RTS programming... Please help!
Author
I am a budding programmer, I am 15 and I know a lot of JAVA, and C/C++. I would like to get into game programming, and I love RTS''s. I figured they would be easier to make, since there is no 3D. (I''m going to make a very simple one to start out...) I would like to know if someone could help guide me to a book, online website, or somewhere where I can learn how to make AI, and all the components of an RTS. Would the Game PRogramming for Dummies book be a good place to start?
I think RTS games are hard to make. It may not be 3D but I don´t think isometric games are easy when you are inexperienced..
Also RTS games require good pathfinding and AI. And multiplayer is a must.
I would start with something waaay simpler.
But if you really think you can do it then go for it. I don´t wan´t to spoil your dreams.
-- Look at you hacker. A Pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?--
"Yeah, I''ve seen people w/ ''so-called'' lives. They are petty and thoughtless." - Nazrix
Also RTS games require good pathfinding and AI. And multiplayer is a must.
I would start with something waaay simpler.
But if you really think you can do it then go for it. I don´t wan´t to spoil your dreams.
-- Look at you hacker. A Pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?--
"Yeah, I''ve seen people w/ ''so-called'' lives. They are petty and thoughtless." - Nazrix
I agree with Granat. RTS''s aren''t the easiest way to learn game-programming because they require quite a lot of knowledge about several things (AI, graphics etc..). You should start from something more simple, like the old pong or something. And if you did that well, then you could advance on more complicated games.
yeah make something simple if at all possible. I learned that the hard way. Even if you don''t want to make pong try to go for something that isn''t as hard as an RTS. Make something like Gauntlet maybe. It will be easier than an RTS but a lot of the code will carry over.
Speaking from personal experience, RTSes are quite hard to make. Not even considering the programming, they take a lot of design work and playtesting-balancing. Programming wise, RTSes usually take quite a bit of code, especially in Ai code. The combat system is moderately tough to do also (lots of code for combat).
It took us 16 months to make our RTS
Not sure if anyone remembers the glut of me-too RTS games that came out after Warcraft II and Starcraft, they pretty much all sucked because RTSes look easy to make but they are deceptively hard.
I''d start out with an arcade or action game, top-down shooters are always good and relatively easy to make.
Peter
Talos Studios
http://talos.togglespin.com
It took us 16 months to make our RTS
Not sure if anyone remembers the glut of me-too RTS games that came out after Warcraft II and Starcraft, they pretty much all sucked because RTSes look easy to make but they are deceptively hard.
I''d start out with an arcade or action game, top-down shooters are always good and relatively easy to make.
Peter
Talos Studios
http://talos.togglespin.com
There is a book on RTS Programming, "Real-Time Strategy Game Programming Using DirectX 6.0" by Mickey Kawick, but it''s not too good. I reviewed it for this site, and there may be other reviews too. If you don''t mind spending money on a book that will help you a little rather than a lot, then get it, but look out for a lot of poor programming practices within.
I argee what all the guys said above.
I''m developing an RTS game now. I argee that the RTS is not easy for a beginner who has no experience in game design.
You can try it, but you''ll get more and more trouble in it, like technology in Data Structure, Graphics, PathFinding, ... etc )
I suggest you that you may try to think about "What a RTS has? What should I do while I''m develop a RTS game like SC or AOE ? ", or " How could they did that ? Which Techonique they use in ? ", that you''ll get more information about how to make a RTS game.
Perhaps this can help you.
I''m developing an RTS game now. I argee that the RTS is not easy for a beginner who has no experience in game design.
You can try it, but you''ll get more and more trouble in it, like technology in Data Structure, Graphics, PathFinding, ... etc )
I suggest you that you may try to think about "What a RTS has? What should I do while I''m develop a RTS game like SC or AOE ? ", or " How could they did that ? Which Techonique they use in ? ", that you''ll get more information about how to make a RTS game.
Perhaps this can help you.
Author
Thank you guys.
I ordered Windows Game programming for dummies because I like the dummies way of learning. I might get teh Tricks of the game programming gurus since it goes more in depth than the dummies one. Also there is a new RTSs programming book coming out, (not published yet, due for june-july printing) go to:
http://www.flipcode.com/cgi-bin/msg.cgi?showThread=Book-RTSGP&forum=rotd&id=-1
to read about it, and you can click on a link to Amazon.com on that page to pre-order it. It is written by a diff. guy, but also has some exerpts from the other book.
I made a page to upload my accomplishments in directX and programming at:
www.geocities.com/electriclightent
thanks a lot for your help, ( I hate being a newbie)
I ordered Windows Game programming for dummies because I like the dummies way of learning. I might get teh Tricks of the game programming gurus since it goes more in depth than the dummies one. Also there is a new RTSs programming book coming out, (not published yet, due for june-july printing) go to:
http://www.flipcode.com/cgi-bin/msg.cgi?showThread=Book-RTSGP&forum=rotd&id=-1
to read about it, and you can click on a link to Amazon.com on that page to pre-order it. It is written by a diff. guy, but also has some exerpts from the other book.
I made a page to upload my accomplishments in directX and programming at:
www.geocities.com/electriclightent
thanks a lot for your help, ( I hate being a newbie)
is alpha''s page empty?
The Modern Hell -Super Cool Painter
while ($IaMdemons|| !$die){DevelopIt();}
The Modern Hell -Super Cool Painter
while ($IaMdemons|| !$die){DevelopIt();}
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