Hi I have finished C++ 1 and C++ 2 and the first semester of Java in college. I was looking into some game making tools. I have specifically looked into DarkBasic and Torque Game Engine. Anyone have a good experience with these tools? Or should I not even waste my time and start with OpenGL and DirectX? I like taking "baby steps" into this stuff, and don't wanna get in over my head which is why I was thinking a dedicated game making tool would be a good place to start. Plus the game making is just a side project, I do not wish to make games for a living. Thanks Loachman

Personally I would start by taking a look at SDL. Its a great library that was written in C. Very easy to use.

Nalidixic

I would download the demos for both and see which ones you like the best. I personally started with a product called The Games Factory and then later Multimedia Fusion. Such programs can provide a good entry point into game design concepts.

I actually don't recommend C anything for a beginner and so a game making program or perhaps C# with XNA or Python with PyGame would also be good bets.

C++ is a strong language and I have used it on many occasions, however it is not very novice friendly and it is easy to fall into quite a few pitfalls with it.

I have heard about DarkBasic and Torque Game Engine before, but I have never used it, nor do I have any experience with it.

Since you're taking "baby steps" I recommend that you don't start with OpenGL or DirectX, as those might be a bit too complicated for you right now. I recommend SDL, it's a free library by Sam Lantinga, and it is very easy to use. If you want to get started on it, you can go on right ahead to LazyFoo.Net. I have been using that site for a while now, and I think that it will assist you very much in your game dev'ing.

I'm assuming that you're going to make a few games, but you're not planning to do this for a living. So learning DirectX and OpenGL will not be necessary. I have 2 suggestions for you. You can either:

a) Learn C/C++ and SDL
b) Learn Python and then learn Pygame (it's a game-making library I think)
c) Learn how to use a game engine (eg: Torque, Realm Crafter, etc..)


It all depends on how complicated that you want your games to be. Learning C++ will be quite of a challenge, however the end results are worth it. You'll find it much easier to make a game with option c, but then your game implementations might be limited. And I don't really know that much about option b, so I suggest that you look into it.

But do keep in mind: There are many directions that you can take.

I've used both, and I really think you should look into C# (with XNA).
Torque is a good engine, but my experience is that it tends to be a little too much to handle for the complete beginner.
As an alternative to DarkBASIC (a better one), have a look at BlitzBASIC.
Send me a PM and I'll help you out.

Per Henrik

Thanks for the tips. I think I'll have a go at C# and XNA.

loachman

If you are interested in Torque *and* C# you might want to consider checking out TorqueX (http://www.garagegames.com/products/torque/x/ =)