Game Development Community

Getting Started Guide

by Alistair De Blacquiere Clarkson · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 05/27/2008 (8:17 am) · 4 replies

Hi,

I've just started with TGEA and have found that there is no getting started guide, so I've started writing one:

http://tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/TGEA/CompleteBeginnerBlog

I would be great if people could add some of their own experiences and comments to it, since i think it could be a very useful resource for anyone trying to get to grips with this engine.

If you have any general recommendations/comments then please reply to this post.

Cheers,
Alistair
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Employee Michael Perry
ZombieShortbus
#1
05/27/2008 (8:33 am)
@Alistair - It's awesome that you are taking the opportunity to contribute to the community at this level. Getting Started guides are in high demand. It looks like your template has promise, so let me pass some resources your way:

1. You might want to consider collaborating with Britton LaRouce. He recently posted a blog: Game Development is all about the tutorial. He is writing a Getting Started Guide just as you are. You two might be able to benefit from a collaboration.

2. Feel free to borrow from any of the resources I've written. This includes my free tutorials under the resources section (check my profile), and the work being put into the official TGEA docs. Part of getting started is getting the proper SDKs, configuring your compiler, etc. Attaching your tutorials after my Getting Started would be a nice flow.

3. Just as general advice, be as descriptive and low level as possible. Write as if you are talking to someone who downloaded and installed TGEA 5 minutes ago (at least in the beginning). Make NO assumptions about the experience of your audience. This may create extra work for you, but it will be appreciated by all levels of developers.

I look forward to seeing these getting started guides see fruition. Don't forge to check the Documentation Feedback thread to see what others think, and post your own messages.

Associate Scott Burns
GG Alumni
#2
05/27/2008 (8:33 am)
Have you downloaded 1.7? There was a massive overhaul of the documentation, specifically the Getting Started stuff.

Torque Owner Alistair De Blacquiere Clarkson
#3
05/27/2008 (9:01 am)
Thanks, Michael + Scott. The 1.7 documentation is the only documentation I have looked at; but it is still rather like a reference guide with an overview of the engine.

Whats missing for mr is the area between world editing and torque scripting (there is just one example of changing the name of an object and getting its id) it doesn't walk you through anything like running a torque script - although it is an advanced engine and the website description suggested I shouldn't expect that.

Employee Michael Perry
ZombieShortbus
#4
05/27/2008 (10:08 am)
@Alistair -
Quote:
...suggested I shouldn't expect that.
That's the kind of thought the doc team is trying to destroy =)

Thanks for that tidbit of feedback, as every little bit helps. Keep up the good work with your own guides, and don't be surprised if they get linked to upon completion.