A minor distraction in Off Topic

ID:89799
 
Jan 15 2010, 3:33 pm
Now that I'm back in school, my time for development is competing with homework. Fortunately for me, some of that homework happens to be Game Dev I this year :)

My entire Game Dev I class consists of developing 5 games in Game Maker, the last of which is a group project. No attendance requirement, no books or reading, no tests. (which has unfortunately been offset by my Gender and Society class [it fit so well into my schedule!] which requires 3 expensive books, has midterms, finals, projects, presentations, and feelings!)

Our first assignment was to create a bat and ball game in a week while getting used to the GM interface, ala Breakout. He seemed quite surprised by my game:

Mind Break


(Special thanks to TheMonkeyDidIt for posting about the Tyrian graphics being released!)

Now we have two weeks to make a game with multiple levels and enemies. I'm making a shmup which is sort of a cross between Fraxy and Mech Warrior. Now if only Game Maker would process my payment so I could use the Pro features >:(
#1 Jan 15 2010, 3:44 pm
That's awesome.
#2 Jan 15 2010, 3:48 pm
I like that you're doing fine in your classes, but why is the dev class using Game Maker, I heard it isn't the best things..
#3 Jan 15 2010, 4:03 pm (Edited on Jan 15 2010, 4:10 pm)
EnigmaticGallivanter wrote:
I like that you're doing fine in your classes, but why is the dev class using Game Maker, I heard it isn't the best things..

Game Maker is an excellent stepping stone and has been used in the past for commercial games. While it isn't the most efficient tool out there, it still helps you practice game design.

I also just noticed that DarkCampainger is misspelled... haha
#4 Jan 15 2010, 4:58 pm
Shaduu wrote:
That's awesome.

Thanks :)


EnigmaticGallivanter wrote:
I like that you're doing fine in your classes, but why is the dev class using Game Maker, I heard it isn't the best things..

Well, it's Game Dev I. Not everyone in it has taken a programming class (seems like an oxymoron). In Game Dev II they use XNA, I think.


C_Dawg_S wrote:
EnigmaticGallivanter wrote:
I like that you're doing fine in your classes, but why is the dev class using Game Maker, I heard it isn't the best things..

Game Maker is an excellent stepping stone and has been used in the past for commercial games. While it isn't the most efficient tool out there, it still helps you practice game design.

Yep, the drag-and-drop interface offers a nice way for those new to game dev to jump right in. I just wish there was a way to drop all of that and use GML only, though. As far as I can tell, you still need to use it for setting up events, even if it just calls a script file. (but then again, I only just started using it. I'm still hopeful to find such an option)

I also just noticed that DarkCampainger is misspelled... haha

Yep, a mark from my past :P
#5 Jan 15 2010, 5:35 pm
Cool, I am currently learning C++ and then hoping to learn dark gdk then XNA
#6 Jan 15 2010, 5:59 pm
Gamemakingdude wrote:
Cool, I am currently learning C++ and then hoping to learn dark gdk then XNA

Why not dive right into XNA? It's simple enough, and they have videos on their website that walk you through a couple basic games and tell you how everything works.
#7 Jan 15 2010, 6:01 pm
C_Dawg_S wrote:
Gamemakingdude wrote:
Cool, I am currently learning C++ and then hoping to learn dark gdk then XNA

Why not dive right into XNA? It's simple enough, and they have videos on their website that walk you through a couple basic games and tell you how everything works.

XNA is made from C++ if i learn C++ first then its easier to learn XNA and any other language that is made from C++
#8 Jan 15 2010, 6:03 pm
DarkCampainger wrote:
I just wish there was a way to drop all of that and use GML only, though. As far as I can tell, you still need to use it for setting up events, even if it just calls a script file. (but then again, I only just started using it. I'm still hopeful to find such an option)

Sadly there is no such option, but the d&d system does keep things organized. Finding the collision event of an object is just 2 clicks rather than scrolling through a wall of code.

Gamemakingdude wrote:
XNA is made from C++ if i learn C++ first then its easier to learn XNA and any other language that is made from C++

The XNA framework is only officially supported for C#, but I think it works with C++ as well. I actually learned how to use XNA before I touched anything else in C#.
#9 Jan 15 2010, 6:35 pm
As far as I can remember, XNA is entirely C#.

C# isn't C++, nor it very similar.
#10 Jan 15 2010, 7:43 pm
Tiberath wrote:
As far as I can remember, XNA is entirely C#.

C# isn't C++, nor it very similar.

I thought as long as it was a .NET language XNA was compatible? I could be wrong.
#11 Jan 15 2010, 7:45 pm
Tiberath wrote:
As far as I can remember, XNA is entirely C#.

C# isn't C++, nor it very similar.

Actually that is where you are wrong.
This is from the beginner's guide to C++
about what is it related to.

"C++ is the parent for both Java and C#. Although both Java and C# added, removed, and modified various features, in total the syntax for these three languages is nearly identical. Furthermore, the object model used by C++ is similar to the ones used by Java and C#. Finally, the overall “look and feel” of these languages is very similar. This means that once you know C++, you can easily learn Java or C#. The opposite is also true. If you know Java or C#, learning C++ is easy. This is one reason that Java and C# share C++’s syntax and object model; it facilitated their rapid adoption by legions of experienced C++ programmers. "
So C++ synatax is the same and once you learn C++ you can learn the other languages easily.
#12 Jan 15 2010, 8:15 pm
It's syntax is based on C++ as well as other languages.

DM has a syntax similar to C++. It doesn't make it the same language.

So I stand by my comment. C# isn't C++, nor is it very similar, and XNA is entirely C#.
#13 Jan 15 2010, 8:40 pm
Tiberath wrote:
...XNA is entirely C#.

XNA can be used with C++/CLI as well, and I'm pretty sure there are other APIs out there that support other .NET languages.
#14 Jan 15 2010, 8:47 pm
So it can.

Just for clarification, C++/CLI isn't exactly C++. According to this post, it's a language somewhere inbetween C++ and C#. (That post also mentions other languages like Visual Basic being possible. I guess it's the .NET framework at work there.)
#15 Jan 16 2010, 7:53 am
Tyrian is pimp, that is all.