HTML and CSS will not be used for any game logic. Basically, those two are just used to say: K, I want a button over here, I want the title of the page to go there, etc. You design with those. Then, you can use Ajax to transfer data in between the server and the client. Then you use php to process that data. This is where your in game logic would go. Do not do any game logic on the client's computer (so don't use javascript for logic) as the user could easily cheat. Then, you're going to want to save the data you modified, and you can use mySQL for that. I recommend taking it slowly. So:
Step 1: Design the website using HTML and CSS. Use divs, not tables by the way. Once that is set up...
Step 2: Start working with php, make a login system, save the player's account and password in a mySQL table.
Step 3: Work on a bit of security. Encrypt the passwords with something like sha1. Look up mySQL injection.
Step 4: Learn Javascript and Ajax and just implement something basic to understand it. Maybe make it so that you can log into your account without refreshing the page.
Step 5: By this point you should have a good knowledge of how things work, and you should be able to decide on your own what you need to do.
Doing this for my website only took a few days (from 0 experience with any of this stuff), but I am a CS major. It could take weeks or even months for a beginner to get there though, so don't rush into it or you'll get overwhelmed. Just take one technique / language at a time, and practice with it for a few days.
I use Notepad++ for my code. If you don't have your own server, you'll need to install a virtual server on your computer. HTML and CSS will just run in your browser, but PHP and mySQL are server side languages, so you need a server or virtual server for that.
Go to w3schools, and go through their tutorials. You should have a solid understanding after that. Remember, don't rush, go one step at a time.
EDIT: Also none of the stuff listed by Mozly will help, maybe he didn't read the thread properly. You don't need C++ for this.
Totaly newb, but big vision - need help with basics
Author
Hi ! Thanks for giving tips/notes, again.
I have made step into e-book.
I am reading "The complete reference. HTML & CSS Fifth Edition" by Thomas A. Powell.
There lot of XML and HTML5 and XHTML talks and lot of different termins.. Should I know all these and give pressure to my brain and remember all these? Or should skip long texts etc introducing the differences and the hard terminology for specialists?
I know, it is really myown choice, do I want to know a lot or not, but what you think, what is good for me - for a newbie?
I think myself, to skip all these long texts and check only the places, paragraphs, where <<<<tags and rules and examples>>>>.. But still im bit afraid, that if i skip big texts, I may lose something important.
For me 850 pages hard text is too much.
Then.. Designing the webiste. I am using 1280x800 resolution - with my laptop. If I start desgning for this size, is it mistake or I should focus for bigger PC monitors?
I have made step into e-book.
I am reading "The complete reference. HTML & CSS Fifth Edition" by Thomas A. Powell.
There lot of XML and HTML5 and XHTML talks and lot of different termins.. Should I know all these and give pressure to my brain and remember all these? Or should skip long texts etc introducing the differences and the hard terminology for specialists?
I know, it is really myown choice, do I want to know a lot or not, but what you think, what is good for me - for a newbie?
I think myself, to skip all these long texts and check only the places, paragraphs, where <<<<tags and rules and examples>>>>.. But still im bit afraid, that if i skip big texts, I may lose something important.
For me 850 pages hard text is too much.
Then.. Designing the webiste. I am using 1280x800 resolution - with my laptop. If I start desgning for this size, is it mistake or I should focus for bigger PC monitors?
Regarding your question if you should remember all of that, I suppose that you should remember that such things exist, what can you generally do with them. If you later would like to achieve anything, you would have some basic knowledge in your head to choose one option and then go deeply into it.
I agree with AdrianC that you should go deep in the HTML / Javascript / PHP. These are core elements for your game. HTML to put together what a user can see, Javascript to make dynamic elements for the user (ticking time, progress changes etc.) and PHP for server side.
You could also take a look at WebGL and/or HTML5. I'm not a web programmer, so I don't know if they would be usefull for you, but I've heard they are amazing in creating dynamic web pages.
Regarding how to start, I would first try creating several simple Javascript and PHP pages completely different from your project to familiaraze with this technology. I would create some simple DB based pages to practise this also. Next I would recommend you to scale your project A LOT down to a very simple game. Different game, but with similar technology required for it. And don't plan to include it to your main project. Just implement it. You will probably encounter a lot of problems there, make many mistakes, and learn a lot from it. I wouldn't touch your main idea without the experience gained from this small experimental project.
One more hint to your gameplay. I suppose you should try to introduce some intro that would happen faster. If I would be a player and after taking my very first action in game I would have to wait an hour to make another move, I would just turn the page down. Please take a look at any web based strategy game. In the beginning actions take less than a minute to complete. It's not without a reason. I don't state you should do exactly the same, but you definitely have to consider this issue.
I agree with AdrianC that you should go deep in the HTML / Javascript / PHP. These are core elements for your game. HTML to put together what a user can see, Javascript to make dynamic elements for the user (ticking time, progress changes etc.) and PHP for server side.
You could also take a look at WebGL and/or HTML5. I'm not a web programmer, so I don't know if they would be usefull for you, but I've heard they are amazing in creating dynamic web pages.
Regarding how to start, I would first try creating several simple Javascript and PHP pages completely different from your project to familiaraze with this technology. I would create some simple DB based pages to practise this also. Next I would recommend you to scale your project A LOT down to a very simple game. Different game, but with similar technology required for it. And don't plan to include it to your main project. Just implement it. You will probably encounter a lot of problems there, make many mistakes, and learn a lot from it. I wouldn't touch your main idea without the experience gained from this small experimental project.
One more hint to your gameplay. I suppose you should try to introduce some intro that would happen faster. If I would be a player and after taking my very first action in game I would have to wait an hour to make another move, I would just turn the page down. Please take a look at any web based strategy game. In the beginning actions take less than a minute to complete. It's not without a reason. I don't state you should do exactly the same, but you definitely have to consider this issue.
Author
Thanks Pomnico. I have checked and "spied" web-pages layouts and webgames constructions some several times already. Will, for sure take a look on easy games also, that how others have constructed these.
I have one other question:
Are there any threats with copyrights and patents also in game programming world?
If I dont copy the ideas and webpage layout - then there should not come any problems?
I have one other question:
Are there any threats with copyrights and patents also in game programming world?
If I dont copy the ideas and webpage layout - then there should not come any problems?
If you can find a hoster offering python apache mod, you could use python for programming your game, even if it is web based.
Most free hosters do not allow it though.
But it is a nice scripting language which is rather easy to learn and an alternative to PHP and Java.
That would be my advice.
Ofc you need the mentioned HTML Knowledge, but you could also get someone else for that if you have the core features ready. It is more easy to find someone willing to help if you have a working base of your vision or a even a prototype. Knowledge of Basic HTML & CSS is enough at the beginning to display stuff. You can beautify it later.
The programming Language, may it be PhP or Python, is much more important.
Most free hosters do not allow it though.
But it is a nice scripting language which is rather easy to learn and an alternative to PHP and Java.
That would be my advice.
Ofc you need the mentioned HTML Knowledge, but you could also get someone else for that if you have the core features ready. It is more easy to find someone willing to help if you have a working base of your vision or a even a prototype. Knowledge of Basic HTML & CSS is enough at the beginning to display stuff. You can beautify it later.
The programming Language, may it be PhP or Python, is much more important.
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