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[darkflagrance]

So, I've studied Java for five weeks. Now that I've actually glimpsed the internal workings of programming, ideas for how to make an SRPG I've been dreaming about playing are coming into my mind. In theory, with the knowledge I have right now, I can see how I'd implement the various pieces or learn how to. However, I just learned about arrays (>_>) and that really forced me to rethink most of what I'd already programmed.

The question is, how much more Java do I really need to learn before I can think realistically about programming a game? Should I attempt to take more courses? Study or communicate with other programmers who can teach me? Or can I reasonably expect to be able to teach myself what I need to know by myself just by working on my game?

And is Java a good choice for programming language?

---Game description if you're curious---

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There would be two levels to the game.

The first would be RPG mode, used for dungeon crawling or small-scale battles. The battle system would most likely be like Ogre Battle, with a simple AI algorithm that picks moves and targets for each side automatically. Weapons would be completely randomly generated, down to stats, abilities, bonuses, auras, etc. like Diablo II. Monsters, like weapons, would be randomly generated based on parameters given in their race data. Some would be totally random and others closely aligned to racial traits. Monsters would also be recruitable.

The purpose of this mode would be to play similarly to a pokemon game: you recruit allies to fight for you and improve them over time. The nature of your allies would change from each instance of the game to the next. There would be permadeath, along with ways to gain new allies and pass on the abilities of the deceased, and an easy way to savescum.

Strategy mode would basically take elements of this and generate random empires populated by random races for the player to conquer. Caves and ruins could be raided with armies for magical weapons. Enemy rulers might also possess and compete for randomly generated weapons. Ideally, the game would generate new empire infinitely as the player conquered or destroyed them, but there would also be limits on how much the player could effectively rule at one time due to rebellions, natural disasters, etc.

[alfie275]

Learn atleast some OOP, it will save you time in any language.

[Virex]

Java's a pretty good language for programming games that aren't too resource-intensive, since it's compatible with most OSes and computer models out of the box. The downside of Java is of course that it's a bit harder to squeeze high performance out of it, but that won't come into play in your game (with just arrays under your belt you're not going to do 3d work ).

[Argembarger]

A game like that looks doable to me with your experience as long as you're cool with it being text-based (or at least, not worried about graphics) and totally cool with the rather large amount of time it would take to create a game on that scale.

The more you learn, the faster it'll take, though

Should I attempt to take more courses? Study or communicate with other programmers who can teach me?

Probably.

Or can I reasonably expect to be able to teach myself what I need to know by myself just by working on my game?

It's probably possible, if you are dedicated and have some resources to help you (see the first quote)

And is Java a good choice for programming language?

I like it; I've heard that plenty of people don't; they say it'll get you into bad habits and such if you move to a different language later. I dunno. YMMV.

My experience = measly 8 months of experience/classes, you probably should disregard me and listen to an expert to be honest.

[ILikePie]

can I reasonably expect to be able to teach myself what I need to know by myself just by working on my game?

Messing around has got me very far. If you need to speak to people, try visiting the #java channel on freenode.

[xaque]

If writing games is your goal, you should start writing games as soon as you learn how to run a compiler. You can definitely learn a lot by writing games, just realize that the first couple (and by couple I mean hundreds) of games you write will be pretty crappy by most standards. Don't get too attached to any one game, and don't be afraid to start again from scratch with everything you've learned. You should try and get used to the idea of throwing away code you've worked on for hours and rewriting it completely. It happens a lot, even to the best programmers, when you realize there's a better way to do something. Learning how to rewrite a chunk of code effectively without disrupting the rest of your program is an important skill that every programmer needs to master (but many never do.)

As your skills increase you'll start to encounter problems that you have difficulty solving on your own, that's a great time to ask questions to other programmers about it. Taking computer courses in parallel with developing games has helped me a lot personally, you learn a new concept in class and immediately start thinking about ways to apply it to your game.

Java is good for game development, although it would definitely benefit you to at least read about other languages. Learning concepts in other languages will make you a stronger programmer, although that's something I wouldn't be too concerned about for a while.

[Outcast Orange]

3D graphics aren't too hard to get under your belt.

I'd say the hardest things to program are physics and AI.
I've been working on my AI for months and they just now can find their way around their own memories.

Make a couple of text based games.
Try making procedural content.

A map/dungeon generator is my favorite sort of thing to work on.
Having visible results to infer from is so much easier than debugging the more internal stuff.
When the AI comes to the wrong conclusion, there are dozens of things that could be wrong.
When your dungeon hallway ends up the wrong shape, there are far fewer things to consider.

you probably should disregard me and listen to an expert to be honest.

[alfie275]

Start of VERY simple, ie pong, tetris, or even some number guessing game or card game. Also, pretty much all languages are the same, it's just the syntax that is different, the principals apply to C++ or AS3 or Lua.

[darkflagrance]

Yeah, the simplicity of the programming of many simple games is what prompted me to actually consider pursuing a larger game-making project. To create game that prints words or keeps track of the players' stats would be trivial at the moment.

The harder parts would be more detailed knowledge like a way to make an efficient hallway generator that I'd have to self-teach.

Edit: This was my 2000th post T_T

[alfie275]

Make sure you know OOP, then maybe do some procedural crap? I find as a programmer it is an easy alternative to making content by hand.

[Virex]

Well, OOP is at the very core of Java, so make sure you pick that up as soon as you can. It'll make your life that much easier, even for comparatively simple programs.

[Eagleon]

It's pretty hard not to pick up OOP with Java and get anywhere with it. I mean you can do everything in main, but it's actually more difficult. The thing to pay attention to in it is proper use of interfaces, permission levels, etc. There's more than one way to skin a cat, but if you design right, you can put the skin back on and skin it again later. Get into the habit early of using the different OOP structures. Even if you're using them improperly, that will just make it easier to learn their proper use later when you have to pick your silly choices apart to get it to run Losing is Fun!

Oh, and if you ever get discouraged by someone from working on a project you like, even if it's beyond your skills currently, laugh in their face and walk away. Seriously. It's absolutely vital to use this stuff if you actually want to remember it. Using it on stuff you care about is the best way to retain the knowledge. As long as you're willing to put something down and come back to it later when you're too frustrated, you're golden.