1. A crash course in game design and production
Hi all!
Before I disappeared 4 years ago, I was teaching a course on the old
Euphoria mail list in game design and production. I stopped getting
feedback from it, and I figured people lost interest. And it was
discontinued at the end of the theory section, before we really got started
coding the course project, which was to be really cool 2 player pacman game
with with lots of cool bells and whistles.
Anywho, I've been in a pacman mood lately, and I thought it would be fun to
start up the course again, assuming anyone on here was interested in
learning how to create computer games from vague idea through finished
production.
Anyone interested?
The course starts by teaching what goes into a complete design
specification, and how to write one, specifying in gross detail the "design"
of your game, including General Description, characters, backstory, screen
and interface design, feedback systems, art and sound design, programming
paradigm, AI strategies, etc. By the end of the lesson 7, you'll know
pretty much everything you need to know to start writing code for your game.
I cover how computer graphics and computer sound works, both theory and
application and how and what we need to do for a game project.
After that we choose what include files we need to make our job easier, and
specifically which routines we need from them and what they need to do what
we want to do. Then we plan our data structures, and layout our variable
table. Then we write code for loaders, display, and engine things that put
things on the screen and move em around. Then control procedures,
housekeeping procedures, etc. and we continue through to a finished,
thoroughly plattested and debugged(as much as possible!) quality game.
Once we get through we'll not only have a cool playable game that we created
from scratch using stratight Euphoria and some off the shelf libraries, but
also a core game engine that we can use to create other games.
The course will go via email. I send out one or two installments per week
and we send questions and answers back and forth. All participants will
share ideas, code, art, etc., and will help playtest everybody's game.
Even if you're not a "game" person, the design and production emphasis of
this course will help you doing any kind of software production.
If you're interested, drop me an email at the address below. We need at
least 5 people to make this a go.
Something fun is just around the corner!
Michael Packard
pastor at BeRighteous.com
2. Re: A crash course in game design and production
- Posted by Everett Williams <rett at gvtc.com>
Mar 26, 2001
-
Last edited Mar 27, 2001
Michael,
I have been in the computing world for 34 years, now and am always interested
in learning something new. I don't post on the list anymore by agreement with
Mr. Craig. That isn't because I've ever used foul language or posted off topic.
It is because Mr. Craig doesn't like criticism. He offered me my money back if
I would go away. I countered that I would cease to post on the list if I got
free
copies of all versions of Euphoria in perpetuity...and he would keep my money.
The bargain was made in the open on the list. So, I read the list and send
personal
emails to those that interest me. So, he puts up with the foul mouthed script
kiddies
and pushes out those that just want him to show some respect for and provide
some
information to his paying customers. Go figure.
I would love to take your course. Since I don't post on the list, any questions
that
I have will be privately to you. If you really want to do this up right, you
might set
up your own Topica list for the course. Games aren't my metier, but I have
written
hundreds of thousands of lines of code in various languages. Maybe I can
contribute
some thoughts in the areas of design, data structure, and project management.
Everett L.(Rett) Williams
rett at gvtc.com
Michael Packard wrote:
>
>
> Hi all!
>
> Before I disappeared 4 years ago, I was teaching a course on the old
> Euphoria mail list in game design and production. I stopped getting
> feedback from it, and I figured people lost interest. And it was
> discontinued at the end of the theory section, before we really got started
> coding the course project, which was to be really cool 2 player pacman game
> with with lots of cool bells and whistles.
>
> Anywho, I've been in a pacman mood lately, and I thought it would be fun to
> start up the course again, assuming anyone on here was interested in
> learning how to create computer games from vague idea through finished
> production.
>
> Anyone interested?
>
> The course starts by teaching what goes into a complete design
> specification, and how to write one, specifying in gross detail the "design"
> of your game, including General Description, characters, backstory, screen
> and interface design, feedback systems, art and sound design, programming
> paradigm, AI strategies, etc. By the end of the lesson 7, you'll know
> pretty much everything you need to know to start writing code for your game.
> I cover how computer graphics and computer sound works, both theory and
> application and how and what we need to do for a game project.
>
> After that we choose what include files we need to make our job easier, and
> specifically which routines we need from them and what they need to do what
> we want to do. Then we plan our data structures, and layout our variable
> table. Then we write code for loaders, display, and engine things that put
> things on the screen and move em around. Then control procedures,
> housekeeping procedures, etc. and we continue through to a finished,
> thoroughly plattested and debugged(as much as possible!) quality game.
>
> Once we get through we'll not only have a cool playable game that we created
> from scratch using stratight Euphoria and some off the shelf libraries, but
> also a core game engine that we can use to create other games.
>
> The course will go via email. I send out one or two installments per week
> and we send questions and answers back and forth. All participants will
> share ideas, code, art, etc., and will help playtest everybody's game.
>
> Even if you're not a "game" person, the design and production emphasis of
> this course will help you doing any kind of software production.
>
> If you're interested, drop me an email at the address below. We need at
> least 5 people to make this a go.
>
> Something fun is just around the corner!
>
> Michael Packard
> pastor at BeRighteous.com
>
3. Re: A crash course in game design and production
- Posted by Everett Williams <rett at gvtc.com>
Mar 26, 2001
-
Last edited Mar 27, 2001
To all or to Robert if he is moderating,
Filter that last if you can. Walked away from the reply for about
half an hour and forgot to change the address. Have put the address
in my book for the future. As you can tell, it was a personal reply.
Everett L.(Rett) Williams
rett at gvtc.com
4. Re: A crash course in game design and production
<snip>
> Anyone interested?
<snip>
It was fun the first time round so why not? :) I'm not really into game design
anymore and I don't think I really have enough time to get properly
involved but I'd like to get at least semi-involved :P
You should get quite a large response, theres a lot of people just
starting to learn Euphoria with the intention of writing games, c'mon
people!
Thomas Parslow (PatRat) ICQ #:26359483
Rat Software
http://www.rat-software.com/
Please leave quoted text in place when replying
5. Re: A crash course in game design and production
Hi All and Michael
I'd take the game course too. I'm not so interested in games, but I bet that
game design
touches on lots of interesting stuff. Though I've been programming for over 20
years, I'm
self taught - and that has definite limits. It will be very interesting to take
an actual
course and see what kind of stuff comes up,
Bye
Martin
6. Re: A crash course in game design and production
- Posted by RedDan11 at AOL.COM
Mar 27, 2001
I would love to help. Game programming is my favorite thing to do in
Euphoria. The only thing is the Pacman idea is kinda lame. Mabey we can
come up with something better. Another problem is I am failey new to
Euphoria. Although I can handle making my own games I think others might
have trouble understanding my code which is ofton out of the ordinary and
totally different from how others would aproach it.
-Dan Da Man
7. Re: A crash course in game design and production
>From: Thomas Parslow (PatRat) <patrat at rat-software.com
> You should get quite a large response, theres a lot of people just
> starting to learn Euphoria with the intention of writing games, c'mon
> people!
I hate everything that reminds me on school, like a course. 
If I would write a game in Euphoria I would write a 2D scrolling game like
Pre Historic, Mario, Aladdin. Euphoria is perfect for those type of games,
and I like them too, but I haven't seen any such game written in Euphoria.
Strange. (:o))
8. Re: A crash course in game design and production
>>From: Thomas Parslow (PatRat) <patrat at rat-software.com
>>
>> You should get quite a large response, theres a lot of people just
>> starting to learn Euphoria with the intention of writing games, c'mon
>> people!
>
> I hate everything that reminds me on school, like a course.
>
> If I would write a game in Euphoria I would write a 2D scrolling game like
> Pre Historic, Mario, Aladdin. Euphoria is perfect for those type of games,
> and I like them too, but I haven't seen any such game written in Euphoria.
> Strange. (:o))
There are a few afair. I think one was called Lemonz or something,
looked very cool. I was doing one quite a while ago (few years a
think) called Jake the Snake, never got finished, when I started doing
it my computer wasn't really capable of running anything decent and i
had a 14-inch 640x480 monitor so it was based on mode 19, looks a bit
silly on my 17-inch monitor now :)
Anyway, the point of the course is learning the basics and theory
(design ect). It wouldn't really be practical to start off with a
complicated project.
Thomas Parslow (PatRat) ICQ #:26359483
Rat Software
http://www.rat-software.com/
Please leave quoted text in place when replying
9. Re: A crash course in game design and production
Heheheh...
A course in Game Design?
NP...
A course in Pac Man design?
Hahahah, don't make me laugh... :P
Look, all this commotion for a course on making
games...
Know what?
Here's your course, on how to make a *real* game...
First and foremost, this...
If you want to start creating games, in this day and
age, by yourself, I suggest you forget about it...
As it takes 4 to 8 years, I have being coding one for
4 years and hired many people to do art, levels, and
3D models...
If you are alone, however, and do want to make a game,
I suggest you take a look at Gameboy development...
And this is what this course is about, coding an RPG
game such as Pokemon for the Gameboy...
You don't need to know ASM, C, or anything else, we
will make up our own language as we go along, to
simplify this course...
Its a Euphoria clone, and yes, YOU will make it...
*Got the tools, got the talent*
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Wanna do Gameboy coding?
Raely fast and easy?
Get GBDK, the only C compiler for Gameboy and Gameboy
Color...
That's right, now you can code your own GB games in C!
First, get GBDK here;
http://gbdk.sourceforge.net/
BUT!
Make sure to get a 2-1-x version, such as 2-1-0 or
2-1-5, those were the best, most stable editions, and
we will use one of those, you pick...
The original coder was a pall of mine, Pascal
Felber...
Download and install this, and then also download the
IDE we will use, called GBDEV Studio, the best you can
use, I use it all the time and I'm a professional GB
coder, having a contract for 2 commercial titles in
2001.
Get it here;
http://www.geocities.com/eureka/9827/
So, to sum it up,
- Download and install GBDK
- Download and install GBDEV Studio
very own game programming language we will use...
We will create a single C include file wich redefines
portions of the C language, giving it our own look and
feel, and making things easier for a non-C coder...
Till next time,
See Yall!
Mike The Spike
>
10. Re: A crash course in game design and production
Seems like a piece didn't get through...
What that gibberish is at the end, it says that if
people would like me to continue, the next chapter
will focus on the game programming language we will
create ourselves, consisting of a single C include
file wich redifnies portions of the C language making
things easier for us...
Mike The Spike
--- Mike The Spike <mtsreborn at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
>
>
> >
> Heheheh...
> A course in Game Design?
> NP...
> A course in Pac Man design?
> Hahahah, don't make me laugh... :P
>
> Look, all this commotion for a course on making
> games...
> Know what?
> Here's your course, on how to make a *real* game...
>
>
> First and foremost, this...
> If you want to start creating games, in this day and
> age, by yourself, I suggest you forget about it...
> As it takes 4 to 8 years, I have being coding one
> for
> 4 years and hired many people to do art, levels, and
> 3D models...
> If you are alone, however, and do want to make a
> game,
> I suggest you take a look at Gameboy development...
> And this is what this course is about, coding an RPG
> game such as Pokemon for the Gameboy...
>
> You don't need to know ASM, C, or anything else, we
> will make up our own language as we go along, to
> simplify this course...
> Its a Euphoria clone, and yes, YOU will make it...
>
> *Got the tools, got the talent*
> -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
>
> Wanna do Gameboy coding?
> Raely fast and easy?
> Get GBDK, the only C compiler for Gameboy and
> Gameboy
> Color...
> That's right, now you can code your own GB games in
> C!
> First, get GBDK here;
> http://gbdk.sourceforge.net/
>
> BUT!
> Make sure to get a 2-1-x version, such as 2-1-0 or
> 2-1-5, those were the best, most stable editions,
> and
> we will use one of those, you pick...
>
> The original coder was a pall of mine, Pascal
> Felber...
>
> Download and install this, and then also download
> the
> IDE we will use, called GBDEV Studio, the best you
> can
> use, I use it all the time and I'm a professional GB
> coder, having a contract for 2 commercial titles in
> 2001.
> Get it here;
> http://www.geocities.com/eureka/9827/
>
> So, to sum it up,
> - Download and install GBDK
> - Download and install GBDEV Studio
>
>
> very own game programming language we will use...
> We will create a single C include file wich
> redefines
> portions of the C language, giving it our own look
> and
> feel, and making things easier for a non-C coder...
>
>
> Till next time,
>
> See Yall!
>
>
>
> Mike The Spike
>
> >
>
>
>
>
