Where to start?
Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Beginners Area/Where to start?
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| Since there is no huge manual for Blitz. Now I have done the tutorials and played with tcp and a few other items I was interested in. Where can I learn more. I would like to go through a whole host of comprehensive tutorials. Do these exist? I presume they will.. ;-) mango |
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| Try these: http://www.blitzcoder.com/articles.shtml |
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| Once you've done all the tutorials you're pretty well equipped to write a basic game. I suggest writing a few (maybe start with a basic but complete Minesweeper clone) and gradually you will find yourself digging into the command reference for new commands. After a couple projects are under your belt you'll be pretty familiar with all the various commands. And of course, when you get stumped you can get specific questions (eg. how do I use this command?) answered by asking on the forum. |
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| One good general learning method I use is to work out how to do one simple thing and gradually add commands and complexity. (Give them sequential names though, don't overwrite early ones.)I might start by grabbing an image and drawing it. Then make it move, then make many images move, then introduce a background, then a moving background. Or I might try another method of doing the same thing in order to explore different commands. For example I might try arrays first, then types, then banks; try doing the scrolling using different commands and copying methods - horizontal, vertical, diagonal, arbitrary. The idea is that one thing leads to another until you have assimilated the whole manual, or near enough to it. Usually in the process of doing this, many minor obstacles will be encountered and solved - things to do with variable definition and handling, arrays, loops and so on. Make several of these simple starts - one in the area of graphics, one playing with sound, one playing with files and banks, one handling windows and events and so on. The whole lot very quickly merge and interact as the ideas begin to flow. I have always found this learning method far superior to systematically studying examples and manuals. Doing the latter is simply studying answers, but programming is about asking questions first and finding answers yourself. At least that's what I've found. |
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| I guess it doesn't apply to the Blitz community as much, which is obviously very helpful, but in the outside community, some experienced people, for one psychological reason or another create a totally unnecessary mystique about programming to impress beginners. In the old Amiga days, for instance, I found assembler programmers were very bad at doing this. There's nothing that can't be explained simply and helpfully. I remember when I finally did find out that the whole business just meant stuffing data into a handful of registers I was very annoyed - the whole thing could have been explained to me in a few pages instead of volumes of pompous (and expensive)waffle. |
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| Yep, Oso's advice is good. Start with something simple, and add to it, like the drawing an image, moving it..etc etc :) |
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| Well, sounds like a plan. I have a project I want to play with. So now I have some tcp knowledge under my belt, I think I will move on to arrays. Then have them interact etc over the tcp network. Then perhaps add a background to the screen. I could add some commands that the user can change the variables on the fly. I then may add some sound and then perhaps get some graphics to represent the figures I will be sending.. since its coordinates and status of the objects ;-) This seems like a good plan.. I appreciate all your help.. one of the reasons why I decided to get into programing using Blitz was the community. But I do suspect sometimes some of this community is from the old Amiga days? Which may explain some things. Mango |
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| Hi mrmango, as you already know the community here is extremely helpful. My suggestions would be similar, think of a SIMPLE game YOU want to play and wirte that. You will quickly discover that the learning curve wil be quite steep as you try and get it to llok and perform like other games. Good luck. |
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| Slowing getting into things. I found years ago that I needed nights of coffee driven hours to be able to keep up with development. So I think the other half will not be seeing me for a while ;-) |
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| So now I have some tcp knowledge under my belt, I think I will move on to arrays. awww teach me tcp pleeeeassssee!!!! Im joking, but i really do struggle with all that network stuff and Il need to grasp it soon for my space game. |
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| welcome and sorry for th hijack mrmango @Malice > use udp it's faster and better for games... less reliable but speed is key when using mplay in games... |
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| Keep in mind that it is easier to follow a trail than to blaze your own. That is, study the samples and examples for some idea of what can be done and how it can be done, then branch out from there. If you don't have something close to what you want, ask if anyone is working on a similar project. People are always willing to share ideas and code, especially if the end result benefits everyone. That's what makes these forums so great. |
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