Some Noobie Questions
by Dennis Borruso · in Torque Game Engine · 09/20/2005 (12:11 pm) · 4 replies
Hi
I am a total game dev noobie. I have been learning about it for a few months now. I bought 3d gamestudio standard and been having fun with it. I am mostly an artist but would like to learn to program my own little games too. I already started one game called froggy boxing in 3dgs and got all the art done and am currently struggling with c-script.
Well me and a couple of other people are gonna try to make a fight game when I am finished with my little boxing game.
I am happy with 3dgs but am wondering if torque might be a better way to go. I don't mean to start a comparison thread or a flame war or anything. I looked at some of the comparison threads but they seemed kinda old.
Well Here's some of my questions:
It says on the page that torque uses torque script but also says it uses c++, what does it use?
Is torque script or c++ the same difficulty to learn as c-script in 3dgs?
How long do you think it would take someone of average intelligence who is dedicated to learn c++ to make some simple games?
I dont see anywhere on the demo to import my models, Will I be able to import my .x models in to torque?
Umm, I guess thats it for now. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
I am a total game dev noobie. I have been learning about it for a few months now. I bought 3d gamestudio standard and been having fun with it. I am mostly an artist but would like to learn to program my own little games too. I already started one game called froggy boxing in 3dgs and got all the art done and am currently struggling with c-script.
Well me and a couple of other people are gonna try to make a fight game when I am finished with my little boxing game.
I am happy with 3dgs but am wondering if torque might be a better way to go. I don't mean to start a comparison thread or a flame war or anything. I looked at some of the comparison threads but they seemed kinda old.
Well Here's some of my questions:
It says on the page that torque uses torque script but also says it uses c++, what does it use?
Is torque script or c++ the same difficulty to learn as c-script in 3dgs?
How long do you think it would take someone of average intelligence who is dedicated to learn c++ to make some simple games?
I dont see anywhere on the demo to import my models, Will I be able to import my .x models in to torque?
Umm, I guess thats it for now. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
#2
That is helpful. So what I gather is to make simple games I can use mostly torquescript. That sounds good. I see there is a book that is mainly torque and covers scripting so that is very good.
For the game I will make with my friends, one is a programmer (actually I havent met him yet, he is my friend's friend lol) and he knows many languages including c++. Maybe he will like to work more with torque then. I will have them check it out.
Anyone who wants to see what I am doing with my boxing game can see at www.3dfrog.com and click games. Do you think this simple boxing game may be easier to make in torque?
09/20/2005 (12:43 pm)
Thanks MatthewThat is helpful. So what I gather is to make simple games I can use mostly torquescript. That sounds good. I see there is a book that is mainly torque and covers scripting so that is very good.
For the game I will make with my friends, one is a programmer (actually I havent met him yet, he is my friend's friend lol) and he knows many languages including c++. Maybe he will like to work more with torque then. I will have them check it out.
Anyone who wants to see what I am doing with my boxing game can see at www.3dfrog.com and click games. Do you think this simple boxing game may be easier to make in torque?
#3
3D Game Programming all in one - Ken Finney - ISBN : 1-59200-136-X
And the continuation to the same book, Advanced 3D Game Programming all in one, same author, dont have the isbn here, but a quick search in Amazon should do it for ya.
09/20/2005 (1:06 pm)
@Dennis: There are two books right now.3D Game Programming all in one - Ken Finney - ISBN : 1-59200-136-X
And the continuation to the same book, Advanced 3D Game Programming all in one, same author, dont have the isbn here, but a quick search in Amazon should do it for ya.
#4
09/21/2005 (10:22 am)
In Torque pretty much anything is possible as you have the engine sourcecode - you could entirely reprogram that using it as a base and have an engine perfectly customised to your game - however a simple game should be possible with few engine modifications, if any. 
Torque Owner Matthew Grint
Torque uses both TorqueScript and C++. The C++ is the code of the engine, this creates the basic "generic" game which you then build on. If you want to fundamentally change the way a part of the engine works, you edit the C++. The TorqueScript is used to change thing about the generic game and is what is mostly used for the actual game creation. The C++ engine provides the methods you need, the TorqueScript provides the way to use these methods to make a game.
Think of it like 3D Game Studio - I've never used it but I think I can imagine what it is like. Where you type the code into 3D Game Studio is like the TorqueScript, the code which makes 3D Game Studio itself is like the C++. 3D Game Studio don't give you the C++ so you cant edit their program, but with Torque you can - you can change absolutely anything you want.
C++ and TorqueScript are fairly easy languages to learn if you know a similar language already or have a firm concept of programming. They both use common programming syntax (looping, variables etc.) and the only things you really have to learn about them are the little quirks of the languages. I picked up TorqueScript fairly quickly because it is similar to languages I already know (C++ and PHP) but there are still some little things which confuse me because they aren't used in the languages I already know.
I advise buying a book on C++, writing a few small programs and also reading some already existing programs - there are plently of tutorials on the internet which are great but I still prefer a good old-fashioned book. Gradually you will be able to find out the equivalent of the C-script commands (might be the same, I've never used 3D Game Studio) and work out the concepts of the language. The time it takes depends on your experience, how much attention you pay to the book and how your brain works.
I believe that .x formats can be used in Torque but they first have to be converted into .dts format. I believe .x is DirectX format, I don't know of any .x -> .dts converters off-hand but I know it is possible to convert .x to .3ds (3DS Max file) which can then be converted into .dts. I'm not certain of any tools as I don't model too much but there are plenty of modellers (and others) around here who will be able to answer your question.
Hope this helps,
Matthew Grint