Having ideas for games and knowing what to do but not know how to implement it is the problem here?
Have a set of conditions, these conditions will determine what animation plays ad when. This is the basis for the idea.
The method would be easy but the coding I'm lost on. I don't even know where to start on the code.
Are you talking about something like Spore or The Sims series? Those are 3D games which have a big library of animations triggered by various circumstances. Or are you thinking a 2D game more like, hmm, Warcraft 2 or another RTS? Those also have a big library of animations triggered by various circumstances.
nowadays, anything with animated characters could be considered animation heavy.
whether you're 2d or 3d, the approach is the same, before you draw a character, you figure out which animation they should be playing. if that's the one they are already playing, you're all set and just draw the appropriate frame of animation. if they are not playing the desired animation, you switch or blend to the desired animation, and draw the appropriate frame of animation. this basic approach works for 2d sprites, 3d rigid body models, and skinned meshes.
I'm not planning to do anything that ambitious.
More like talking tom cat. The game/ app where you interact with a cat and if you say something to him he says it back in a high pitched voice. Something similar to that but with out the talking and many more animation options.
I have ideas in mind for something more ambitious, but there's no way I'll get anywhere near the things I'm thinking anytime soon.
The method would be easy but the coding I'm lost on. I don't even know where to start on the code.
The method would be easy but the coding I'm lost on. I don't even know where to start on the code.
Is there a particular language or library that you plan on using? Are you able to get a non-animated image on the screen? If so, can you switch between that and another non-animated image?
Rather than thinking about the application as a whole, I would suggest to forget about your game for now, and concentrate on coding small bits and pieces first.
Try to make a game with 1 animation (press button, have animation). Likely even this is too big, so split it further; a program that shows an animation, and one that detects pressing a button. It's all throw-away code, but it gives you experience in coding the parts.
Also, please read the FAQ of this forum. It contains a lot of useful information.
Please take a moment to fully elaborate what you want to know. It's hard to work with what was given to us in the OP.
Important information to know:
2D or 3D?
Are you using any Game Engine to start with? Unity, Unreal Engine 4, Game Maker, ...?
What is your skillset (I guess its not coding, but please state it more explicit)?
What exactly is the scope? (given your last post, I guess rather small (mobile app?))
Platform? Mobile (iOS or Android), PC, Consoles?
>> More like talking tom cat.
ok, i took a look at a youtube video. this is pretty easy to do. its more or less an animated point and click game.
the game starts with some animation paying, such as the cat just standing there, or telling you to do something.
transitions from one animation to the next are based on time (stand for a while, then ask you to do something), what you click on, or where the mouse is on the screen (such as watching food approach the mouth). each sequence must be hand coded:
it starts with ani A and says text #1.
when the player clicks the button, it switches to animation B, and maybe draws something being held by the mouse too (like food).
when the mouse gets to the mouth, you stop drawing the food, and switch to animation C: eating (IE switch ani based on mouse location).
that kind of idea. all custom coding for each behavior and animation. and then its just a whole bunch of that - over and over again, until the game is long enough / big enough. obviously you have to try to make the gameplay interesting in the process, but that's the general approach as far as the coding goes.
>> but there's no way I'll get anywhere near the things I'm thinking anytime soon.
