I suggest before you try and write game engines, go learn a language without the view of games in mind. Java, C#, whatever. Once you actually have some programming knowledge, you can start making something serious, instead of pressing a couple of buttons in Unity and it magically creating something for you.

I already created some 2D games with Java. I'm studying Java for 8 months, I read 3 books and I want to start creating something in 3D. But for me, when everything I did with Eclipse only it is hard to understand, that with game engines you can do pretty much the same, and 3x better than writing code. I don't know, maybe I'm too newbie for game engines, and I saw to less. But what I saw, is just pressing commands on the screen. It is weird for me, because I did write 0 line of code to do that.

[Ryano121]

There are plenty of Java game engines out there. I'm not too sure why you chose to use Unity, but it's not all just clicking buttons and hitting the run button. You will have to learn the Unity API and actually code some of it. I thought Unity used C++, but I'm not sure. If you don't have a solid understanding of C++ (or whatever they use), then don't even try it.

There are some good Java game engines out there that fully support 3D for example the LightWeight Java Game Library.

But I will warn you, creating 3D games is a lot different to the world of 2D - it's a hell of a lot harder. The 3d game engines are huge and extremely complex and can be very very hard to learn.

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too newbie for game engines

I don't mean to bum you out, but from the sound of things you are not ready to get involved in 3d games. It's for your own good. Unless you have a solid understanding of some very complex Math and programming practices, it will split you out quick.

But that doesn't mean you can't use game engines for some more advanced 2d games. For example the Slick engine, which is based from the lwjgl. It only allows 2d, but it's more user friendly from what I hear. So yeah from what I gather from what you've said, stick to 2d for now and create some bigger 2d games with game engines. If will give you an idea of how they work ready for 3d when/if you get there.

Good luck.

[novakasss]

Ryano121, on 08 August 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

There are plenty of Java game engines out there. I'm not too sure why you chose to use Unity, but it's not all just clicking buttons and hitting the run button. You will have to learn the Unity API and actually code some of it. I thought Unity used C++, but I'm not sure. If you don't have a solid understanding of C++ (or whatever they use), then don't even try it.

There are some good Java game engines out there that fully support 3D for example the LightWeight Java Game Library.

But I will warn you, creating 3D games is a lot different to the world of 2D - it's a hell of a lot harder. The 3d game engines are huge and extremely complex and can be very very hard to learn.

Quote

too newbie for game engines

I don't mean to bum you out, but from the sound of things you are not ready to get involved in 3d games. It's for your own good. Unless you have a solid understanding of some very complex Math and programming practices, it will split you out quick.

But that doesn't mean you can't use game engines for some more advanced 2d games. For example the Slick engine, which is based from the lwjgl. It only allows 2d, but it's more user friendly from what I hear. So yeah from what I gather from what you've said, stick to 2d for now and create some bigger 2d games with game engines. If will give you an idea of how they work ready for 3d when/if you get there.

Good luck.

I also feel that I'm still not ready for this, but I want to try everything. So, what do you think I need to do next? To try that 2d game engine?