New member, short introduction.
Author
The first computer I've touched was my uncle's 486 back in 1997, when I was in 5th grade. Somewhere along that line.
It was when the first 2x burners were out, I was amazed.
Then around the year 97-98, I was playing a lot of RPG based PC video games with cute simple 2D graphics. Such examples were dokyusei, first queen 4 and many others that I can't remember on top of my head.
and then when starcraft was released.
I fell in love.
I've never been so competitive and passionate.
I love to win you see.
Used to join competitions, time myself how long things to make etc... I was up on ladder...
and then, there was this game that is something like ultima online, back in 98. Kind of like an RPG, (it's a massive multiplayer game) with at least 5000 people in each server. basically, you pick a class (ninja/ samurai etc..) and train yourself with certain moves, the more of the same moves you use, the stronger you get only for that move.
Then, one day. I suddenly woke up and said to myself. I've wasted way too much time on games. Where am I taking my life to? That was 5 years ago. Ever since, I've been putting most of my time into web development.
I've firsted started out with HTML, which was relatively easy.
Then got my hands on javascripts, flash, photoshop.
Finally, last year I just started to program with C++ compiled into a cgi.
I've been using C style programming for over a year, and currently doing a shopping mall project that has skin support, with forums built into it and other pretty stuff that are extremely user friendly. I've been on this project for close to 8 months now. I can't seem to see the end of it. I believe it would take me another 4 more months, at least 8 hours a day to finish it off. (The forum is extremely flexible dynamically)
Now, I'm guessing that making games would be far more complex than making a simple shopping mall. Extremely discouraging, I should practice coding much harder.
I'm currently a biochemistry major, but plan to change into a dual major in Business( or economics ) and computer science. Guess I'm gonna have to graduate in 5 years.
Searching for ways to develop my code, I've found out that I must learn STL classes, and whenever I search something up on yahoo, gamedev would come out.
This site is really awesome, i give it 5/5 rating.
and lastly, a couple questions.
How long does it take to make a computer game like starcraft if I'm starting from scratch by myself?
Assuming that I am an extremely elite programer that is, and I put in in average 4 hours/day.
What kind of resources would I need to make this type of game?
I'm pretty sure that it would require a lot of programming because my cgi program is 7000 lines, I'm sure it can be optimized to somewhere around 3000. (yes extremely poor programming...) and still this 7000 lines of code is only 700kb. and starcraft being 150Mb's. I am assuming, It would take me alone at my current skill, about 5 years to make a game like starcraft.
Discouraging... is it just as hard as I sound?
or is it easier?
Well, nice to meet you all. And i'll be asking many questions on the forums.
Starcraft is hardly 150mb compiled code. There's ton of artwork in there, which would for you alone take ages to produce.
If you're only writing the code, and disregarding all the artwork involved you could pull it off in a lot shorter time.
However for a game as polished and featured as Starcraft you're still looking at years for a pro.
Getting a basic RTS game running is possible in weeks.
Welcome to the forums :)
Regards,
/odyss-jii
If you're only writing the code, and disregarding all the artwork involved you could pull it off in a lot shorter time.
However for a game as polished and featured as Starcraft you're still looking at years for a pro.
Getting a basic RTS game running is possible in weeks.
Welcome to the forums :)
Regards,
/odyss-jii
Starcraft is a huge game and you shouldnt EVER plan on doing something like that on your own. Though after you get a little more programming experience and have made a few simple games, then you may want to team up with another programmer or two and make a game together. Its good experience. Hope that helps and good luck!
Quote:Original post by Fallen God
Starcraft is a huge game and you shouldnt EVER plan on doing something like that on your own.
I disagree if you are meaning code-wise. Sure the art would take a long time to produce but to reproduce Starcraft these days programming is quite simple with middleware. He could just grab the Torque RTS kit and get working on the game right away.
First off, welcome!
Secondly, I'm not going to reiterate what the others are saying so eloquently ;)
However, being a university student (CompSci & International Relations dual major) I figure I can give you some advice here -- first if you are serious about making games, try the middleware that's mentioned above.
If you -still- really want to do gamedev, then think about what kind of job you want to have -- i.e. do you want to be a 'lone wolf' programmer, build up your own software house (after all, you said something about business major so that's always a possibility) or do you want to work for an established house in a pre-defined role (tools programmer, graphics, physics programmers? Scripting, etc etc etc). Either way...
Once you decide what you'd really like to do, give yourself a hand by focussing on that stuff at college. (For example, if you want to do graphical stuff, linear algebra helps big time).
That said, again -- welcome!
~Shiny.
Secondly, I'm not going to reiterate what the others are saying so eloquently ;)
However, being a university student (CompSci & International Relations dual major) I figure I can give you some advice here -- first if you are serious about making games, try the middleware that's mentioned above.
If you -still- really want to do gamedev, then think about what kind of job you want to have -- i.e. do you want to be a 'lone wolf' programmer, build up your own software house (after all, you said something about business major so that's always a possibility) or do you want to work for an established house in a pre-defined role (tools programmer, graphics, physics programmers? Scripting, etc etc etc). Either way...
Once you decide what you'd really like to do, give yourself a hand by focussing on that stuff at college. (For example, if you want to do graphical stuff, linear algebra helps big time).
That said, again -- welcome!
~Shiny.
Quote:Original post by SarumanQuote:Original post by Fallen God
Starcraft is a huge game and you shouldnt EVER plan on doing something like that on your own.
I disagree if you are meaning code-wise. Sure the art would take a long time to produce but to reproduce Starcraft these days programming is quite simple with middleware. He could just grab the Torque RTS kit and get working on the game right away.
Yes I did mean with all the media. Though yes something like Torque could make it much faster. So if you find a few artist, buy something like Torque, you may beable to make the game within a reasonable amount of time!
PS do you play WarCraft 3? I think its much better than StarCraft and im looking for an AT partner ;) im ranked 150 on ladder for RT
Torque is an actual game engine that allows you to build a commercial quality game if you so desire. It is a lot more akin to the unreal engine than it is to RPG Maker quite honestly, as almost all high end or commercial engines have the majority of the game written in script.
Also you don't actually create any graphics at all in C++, artists create them using DCC packages and they are than exported to a file. You load the file into your game/engine and can then render it.
Producing a game is A LOT more reliant on the content pipeline (art and design) than it is with programming.
As an example you can look at Starcraft which had 17 programmers on staff (which is actually quite a lot for a game that size nowadays but that was back in the day) and 70 content creators (art, design, sound).
Also you don't actually create any graphics at all in C++, artists create them using DCC packages and they are than exported to a file. You load the file into your game/engine and can then render it.
Producing a game is A LOT more reliant on the content pipeline (art and design) than it is with programming.
As an example you can look at Starcraft which had 17 programmers on staff (which is actually quite a lot for a game that size nowadays but that was back in the day) and 70 content creators (art, design, sound).
I admire your ambition - but from someone who knows - take your time. There is no hury to find out what you want to do with your life.
I'm currently on my fourth different college and 5th different major (all over a 10 year period) and I still don't have a degree.
I'm just now (at 28) figuring out (I think =P) what I will do for a career (programming of course.) Most of my programming education, however, I teach myself through the web and books. I've got the next few years of schooling fleshed out - but I defninatly won't worry if things don't go exactly as I have planned. Your tastes change - thats life.
Everything you learn, regarless of what it is, will bennefit you in some way - in your career and in your life. Cherish all experiences - thats what life is about!!
Cheers
Dan
I'm currently on my fourth different college and 5th different major (all over a 10 year period) and I still don't have a degree.
I'm just now (at 28) figuring out (I think =P) what I will do for a career (programming of course.) Most of my programming education, however, I teach myself through the web and books. I've got the next few years of schooling fleshed out - but I defninatly won't worry if things don't go exactly as I have planned. Your tastes change - thats life.
Everything you learn, regarless of what it is, will bennefit you in some way - in your career and in your life. Cherish all experiences - thats what life is about!!
Cheers
Dan
about prgrammers and artists (and other non programming fields), for the past 3 years i've been in a robotics club for the FIRST robotics competition. For the past 2 years i've been the only programmer on the team, and just this last year one of the team mentors (teachers) said you can find programmers off the street (and he meant it too).
to make an rts... i've made 1 or 2 before, but like starcraft, no that would take quite a bit longer. Theres a lot of research you have to do if you don't want to use middleware.
Welcome and good luck!
to make an rts... i've made 1 or 2 before, but like starcraft, no that would take quite a bit longer. Theres a lot of research you have to do if you don't want to use middleware.
Welcome and good luck!
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