Development Advice Appreciated!
by Chris S · in General Discussion · 08/04/2010 (4:10 am) · 2 replies
Hey guys!
I've had ALOT of trouble getting started on my path into developing games, and I'd love to hear from anyone who has any input or advice.
It seems that anytime I want to get started on something, my interest jumps to another topic.
For example:
I download Unity3D work through that a bit, and then see an advertisement for Torque, and download that. Without fail, I never get far enough in either to feel accomplished, or even partially satisfied with my pursuit.
Looking back at my experiences, every time I've jumped ship, it's been at a point where a series of tutorials ends, or something similar. So my thoughts are that the lack of consistency in the learning materials either found, or provided(piecing together 10 different tutorials from 10 different writers, with 10 different ideas on workflow or best practices) is the problem.
So if anyone could suggest an engine, or development environment with either a solid(and current!) book that I could follow through and gain a working knowledge of how to further pursue my interests within that environment, or perhaps a series of consistent tutorials that work through the basics and beyond, that would be fantastic.
Keep in mind that I have some, but not much, programming experience. I am however, fully prepared to buckle down and learn a scripting language, and even touch the source a little if I need too.
Anyways guys, I look forward to (finally) finding a path into developing my own interactive entertainment, and I thank you in advance for any help that you can provide! I hope you have a wonderful day!
-Chris
I've had ALOT of trouble getting started on my path into developing games, and I'd love to hear from anyone who has any input or advice.
It seems that anytime I want to get started on something, my interest jumps to another topic.
For example:
I download Unity3D work through that a bit, and then see an advertisement for Torque, and download that. Without fail, I never get far enough in either to feel accomplished, or even partially satisfied with my pursuit.
Looking back at my experiences, every time I've jumped ship, it's been at a point where a series of tutorials ends, or something similar. So my thoughts are that the lack of consistency in the learning materials either found, or provided(piecing together 10 different tutorials from 10 different writers, with 10 different ideas on workflow or best practices) is the problem.
So if anyone could suggest an engine, or development environment with either a solid(and current!) book that I could follow through and gain a working knowledge of how to further pursue my interests within that environment, or perhaps a series of consistent tutorials that work through the basics and beyond, that would be fantastic.
Keep in mind that I have some, but not much, programming experience. I am however, fully prepared to buckle down and learn a scripting language, and even touch the source a little if I need too.
Anyways guys, I look forward to (finally) finding a path into developing my own interactive entertainment, and I thank you in advance for any help that you can provide! I hope you have a wonderful day!
-Chris
#2
Torque (of any flavor) also has a bit of a higher learning than most other indie accessible engines out there, so a little patience will be necessary. I've never been one to seek out tutorials or guides but dove directly into the code to figure things out.
I would say experiment and absorb all knowledge you can find. Start small, plan a series of mini-games and build them. Have these mini-game concepts be a stepping stone for features or concepts that you wish to incorporate into your game project. Let each step along the way be a series of challenges that teach you what you need to know. To do this you need to plan. Following a book or series of tutorials should only teach you some basics not build your game for you - after all it's your vision you should try to meet. Lay out a design plan that includes what you want in your game. Determine what you need to fullfill this plan, by learning how to do something, overcoming new challenges, and using existing Resources as a guide for when you get stuck. Not having a plan or design idea will leave you directionless and at the whim of the current tutorial or guide that you're looking at.
Just be patient and not get frustrated when you get stuck. There is also a huge, and excellent, community here for when you need to draw upon others for advice, suggestions, and even help.
08/04/2010 (12:59 pm)
Quote:I would disagree -- there is huge wealth of information and Resources available for Torque -- a decades worth of Resources that are still usable and relevant today. The problem is accessing/finding it through the website, and most people are too lazy if it's not provided to them with little or no effort on their part to receive it.
I agree there are very scant resources and docs for Torque related products
Torque (of any flavor) also has a bit of a higher learning than most other indie accessible engines out there, so a little patience will be necessary. I've never been one to seek out tutorials or guides but dove directly into the code to figure things out.
I would say experiment and absorb all knowledge you can find. Start small, plan a series of mini-games and build them. Have these mini-game concepts be a stepping stone for features or concepts that you wish to incorporate into your game project. Let each step along the way be a series of challenges that teach you what you need to know. To do this you need to plan. Following a book or series of tutorials should only teach you some basics not build your game for you - after all it's your vision you should try to meet. Lay out a design plan that includes what you want in your game. Determine what you need to fullfill this plan, by learning how to do something, overcoming new challenges, and using existing Resources as a guide for when you get stuck. Not having a plan or design idea will leave you directionless and at the whim of the current tutorial or guide that you're looking at.
Just be patient and not get frustrated when you get stuck. There is also a huge, and excellent, community here for when you need to draw upon others for advice, suggestions, and even help.
Torque 3D Owner Bob Dobbs
13th Hour Studios
www.envygames.com/content/?page_id=219
of course it doesn't cover everything, but I don't think any gamedev IDE or toolkit ever will have extensive documentation.
I agree there are very scant resources and docs for Torque related products, Unity is a little better documented but with all of these things its just a case of try, try again, see what u can find on the forums and just soldier on; if you get stuck I'm sure there always someone willing to lend a hand or suggest something. It is called the torque "community" after all.
Keep at it and you'll get the results in the end !