Torque Game Builder
by George Lubinski · in Torque Game Engine · 08/11/2007 (10:29 am) · 4 replies
Howdy all.
I'm an artist, specializing in 2d (my portfolio). I worked on a few games from this site before...and none of them really went anywhere. I haven't visited garagegames in a few years because of it; so long i forgot my old account. However, i stumbled back here a few days ago and found something interesting. It seems GG came out with a 2D game maker? if there is one thing i've learned through my experiences from my previous projects is that the more I can do, the better chance I can finish a title (I never had funding to pay a team).
This 2D game builder looks like something i can do myself, but i can't program worth ANYTHING. I know a small amount of basic html and thats pretty much it. My inclination has always been 2d/3d/animation/writing so I just stuck with what i'm good at.
My question: Is this 2D game builder easy enough to manage for someone like me, who can't write code near at all, can actually finish a game in it? Lets say a game like Sonic the Hedgehog (genesis version). I'm more then capable of doing all the art/animations/sound/story and such... but my one weakpoint has always been the programming part. I'm hoping it is user friendly enough and UI based enough so i have something to work on from now on. I've got a few 2D based game concepts (cards/puzzle) which i'd like to see playable someday...but what has always stopped me was funding (aka, paying a programmer). So if able, i'd like to make one myself.
Sorry for the ramble. :)
So yea, would I be able to work with it without knowing a programming language?
I'm an artist, specializing in 2d (my portfolio). I worked on a few games from this site before...and none of them really went anywhere. I haven't visited garagegames in a few years because of it; so long i forgot my old account. However, i stumbled back here a few days ago and found something interesting. It seems GG came out with a 2D game maker? if there is one thing i've learned through my experiences from my previous projects is that the more I can do, the better chance I can finish a title (I never had funding to pay a team).
This 2D game builder looks like something i can do myself, but i can't program worth ANYTHING. I know a small amount of basic html and thats pretty much it. My inclination has always been 2d/3d/animation/writing so I just stuck with what i'm good at.
My question: Is this 2D game builder easy enough to manage for someone like me, who can't write code near at all, can actually finish a game in it? Lets say a game like Sonic the Hedgehog (genesis version). I'm more then capable of doing all the art/animations/sound/story and such... but my one weakpoint has always been the programming part. I'm hoping it is user friendly enough and UI based enough so i have something to work on from now on. I've got a few 2D based game concepts (cards/puzzle) which i'd like to see playable someday...but what has always stopped me was funding (aka, paying a programmer). So if able, i'd like to make one myself.
Sorry for the ramble. :)
So yea, would I be able to work with it without knowing a programming language?
About the author
#2
There is, however, nothing wrong with someone entirely new to programming starting out with TGB, but in order to make something like Sonic you will be required to learn many programming concepts. To learn TGB to the level of making a Sonic style game, in your off-work time, starting with no programming experience, would probably take *ballpark figure* a year plus, unless you are extremely dedicated and work on it every day.
Thats a lot of time to spend on learning something new when you already have great art skills that can get you a job. But then again I really enjoy programming games so... Just start at the beginning, read everything you can find, and ask lots of questions. Try it out and see how it takes to you '-)
08/11/2007 (11:21 am)
Well... In the 2D platformer example, TGB is not to the point that you can create a whole game in just the editor without writing scipt, and it probably never will be. A program called GameMaker 'might' be able to do that, and there is an interesting tutorial style book available for it. However, my experience with GameMaker was it didn't have the same power to "do anything" that TGB does. Also torqueX has a platformer starter kit that would probably be easier to work with than stock TGB if a platformer is really what you want to do. Also, as more "behaviors" (a new TGB 1.5.1) get developed it is entirely possible a similar TGB platformer starter kit or platformer behavior kit could come out, which would allow you to make more of your game in the gui (but still I'm sure, not all of it).There is, however, nothing wrong with someone entirely new to programming starting out with TGB, but in order to make something like Sonic you will be required to learn many programming concepts. To learn TGB to the level of making a Sonic style game, in your off-work time, starting with no programming experience, would probably take *ballpark figure* a year plus, unless you are extremely dedicated and work on it every day.
Thats a lot of time to spend on learning something new when you already have great art skills that can get you a job. But then again I really enjoy programming games so... Just start at the beginning, read everything you can find, and ask lots of questions. Try it out and see how it takes to you '-)
#3
Thanks for the insight guys! :)
08/12/2007 (8:01 am)
I'm going to see if i can grasp this coding language and (hopefully) see if i am able to work with it on my own. if not, maybe I can see if I can find the help of someone from around here. I'm real hesitant, so maybe i'll wait for help until i've got the game designed and all art/sound done for it. Thanks for the insight guys! :)
Torque Owner Deepeyed
to use TGB you will have to programme, the interface makes it easy to lay everything out but you will have to programme to get things to interact. there are tutorials to help you learn, but you will have to learn.
a good place to start is game maker (now from yoyo games) its a great (and basicly free (v.cheap for full ver)) 2d package for win with a drag and drop interface (and coding if you need it) to get you on your feet, though not as powerful as tgb it is a good place to start, and may have what you need for your game or at least to start learning the concepts. as its free, give it a try, if you cant get on with GameMaker you will have a hard time with TBG.
i hope that helps
Neil