Hello, I'm a beginner thats been using online tutorials and such to learn the ways of creating games. I've been working with the free version of DarkBASIC Pro. I started simple (with guess the number type games) and have moved up to a very basic side scrolling game. I still need a lot more practicing/learning but starting to look a bit ahead to what I want to be able to do in the future. I'm wanting to create a game similar graphically to this: I know right now its not realistic for me to make a game like that but thats the basic style i'm looking for. maybe staying with that theme of wrestling or maybe boxing or something. With my current knowledge I am a little lost in how to prepare to make a game like that. Some questions: should i stick with DarkBASIC? any recommendations on an engine I could use for such a game? any other tutorials or information that might be beneficial in educating me in a way to make a similar style game? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Quote:Original post by ELDoro
Hello, I'm a beginner thats been using online tutorials and such to learn the ways of creating games. I've been working with the free version of DarkBASIC Pro. I started simple (with guess the number type games) and have moved up to a very basic side scrolling game. I still need a lot more practicing/learning but starting to look a bit ahead to what I want to be able to do in the future.

Sounds like a good approach. Start small and keep building and learning.

Quote:Original post by ELDoro
I'm wanting to create a game similar graphically to this:

I know right now its not realistic for me to make a game like that but thats the basic style i'm looking for.

It looks like the game you linked is a 2D game that is presented using an isometric view point, with sprites that are animated in various directions, displaying a variety of movement and attack animation sequences.

Quote:Original post by ELDoro
maybe staying with that theme of wrestling or maybe boxing or something.

Some questions:
should i stick with DarkBASIC?
any recommendations on an engine I could use for such a game?
any other tutorials or information that might be beneficial in educating me in a way to make a similar style game?

DarkBASIC Pro - free version, according to their website, has all the features that the paid version has except it is "is supported by advertisements." I am not sure if it means that the game will show advertisements when playing or you have to view these advertisements when developing the game. But, if this is acceptable, it appears that DarkBASIC Pro - free version will be perfectly capable of delivering a game such as the one you linked.

The main thing when starting out is to choose a language/tool and stick with it until you are comfortable with it. From then on you can add additional languages and tools to yr arsenal. So if you have already invested time and enjoy DBpro then I think it is fine to stick with it. You can always change later if you find something that you like better.

The DBpro website links to their support forums and would likely be yr best bet for support and help. Additionally, their website also links to tutorials and code examples. Have you checked these out?

You may also want to visit the beginners forum on gamedev.net and read the FAQs/stickies. There are some basic ones that will give you an overview and general game making principles that are valuable such as the game loop, game state logic, etc. Also, that forum is probably a better place than the Game Design forum for this type of post since this subforum deals with the design of games rather than assisting beginners to program games.

The style of the game that you linked is that way due to its art. Someone had to create all those animation frames and graphics to breathe life into the game. You will likely find that to be a difficult step if you are not a skilled artist. You may have to hire an artist/find a volunteer or acquire the skills necessary to make the graphics yrself.

As far as other engine/library recommendations, I would say that beginners often use python with pygame or pyglet as well. Also, you could use C# with either XNA or SlimDX. These are just some other options, but as I said before, there's nothing wrong with sticking with DBpro; it looks perfectly capable too.

Thanks for the input!

Signal, I'm definately seeing your point about the artwork side of this project. I'm an alright artist but the amount of creation for every possible movement, hold/move, and recieving end of another characters' hold/moves would be tremendous.