History of a newbie game maker

Auradrummer · Post by **Auradrummer** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:17 pm

Hello you, that is thinking in making games. I'm writing it to you. I'll will update daily, and sometimes more than one time in a day. So, when you see a || symbol, is that I made a good progress inside that day (at Day 5 it happened at first time).

My intention is to show you, day per day, the difficulties of making a good work in this area. I'll update this topic every day, so, if I make a good game at the end, I achieved my objective. If I fail, you'll see where I begin to fail, and can avoid my mistakes, and do better.

So, let's begin to talk:

First thing you may know, is my level in game making:
- I have five years of experience in 3D graphics and saw some C basics (that I forgot today).
- My idea is making a racing game, and is there I want to arrive, but I'm not thinking directly on it right now. I didn't design the cars, tracks, menus, sounds ... anything. My objective is, from now, to make something more simple, that allows me to be there someday.
- To illustrate my 3D skill, this is my model. If you are able to get something like this, in any program, we are at same step.
- I'm presented to Ubuntu about 9 days, and I'm using it.

Second I have to tell you is where I'm getting information.
1. Google;
2. C++ tutorials: http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/
3. This forum (Never use a forum as first help source)
4. My brother, that I see at weekends (any friend, including virtual, should work)
5. The Irrlicht API documents: http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/docu/
6. The CScope software, that helps you to find anything in a bunch of codes. VERY USEFUL!
7. Newton documentation (Is rare to find there what you want)

-------- BEGIN --------
Day 1. Everything started: I searched through web for an engine and a C++ compiler. Found Irrlicht and Anjuta. Now, is to make them work.

Day 2. After almost a whole day, my compiler was successful running the first example that come with Irrlicht. I had a great difficulty make Anjuta works. Fail to run all other examples. After some hours, I made them run.

Day 3. Yesterday I tried to load an LWO at Irrlicht, and I fail. Today I decided to work with the import files, but they appears greek to me (C is harder than I thought). I think I should study a bit more.

--- Three months after ...
I made Irrlicht load LWO far better than it was, but still failing sometimes. Now, I can start do model the car physics.

--- Too much time after ...

The last time I made a report here is July 10. Today is October 28. So, all of you thought I gave up, right? Wrong, I didn't gave up and I'm not stopped this project. Was some days I didn't worked on it, but was few days. As I made things that was too difficult for me, and I spent too much time on these questions, I decided to no publish (should be only a loose of time). To make a complete report, I did the following:
- Studied Newton collision and physics, specially joints. I made them work as I wanted (tests, only), and I was satisfied;
- After, I decided that I should refine and upgrade my Irrlicht LWO loader. It wasn't supporting all the features I needed, so I must implement it to not use tons of scene nodes in Irrlicht. Was impossible work with all of them and Newton, my project started to be too complicated. So I spent more than one month implementing everything I needed. Therefore, I was successful, and now is time to work a bit more with joints.
- Together all this, remember: I'm not professional, and I think you aren't too, so we need to earn money. And, my business is growing, and there are days that I cannot turn on my PC. So, every shard of time was too precious, and I cannot give the priority to this diary that it deserves. But I'm still on fight, and advancing.

--- Another marking advancement
Today is November 21 of 2008. I made the car's suspension work, at least the bumpers and springs are reacting very nice to the car. Now, I'll develop the steering and propulsion. Is very difficult to estimate how much time I'll spend on it, but I'm expecting less than two weeks. My goal is to drive my car till the end of the year. Let's see...

--- Almost one year after my last updated
Everyone should think I gave up. But this never happened. I can say to you, if you read till there, that making game is a long journey. In all this time I got much more defeats than victories, and I don't think I was prepared to this. The victories are rare, but when I got one, all the motivation returns and I survive for another bunch of failures. My game grew a lot, the physics started to work on the past two months. If I had more courage to try things that I not understand, I could progress faster. So, try to learn things that you think are useful but dificult, because this will make you go faster.

wyrmmage · Post by **wyrmmage** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:06 am

looks like a good idea...I'll definitely check in every once in awhile

I'm actually doing something similar over on my site's forums (awkward-games.com, the one that's in my sig), just to keep the people psyched that are interested in the game I'm working on, and people seem to be reading it fairly often, so I think that this journal could definitely be interesting

-wyrmmage

rogerborg · Post by **rogerborg** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:31 am

This is definitely interesting, but would probably be better posted in the Game Programming part of the forum, rather than Beginners Help. I'm looking forward to following your progress.

Auradrummer · Post by **Auradrummer** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:18 pm

Thank you both: Moved to Game Programming

Halifax · Post by **Halifax** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:33 pm

I agree, I want to follow this too. As if that racing car eye candy wasn't enough, I was already giddy.

FuzzYspo0N · Post by **FuzzYspo0N** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:47 pm

cool idea. feel free to ask questions on how to get stuff working here too, im sure there are a bunch of us who may be able to help yoyu achieve what you want, and even more. IM almost certain irrlicht can deliver in terms of simplicity and im certain you will get far with irrlicht if you psuh in and ask questions.

i shall see where this takes you

BlindSide · Post by **BlindSide** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:26 am

Second I have to tell you is where I'm getting information.
1. Google;
2. C++ tutorials: http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/
3. This forum (Never use a forum as first help source)
4. My brother, that I see at weekends (any friend, including virtual, should work)

I think your number 1 source should be http://www.gamedev.net.

To get that car to look as good in Irrlicht, you would need per pixel specular lighting and maybe a pre-baked AO map.

Good luck.

Halifax · Post by **Halifax** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:44 am

Hey don't forget DevMaster because that have some good Code Gems, and articles/tutorials.

Auradrummer · Post by **Auradrummer** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:03 pm

Very good guys!

I'll add those links there, so the begginers who is reading can get it right there!

Thanks for your comments!

Auradrummer · Post by **Auradrummer** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:05 pm

I posted a new screenshot above. Take a look!

Halifax · Post by **Halifax** » Thu May 15, 2008 11:19 pm

Wow that looks amazing, how many polygons is it? I need some more pictures.

And possible a playable beta/video.

How did you achieve wheel turning though? Did you use bones, or just animations?

Auradrummer · Post by **Auradrummer** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:58 am

Thank you Halifax,

It have 4218 polys (triangles) including the 4 wheels.
Eheh, about the playable video, maybe soon!

Code: Select all

I use normal animations, like in the tutorials. 

else if(receiver.IsKeyDown(irr::KEY_KEY_D)) // virar à direita
		{
			core::vector3df steerl = lfwsidenode->getRotation();
			if(steerl.Y<10.0f)
			{	
				steerl.Y += 0.2f;
			}
			lfwsidenode->setRotation(steerl);
		}

I made the if in middle to limit the steering in 10 degrees, to avoid wheels be turning undefinitely. The steering wheels doesn't move yet (I need to read LWS, that is Lightwave scene). I'll try to implement this in near future, but I'll ensure you I'll do with animations. I think bones are slowest (need more calculus).

I'm working now in making the acceleration/ deceleration of rear wheels and implement an tachometer. Now I need to develop an way to get the speed of the wheel.

Virion · Post by **Virion** » Fri May 16, 2008 6:12 am

ah nice.

Halifax · Post by **Halifax** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:51 am

Once again, nice screenshot of your project in progress. I would also like to ask, did you use reference pictures for that car model? If so, do you think that possibly we could take a peak.

Auradrummer · Post by **Auradrummer** » Mon May 19, 2008 11:34 pm

Great Halifax,

No images. I designed it by myself. It is inspired in the Italy-Brazilian jet AMX A1. I modeled an F-22 too, but I'm not finding it on my PC.

I didn't understood " we could take a peak". Sorry, I'm Brazilian and I miss some expressions!

And thanks about your comments, both Halifax and Virion!