I want to create a video game...

[Eireann]

...so, how do I do it? Download GLBasic and use that? Do it in another way? I'm looking for freeware here. I have some great ideas!

[crashhelmet]

Hopefully you know how to write code? From there, you need to pick your platform and decide just how grandiose you want this game to be. Are you looking for something simple and entertaining or do you want to be the next Activision or EA?

I'd recommend starting with books. Books will sometimes come with the software needed to write the program and if they don't, they'll point you to where you can get it.

I've never used GLBasic, so I couldn't tell you how close/similar it is to VisualBasic. There are plenty of books that would guide you through VB that use the graphical interface more than the coding itself. hard to recommend a book.

However, you might find it better to go with writing in C++ and reading Beginning C++ Through Game Programming, if you're not familiar with C++. There are plenty of freeware versions of C++ to download. I use Borland, myself.

A few years ago, I started to create and QA games for mobile devices using J2ME. A friend recommended a book called J2ME Game Programming and it helped a lot.

Hope this gets you in the right direction.

CH

[Eireann]

I don't know how to write code. I'm starting from complete basics here. I know how to touch-type. I just have great ideas and no experience in creating games.

[crashhelmet]

2 options then. Either pickup a couple books on the basics of programming and teach yourself or go down to your local community college and take a few classes.

Like many things, don't expect to complete it overnight. It's going to take time, effort, time, and oh yeah... time to be able to get it down. And that will be just to get the basics. Animations and any kind of 3D rendering will take even more. Just remember to start small and basic and then build off of it as you grow.

CH

[Andara Bledin]

One of the first questions that comes to my mind is this:

What platform/program do you want the game to run in?

Do you want to offer it on XBox Live or the like? Do you want it to be a Flash game? Do you want to put it up in some App store?

You need to figure out which direction you want to go with it before you start with the learning.

Also, I suspect there are help forums for all of the different areas with advice on how to get started.

^-.-^

[Eireann]

Flash game, I think. This just goes to show how little I know about the process! I've never so much as used an XBox, so I don't know how they work.

[Andara Bledin]

Kongregate is a site that is mostly flash games.

They even have tutorials on how to make flash games, so I'd suggest hitting them up to at least get an idea of where you're going to start.

I would suggest that you start with something basic, just to get your toes wet before getting into the game you really want to make.

^-.-^

[underemployeed]

Kongregate is a site that is mostly flash games.

They even have tutorials on how to make flash games, so I'd suggest hitting them up to at least get an idea of where you're going to start.

I would suggest that you start with something basic, just to get your toes wet before getting into the game you really want to make.

^-.-^

Also, don't mention any of your good ideas if you take a computer class. A friend of mine was in a class for making games and the professor stressed that anything created would be property of the university. Furthermore, even if not part of the assignment but you used their computers for compiling or testing they would get rights to the game, kind of sucks but, just have to be careful, unless your going for open source.

[Geek King]

Another idea here.

There is a product out there called RPG Maker, and I believe there are versions for the PC. They give you all the basic tools, and the user puts the game together. Kind of limited, but some people have done some great things with it, and it can be a good way to practice. There is also a community around it to bounce ideas and finished games off of to get feedback.

Now, you're limited to RPGs, as indicated by the name. If you want to make some other kind of game, you'll have to look elsewhere. Also, if you want to learn to do everything, you're going to need to learn how to write code, which is not easy. Good luck in your efforts though!

[It's me]

Try starting with something like this:
http://game-editor.smartcode.com/info.html

Keep in mind to do anything at all sophisticated will require a lot learning on your part......

[Eireann]

Yeah, I'm not going to go around blabbing my ideas. Right now, I just have a vague idea what I want to do; I plan to let it unfold as I go. Thanks for the advice!

[Eric the Grey]

If you want to program in flash, you will need to purchase it from Adobe, or otherwise acquire it. You can download a trial version, but it's limited use (I think 60 or 90 days).

However, there are some very good books available for learning flash and actionscript programming:

Adobe Flash Classroom in a Book is a good place to start. These books are great to self-learn from.

and

Learning Actionscript 3, A Beginners Guide as a follow-up.

Edit: These are the books we've used (and are currently using) in my classes. Currently my mid-term project is a Space Invaders clone.


Eric the Grey