8 replies to this topic

[igna92ts]

I was thinking in making a 2d rpg with final fantasyish feel so i thought of making it with rpg maker which seems simple enough but it uses ruby and i dont like it.
I know c++ so i was thinking of making it with directx but since I am a total noob in game development i really don't know where to start.
What is the neccesary knowledge for a tile based rpg that looks like final fantasy series or anything you could create with rpg maker??
And also what would be the estimated development time for this kind of game.?





I found a couple of books that I think could help:


-Beggining game programming with directx
-programming 2d games
-advanced 2d game development
-programming role playing games with directx
-programming a rts with direct3d
-simulation and event modeling.


If there is anything I need that would be a better source of knowledge, a tutorial or anything that this material doesn't cover please make a list.
(This includes any tool to create sprites like photoshop or any tool and any model or whatever I could need)
Also say If you know of a better way to do it than with directx (keep in mind I would like a pro looking 2d rpg, something like the last version of ff iv (complete collection)

Edited by igna92ts, 31 August 2012 - 08:46 AM.

[CdrTomalak]

I'm currently making a 2D game framework for tile based games (well, close to that, if you can call pacman tile based) using C# and DirectX 11 via the SlimDX API.

I've been using a combination of XNA (DirectX9), C++ DirectX 11, and SlimDX examples. Plus I have been using two books:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginning-Directx-11-Game-Programming/dp/1435458958/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1346426980&sr=8-4
If you're set on C++ then this book will help. I've found it very useful indeed.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginning-Programming-Premier-Press-Development/dp/1592005179/ref=sr_1_93?ie=UTF8&qid=1346427202&sr=8-93
This book includes some decent stuff on game framework design - but to be honest is 50% learning C# basics, so probably not a good choice for you.

The first book might really help you. If you get another book about 2d game design, the combination of the two should put you in good stead.

Good luck! 8D

[igna92ts]

but can I make an rpg with the same or better quality than rpg maker vx ace?
is there and engine for tile 2d games that uses c++??
if it is possible would it take me eons to make a decent game with directx and c++??

[jwezorek]

If you are looking for books ... this used to be a good concise book on the subject of setting up DirectX for 2D graphics:
http://www.amazon.com/Focus-Direct3D-Premier-Press-Development/dp/1931841101

It is now very out-of-date ... I think it was from fixed-function-pipeline times, if I recall correctly but anyway you could pick it up used for next to nothing and the theory is all still good, it's just that the code in it will be targeted at DirectX 8 or whatever.

[6677]

Anything made in C++ generally has a slightly longer development time than some other languages but it still won't take eons. DirectX is a bit overkill for a 2d tile game, can be done but you would be better off with SDL, SFML or allegro. Those are all intended as 2d graphics libraries from the start. Implementing tile rendering shouldn't be too hard once you've managed to get sprites drawing.

Anything made in the above languages (or directx or openGL) will offer far more flexibility that RPG maker at the cost of you having to do it yourself.

[igna92ts]

but can I achieve that level of pro looking games with directx by myself??

[slicer4ever]

but can I achieve that level of pro looking games with directx by myself??

that depends completely on your skill, and your artist's capability's.

[thedevsykes]

Start small build up.. the library you use is dependent on your skill/level of familiarity and generally how good you understand 2D Graphics Mathematics. Find a target to aim for, go for it, evaulate what you've done and see where you could improve, self evaluation is crucial I think. On another note, check out a probject called Flare RPG. http://flarerpg.org/

They made this Diablo "look alike" with SDL and Blender for the 3D Sprites they rendered into image format, you can even download the source for the current version and see how thy have done it themselves.

Edited by theark, 01 September 2012 - 01:41 PM.

[6677]

RPG maker is limited in flexibility (ie what you can do), its also not hardware accelerated (as far as I know) so some fancier lffects aren't possible but you might not come across them in a 2d rpg. For 2d your better off NOT using directx and using something like SDL or SFML (SDL isn't hardware accelerated by default though). Directx although capable of doing 2d is more cumbersome to do so, alot more has to be implemented by you aswell. Both SDL and SFML provide simple functions for telling them to draw a sprite in x,y location. From there its as simple as saying a tile is 32 pixels wide (for example) so draw tile 1,1 at 0,0. Draw tile 1,2 at 0,32 and so on. Then ones all tiles are drawn you simply draw characters ontop.

If you use a 2 dimensional array to store the type of tile at each map grid (lets say it stores a simple integer per tile, tile 0 would be empty which you may draw as being black like the pokemon games and tile 1 might be a dirt square and so on).

a simple map would end up looking as follows:
0,0,0,0,0,0
0,1,1,1,1,0
0,1,1,1,1,0
0,1,1,1,1,0
0,0,0,0,0,0

You would iterate through the list 1 by one selecting a tile each time. As you select a tile you multiply its position through the array by the width of the tile in pixels, the result will then be the position on screen that the tile needs drawing to, the contents of the array will of course tell you what tile type to draw. Pretty simple really, beyond that its just a case of checking the tile type in your array to see if a player can move into it or not. No engine will necessarily be needed.