Game Development Community

How do i Start

by Karan · in Torque Game Engine · 08/24/2005 (9:41 pm) · 10 replies

Im really confused about Torque. I read through the Documentation and learnt how things work and how to select objects and stuff like that. My question is how do i start. I mean if i was to say learn C++ for the first time i would be doing hello world programs and then starting from there. So how do i start with that. I can't find any tutorials like that where i learn how to bring up a window, and start from there. Stuff like that.

I ordered the 3D Game Programming All In One but will that explain to me all of this. If not how can i learn it. Plus i saw all sorts of code snips around and tutorials about certain specific things, but how about to make full blown applications starting with the basics. Thank you.
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Torque Owner Mark O
Default Studio Name
#1
08/24/2005 (11:53 pm)
The book will give you a good start. It assumes that you know basically nothing about the engine.

It will help for you to familiarize yourself with basic C++ programming as the scripting language is similar in style to C++. You can do pretty much anything you need to do with the scripting language so don't worry about the engine code at this point.

You need to be a fairly experienced programmer to mess with the engine code. It really is not necessary to mess with the engine code to make games.

Important note: The book uses version 1.2 of the engine. Some things have changed in 1.3 so some of the book examples will need minor tweeking to work with the newer engine version. Check the book forum for posts concerning changes.

Torque Owner Karan
#2
08/25/2005 (6:10 am)
Thank you. I guess what i really was trying to get out there and understand is why there are no like basic tutorials. Or like a beginners section. I mean there is one where it tells you how to work of the demos, but what i mean is like, how come there are no links to for example, how to create a basic window. I am not talking about modifying the enging, but for example i saw the simple basic window example, but a user submitted that. How come there is no tutorial on how to do that, which says start of by creating a directory and then inside that directory make a main.cc file and lets edit it.... and then it just walks you through on all you need to do.

I just feel like after going through the tutorials on how to work in the different editors, i don't know how to start off to make something new. Thank you otherwise Mark.

Torque Owner Mark O
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#3
08/25/2005 (7:06 am)
I think what you are asking for can be found in the following links. These are links to scripting from the bare essentials onward.

Basic GUI Demo
http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=5086

MiniApp Tutorial 1
http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=5091

MiniApp Tutorial 2
http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=5092

MiniApp Tutorial 3
http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=5093

MiniApp Tutorial 4
http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=5099

There is also a some tutorials here:
http://www.codesampler.com/torque.htm


Most people initially play around with scripting using the samples supplied and their assets until they feel some comfort level with the engine then go from there. But, once you are ready to make a game from scratch the high-level steps would be:

1. Plan your game out on paper.

The following steps would be reiterative:

2. Create outside assets (meaning assets that need to be created with tools outside of the engine such as characters, buildings & interiors, textures, music, sounds, etc.)

3. Create terrain and place outside assets using the engine editors. Create any user interfaces needed using gui editor.

4. Write script to tie it all together, create gameplay logic, multiplayer functionality, etc..

5. Test everything

6. Repeat steps 2-5 until you feel your game is complete.

And finally...

7. Polish game, package, distribute


Hope this answers your questions.

Torque Owner Karan
#4
08/25/2005 (7:31 am)
Thank you. One last question just so i understand it a bit more. When i use the engine editors, to create terrain and stuff like that, i use it while i am running the game right. If so do i just follow the MiniApp to and copy the download and change the background and menu to match what i would like for my game, or is there a different way to start the editors. Like if i look at the demo that shipped with the game, if for example i wanted to create a guy running in a field as an example. Would i just take the demo and strip all the menus apart and levels and stuff like that and then program my own in, or is there a different way.

Thank You for the links. I will check them out. Especially the one at codesampler. Mark i appreciate all your help.

Torque Owner Mark O
Default Studio Name
#5
08/25/2005 (8:04 am)
I would do the basic gui demo + MiniApp Tuts 1 & 2 (the first 3 links I gave you above). The result would be a totally stripped down starter environment with tools active. That way you wouldn't have to guess what you should and should not remove from the engine examples to strip them down.

Yes, the engine has to be running for the editors to work. They aren't stand-alone apps.

Associate Sam Bacsa
#6
08/25/2005 (8:20 am)
You might also want a nice tool like TorqueDev to edit your scripts.

Trust me, a good IDE can make your development life a lot easier. Need to find a function? Right-click on it and select "Go To Definition...". Need to find an object's members? Hit F4.

That sort of thing.

There's also Torsion, but that's alpha so it lacks a lot of the features that TorqueDev does.


Torque Owner Karan
#7
08/25/2005 (9:53 am)
Thank you so much. I understand how torque works much better. Thank you.

Torque Owner Karan
#8
08/25/2005 (7:21 pm)
I completely understand the engine a lot better now and see how it works. I am going to ask one last stupid question, and i guess that is how do i create the initial map.

What i mean is that i want to play around with the level editor, but for me to get that far, in any one of the above demos it says i have to load a mission first. Sorry i am such a noob, i am just trying to get this. I appreciate all the help so far, as i understand how everything works a lot better and actually made simple changes to the basic tutorial that came along with the engine.

Thanks

Torque Owner Vernon Finch
#9
08/25/2005 (7:31 pm)
If you start up the demo (starter.fps for example) and load a mission, then you can hit F11 to take you to the World Editor.

Then File > New Mission will make a new mission for you, and you can then save it (I recommend to the same folder as the current mission for now - starter.fps\data\missions\).

Now exit the level, and select Start Mission, your new mission should be in the list of missions to choose from along with the Stronghold mission.

You may want to read some of the articles and documentation from the Torque Homepage, as most of this is in there.

edit: fixed link

Torque Owner Erling
#10
08/27/2005 (9:36 pm)
I'm new to Torque and this post string has greatly helped me to understand more of what's going on.

Karan, I know where you're coming from about 'hello world'... me too. Thanks for posting the questions I was thinking but didn't... :) Lesson learned for next time. Thanks to everyone else for posting great info & tutorial links.

Hopefully someday soon I'll have info and give back to the community too. I "just" got the TGE to compile on my mac 10.4 system so now I can get going!