Before I Buy
by Rybo · in Torque Game Engine · 07/04/2007 (2:17 pm) · 15 replies
Before i buy this software i wanted to ask a few questions:
1. Before the game begins can you have your company's name appear like a movie, e.g EA have their logo appear and moto said on screen
2. Can you easily make title screens/cut scenes between levels
3. I've never ever programmed, ever. Is it possible to learn it by pratice or should i start with a free engine first to pratice.
4. If yes, does anyone know a basic free engine i can pratice with
5. Can you publish your finished games to your own website and/or charge people to play them
Thanks alot, bye
EDIT:
6. Would you recommend beggining with the 2D engine, is it easier? Then perhaps when i feel confident with it i can move onto 3D?
7. Can someone explain the difference between Indie and Commercial, i read the part about it but didnt quite get what it means! Thanks
Thanks alot, you've all been very helpful so far
1. Before the game begins can you have your company's name appear like a movie, e.g EA have their logo appear and moto said on screen
2. Can you easily make title screens/cut scenes between levels
3. I've never ever programmed, ever. Is it possible to learn it by pratice or should i start with a free engine first to pratice.
4. If yes, does anyone know a basic free engine i can pratice with
5. Can you publish your finished games to your own website and/or charge people to play them
Thanks alot, bye
EDIT:
6. Would you recommend beggining with the 2D engine, is it easier? Then perhaps when i feel confident with it i can move onto 3D?
7. Can someone explain the difference between Indie and Commercial, i read the part about it but didnt quite get what it means! Thanks
Thanks alot, you've all been very helpful so far
#2
07/04/2007 (2:21 pm)
Sorry, for some reason it posted blank the first time - i had to edit it! lol 
#3
3, 4; You will have similar problems with ANY engine if you never programmed before, just start small and take it a step at a time. Get some programming books if you have to etc. It may take a while, but if you really want to get things done, you will.
07/04/2007 (2:26 pm)
1, 2, 5; yes.3, 4; You will have similar problems with ANY engine if you never programmed before, just start small and take it a step at a time. Get some programming books if you have to etc. It may take a while, but if you really want to get things done, you will.
#4
i saw a post a moment ago saying 'im not one of those 15 year olds trying to make a quick, easy game'
i am 15 so im sure ill be frowned upon here
but i assure you all im very patient and extremely eager to learn, ive been searching for a good game engine for years and this one looks great so i will be definetly working hard with it in the future.
07/04/2007 (2:28 pm)
Okay greati saw a post a moment ago saying 'im not one of those 15 year olds trying to make a quick, easy game'
i am 15 so im sure ill be frowned upon here
but i assure you all im very patient and extremely eager to learn, ive been searching for a good game engine for years and this one looks great so i will be definetly working hard with it in the future.
#6
Fundamental principles for making games as an brand new indie:
--start small. If you've never programmed at all, and never even modded another game, realize that there is probably a full year's worth of general concepts and ideas that you'll need to get under your belt before you can make "the dream game I always wanted to play".
--learn how to interact with forums and communities. I hate to pick on the guy, but there is another person here active on the forums that is going about things in the wrong way--mostly because he's young and has not done anything like this before.
There are some amazingly patient, intelligent, and helpful people on the forums--some will literally take several hours to answer questions, and provide detailed and extremely helpful answers--but it's all volunteer, and it's just human nature to not be willing to help those that "won't help themselves".
An example of a question that is going to get an almost uniformly un-helpful response:
vs an example that will probably get hours and hours of answers:
I can just about guarantee that you will get a well thought out response that not only shows you exactly what to do, but more importantly why the solution works if you ask the second question--while the first question is going to be ignored, have jokes, or get a comment like you mention above.
07/04/2007 (2:35 pm)
Quote:
Okay great
i saw a post a moment ago saying 'im not one of those 15 year olds trying to make a quick, easy game'
i am 15 so im sure ill be frowned upon here
but i assure you all im very patient and extremely eager to learn, ive been searching for a good game engine for years and this one looks great so i will be definetly working hard with it in the future.
Fundamental principles for making games as an brand new indie:
--start small. If you've never programmed at all, and never even modded another game, realize that there is probably a full year's worth of general concepts and ideas that you'll need to get under your belt before you can make "the dream game I always wanted to play".
--learn how to interact with forums and communities. I hate to pick on the guy, but there is another person here active on the forums that is going about things in the wrong way--mostly because he's young and has not done anything like this before.
There are some amazingly patient, intelligent, and helpful people on the forums--some will literally take several hours to answer questions, and provide detailed and extremely helpful answers--but it's all volunteer, and it's just human nature to not be willing to help those that "won't help themselves".
An example of a question that is going to get an almost uniformly un-helpful response:
Quote:
Help me I want to make an MMO game better than YYYY.
vs an example that will probably get hours and hours of answers:
Quote:
I'm just starting out and don't know much about game development, but I'm trying to figure out how I can make changes to how my player works. I've worked through the getting started tutorials (although I didn't understand all of it, I think I got the big points), but how can I change the model that a player uses?
I can just about guarantee that you will get a well thought out response that not only shows you exactly what to do, but more importantly why the solution works if you ask the second question--while the first question is going to be ignored, have jokes, or get a comment like you mention above.
#7
and yes i know this will take ages before my first proper game, i have some ideas already in design stage and some levels ect. planned out - now i just need to take the time to learn how to program it all
thanks alot :)
07/04/2007 (2:39 pm)
Okay thanks Stephen Zepp - though i am new to programming im member to alot of forums so i know the basic rules ect.and yes i know this will take ages before my first proper game, i have some ideas already in design stage and some levels ect. planned out - now i just need to take the time to learn how to program it all
thanks alot :)
#8
That may seem "simple" or "obvious" but it seems to be a point oft forgotten by many people on this forum.
07/04/2007 (3:50 pm)
Tip #2. Stephen Zepp is in charge of "Technology Education" at Garage Games. As shown above, he can be extremely helpful, so try and be polite to him. I have seen more than a few people flat out insult him when he is trying to help. In fact, avoid being insulting to anyone who is trying to help you.That may seem "simple" or "obvious" but it seems to be a point oft forgotten by many people on this forum.
#9
Sorry...I've been playing Overlord for a few hours.... =)
Also, Ryan, I have to post my usual code mantra taught to me when I was a newbie in programming:
Take the time to read the forums and tutorials (Read). After that, read through the sample scripts in the starter packs and online resources (Read Code). Then, try your hand at coding some simple stuff, like the starter.tutorial, or implementing a simple resource (Code).
This mantra has taken me far. Good luck
07/04/2007 (4:40 pm)
Tip #3: If Tip #2 is ignored, there is a good chance that minions de Zepp will appear at your house and carry you away for unspeakable torture.....Sorry...I've been playing Overlord for a few hours.... =)
Also, Ryan, I have to post my usual code mantra taught to me when I was a newbie in programming:
Quote:
Read. Read Code. Code
Take the time to read the forums and tutorials (Read). After that, read through the sample scripts in the starter packs and online resources (Read Code). Then, try your hand at coding some simple stuff, like the starter.tutorial, or implementing a simple resource (Code).
This mantra has taken me far. Good luck
#10
Heheh....I do appreciate what you said, but your last sentence is the important one.
07/04/2007 (4:48 pm)
Quote:
Tip #2. Stephen Zepp is in charge of "Technology Education" at Garage Games. As shown above, he can be extremely helpful, so try and be polite to him. I have seen more than a few people flat out insult him when he is trying to help. In fact, avoid being insulting to anyone who is trying to help you.
Heheh....I do appreciate what you said, but your last sentence is the important one.
#11
and i am about to thouroughly read through everything that is on the faq, as soon as i find it....
07/05/2007 (11:43 am)
Lol - i can assure i wasnt insulting him, or being rude in anyway - sorry if i gave that impressionand i am about to thouroughly read through everything that is on the faq, as soon as i find it....
#13
1. Buy the 3d Game programming: all in one book by Ken Finney (make sure to get the 2nd edition though as that uses tge 1.4 and covers constructor rather than 1.3 & quark for the first edition), it's a good intro book talking you through torquescript, creating models, vehicles, sounds, etc for your game. The book comes with a compiled version of the engine so you have that to use.
2. Download the TGE demo, it's a fully working engine that you can alter the torquescript to create your own game for free - you don't get the source code for the engine but to begin with you're probably not ready to jump into modifying the c++ code.
07/06/2007 (3:41 pm)
Ryan - there's always another couple of options you have with TGE.1. Buy the 3d Game programming: all in one book by Ken Finney (make sure to get the 2nd edition though as that uses tge 1.4 and covers constructor rather than 1.3 & quark for the first edition), it's a good intro book talking you through torquescript, creating models, vehicles, sounds, etc for your game. The book comes with a compiled version of the engine so you have that to use.
2. Download the TGE demo, it's a fully working engine that you can alter the torquescript to create your own game for free - you don't get the source code for the engine but to begin with you're probably not ready to jump into modifying the c++ code.
#14
07/06/2007 (3:43 pm)
Personally, I got way more out of Game Programmer's Guide to Torque. It's quite possible that 3D Game Programming All-in-One has improved, but when I purchased it his example scripts were riddled with errors. I found it quite frustrating to try and learn Torque while trying to debug the book's scripts.
#15
07/06/2007 (7:34 pm)
Regarding the book:" Game Programming Guide to Torque". Does this book shows/explains the coding for making a character walk, characters having the ability to hold weapons and shoot weapons, triggering traps, character jumping, and/or enemies reacting to damages? 
Associate Joseph Euan