Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[C4lv1n]

It's summer now, and I just finished a computer science course. I made a swords and sandals like game, using the D&D 3.5 rules. It took me 2 weeks, and it was done in Visual Basic. VB seems alright for making games, but now I want to make a real game, and I don't know if I'd be crippling myself using VB. My plan is to make a rouge-like game, I've played plenty, and so have a good idea of what to do and how it will work.

So I want to know, what language?
VB, which I know how to program
Python, which I've heard plenty off good things about
C++, which I've heard some good things about

Any suggestions? I'm thinking a graphical interface would be the best, not Acsii graphics

[Outcast Orange]

The only red flag I can see is that VB is action/event oriented like GML.

Python and C++ are going to feel different.

I might be wrong, but I did know some very basic VB back in Highschool.

[C4lv1n]

GML?

[Outcast Orange]

Game Maker Language:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Maker_Language
http://www.yoyogames.com/make

[Eagleon]

You can do event-based programming in any language, including python and C++. VB just has a lot of support for it within its syntax. But it's also object-oriented. He shouldn't have too much trouble making a switch.

VB is slow, no way around it. Anyone that tries to argue otherwise is probably using it for business, which is fine, but not what you need. Some games are ok for it, but roguelikes are pushing it, particularly if you're planning on tracking a lot of different variables per-turn. Even if you don't, if you ever plan on making a game that requires more (such as anything with 3D or real-time AI with pathfinding) you're going to want to switch anyway, so you might as well move on to a more powerful language.

My suggestion would be Java. The syntax takes a bit of getting used to, and there's a slight learning curve in figuring out why everything is the way it is, but it's a lot more readable than C++ IMO, and there are some similarities that will get you ready should you wish to start learning C/C++ as well.

[Outcast Orange]

It is my natural reaction to avoid Java like a scary Halloween decoration.

There are people around my college that "know" Java,
 but can't seem to discuss anything programming related with me.

I've come to the conclusion that there is something wrong
 with a relatively large portion of Java "programmers".

That is of course a stereotype.

[Eagleon]

Probably because they've never worked with the guts of the machine. That or their instructor is garbage I rescind my recommendation, though, thinking about it - Java is for structured development, not suited for use without better knowledge of OOP design principles and a decent design document, and I do think people should at least know what a pointer is before being introduced to it.

It's a little bit shiny for my tastes - I miss being able to use stuff like them, and making my own data structures. But I still loathe C++'s look and feel, and Freebasic (my first and still favorite language) hasn't had an official release since 2008, so it's Java for me.

[alway]

If you want a language for a "real" game, C++ is what is used for most published games. Combine it with graphics through DirectX, openGL, ect, and you've pretty much got everything you need to make a 3D game besides content*. That said, don't expect to get to the graphics point in the next 2 months of summer break.

*Although technically if you were really feeling masochistic, you could probably create all your meshes by hand and build textures one pixel at a time through code.

[Outcast Orange]

Don't leave out procedural textures.

I saw this excellent procedural wood grain last month.

[[-spasm-]]

I recommend Python personally. Really easy to pump out prototypes because you don't get bogged down with syntax errors, or pointers or variable types or anything. Python also has several good 3D libraries if that is what you are after, including OpenGL, or if you are going for 2D, OpenGL works, or there is pygame, which is the SDL wrapper for python. My favourite library is a roguelike library called libtcod, which is brilliant.

I'd link to those things, but I'm using quick reply, and you can find them yourself with a quick google

[ed boy]

Could anybody say how suitable fortran would be for something like this?

[[-spasm-]]

The best language is probably the one you already know, or if you don't know one yet, the simplest one for you to understand. If you know Fortran, I'm pretty sure it has OpenGL etc., so there is no reason why you couldn't use it. I've never tried Fortran, so I dunno about how fast it is, or how easy it is to use or anything though.

[alfie275]

C++ is going to be fastest, the only excuse to use a "nicer" language is lazyness.

[Siquo]

*Although technically if you were really feeling masochistic, you could probably create all your meshes by hand and build textures one pixel at a time through code.

No pain no gain.  (as in yes, I'm doing this right now and feeling the pain)

[[-spasm-]]

C++ is going to be fastest, the only excuse to use a "nicer" language is lazyness.

I disagree. Taking the more difficult path for no reason might be more "dwarvenly", but all it does is slow development. Using a language that is "nicer" allows for more rapid development.

Unless you really need the speed of high level languages, then by all means write your engine in one. But I'd keep scripting and whatnot to a simple language.