Hi guys could someone plz tell me, what do I need to learn in order to create an RTS game. Any help is greatly appreciated. [edited by - Fma on July 15, 2002 8:22:23 AM]

Actually buddy youll need a lot as im pretty sure you already know.

You will need:
gmax = www.discreet.com
milkshape3d = type the name in google its the first site
Visual C++ = From the store only 100$
Lots of tutorials

You will have to learn C++ fairly well before you even get started. The best thing might be to get a C++ textbook like one on the high school level. They have exercise and such that will help you keep your focus.

The rest depends on whar you want to accomplish if its 2d with a top down view you can model and animate you sprites and simple render them out each frame as pictues. Then set up the pictures, by mapping them to the toop of a box so that the first frame or maybe the idle frames just run untul its told to move annd just move the box and render a diffrent set of frames. Then after you have got this part the rest is easy.

As well as i understand it the game pipeline is like this:

Get Input
Perform caluculations
{
Move Camera
Change texture animations
Count Frames per Second
etc.
}
Draw Screen
Render Scene

If you want to accomplish this in 3d use g max to model. Out put it as a Quake 3 model and either get a stock MD3 loader(ther are thousands already on the internet.) and do animations with it or use milkshape 3d to convert it to 3ds. or OBJ. and load that. You should use whatever format you can find the most tutorials to support. I think you best bet is MD3. or 3DS. The after you have learned to load a model learn to animate then control it with the mouse and/or keyboard. Learn abour terrain rendering lighting, game logic,PHYSICS! and your basically done. It makes it really easy that alot of the code or the things you need to kknow are already made from tutorials and stuff. Just adapt other people code or use it stock and most of the game is already written your job is to put it all togehher create the content and the feel of the game. But now its so easy to cut paste and modify a simple or even complex game together because of sites like this. But dont get me wrong it will still be hard youll have to change variable names and make sure functions take the same inputs modifin many peoples code made for diffrent purposes will be hard, nothing easy in it!

Machuse

Hey thanks for the replay, I''ll stick to 2-D for know but should I use OpenGl or DirectX. And what about the graphics how do I make ones like in C&C and Age of Empires?.

Try Poser4! I think that''s a great tool to create unit animations.

The key thing in this game style is the AI (pathfinding and stuff). It does not matter what kinda language and modelling tool you use.