New TGB Tutorial Pack in Development
by James Ford · in Torque Game Builder · 09/06/2007 (5:29 pm) · 13 replies
I took it upon myself to improve the quantity of TGB tutorials by making this pack. Anyone who knows how to make 5 classic games knows a lot about TGB.
Check out my .plan where I will let you know of my progress.
www.garagegames.com/blogs/63486/13522
Check out my .plan where I will let you know of my progress.
www.garagegames.com/blogs/63486/13522
About the author
http://jamesdev.info
#2
Great plans, look forward to it :) I think this would be a great resource for people. Also by charging for it as a pack of demos + tutorials it will ensure that you have the resources to maintain it, which is why there isn't more of this in the official docs.
We've actually done much more things along these lines in the past, as well as various games that we never released as demos that we wanted. What we ran into was not having the resources to maintain it. Much of the internal ones that we never released got out of date while developing it (due to the fast pace of engine and tool development) and we realized we lacked the resources at the time to release them. We are keeping this in mind though.
We don't have any networked card games, though we did in fact have a single player card game and were working on a networked card game demo.
Your concerns are noted and will be considered. No promises but we may consider updating some demos and releasing them... my question to you is if it would be useful without paired documentation?
09/10/2007 (10:04 am)
@James:Great plans, look forward to it :) I think this would be a great resource for people. Also by charging for it as a pack of demos + tutorials it will ensure that you have the resources to maintain it, which is why there isn't more of this in the official docs.
Quote:Lol.. this is sorely .. SORELY needed and it is a surprise that no one at GG has taken the time to do it.
We've actually done much more things along these lines in the past, as well as various games that we never released as demos that we wanted. What we ran into was not having the resources to maintain it. Much of the internal ones that we never released got out of date while developing it (due to the fast pace of engine and tool development) and we realized we lacked the resources at the time to release them. We are keeping this in mind though.
We don't have any networked card games, though we did in fact have a single player card game and were working on a networked card game demo.
Your concerns are noted and will be considered. No promises but we may consider updating some demos and releasing them... my question to you is if it would be useful without paired documentation?
#3
That's how I feel with TGB.. the demos look great.. the "box" looks great.. I look for more resources on how to do things.. and empty box.
ANYTHING you can do to provide more help.. including opening up those "private" forums to ALL users... (most importantly potential users) is very important IMO..
09/10/2007 (11:27 am)
Yes it would.... the big problem that many of us run into is just lack of examples, tutorials and documentation. It would be like creating a new cake mix and then not including some instructions on what to do with it. I look at the box and say WOW.. this looks great! Then open it up and dump out the contents and just stare at it.. I shake the box.. and nothing else comes out!That's how I feel with TGB.. the demos look great.. the "box" looks great.. I look for more resources on how to do things.. and empty box.
ANYTHING you can do to provide more help.. including opening up those "private" forums to ALL users... (most importantly potential users) is very important IMO..
#4
What they need to understand is that a new feature in the game engine is useless without the documentation that shows how to use it.
It's like going to buy a car that has a wonderful paint job but no engine or tires and all they keep says is "But doesn't she look great!"
The jobs not done until the documentation is written.
09/18/2007 (8:13 am)
Quote:
We've actually done much more things along these lines in the past, as well as various games that we never released as demos that we wanted. What we ran into was not having the resources to maintain it. Much of the internal ones that we never released got out of date while developing it (due to the fast pace of engine and tool development) and we realized we lacked the resources at the time to release them. We are keeping this in mind though.
What they need to understand is that a new feature in the game engine is useless without the documentation that shows how to use it.
It's like going to buy a car that has a wonderful paint job but no engine or tires and all they keep says is "But doesn't she look great!"
The jobs not done until the documentation is written.
#5
09/22/2007 (11:34 am)
Agreed... GG is not getting that - if you want to market TGB as an easy "editor based" way to create great looking 2D games.. then you need to hand hold folks and that comes with the price of GREAT documentation, lots of updated and maintained examples, an OPEN forum and community and the resources to develop and grow. GG is missing the boat on many of these ... perhaps in the future. 
#6
10/14/2007 (12:50 pm)
I would really, really like to have a working tutorial that described networking in detail. Not just how to create a server and send a chat message, but updating graphics, end game scenarios, etc. would be really nice.
#7
I have taken a couple weeks off this project but am getting started again immediately. I am open to any other feature requests by the way!
I originally intended this pack to be code + tutorials in nature and the artwork would be mostly placeholder art or starter art that comes with TGB. A question to the community though... How much more value would this pack have if it also contained original "classic game" style art?
10/14/2007 (3:10 pm)
I believe networking is beyond the scope of my pack, although I agree with you wholeheartedly. I have taken a couple weeks off this project but am getting started again immediately. I am open to any other feature requests by the way!
I originally intended this pack to be code + tutorials in nature and the artwork would be mostly placeholder art or starter art that comes with TGB. A question to the community though... How much more value would this pack have if it also contained original "classic game" style art?
#8
For starters, classic games had such primitive art that even I could come up with something similar without too much effort and I am by no means an artist.
Except for Bomberman, the games listed in your pack shouldn't have very difficult art to reproduce anyway. I suggest you focus on the code and the detailed tutorial instead of making it look pretty. There are lots of free/cheap art resources but not enough basic gaming documentation.
10/14/2007 (3:54 pm)
In my opinion, art is a non-issue.For starters, classic games had such primitive art that even I could come up with something similar without too much effort and I am by no means an artist.
Except for Bomberman, the games listed in your pack shouldn't have very difficult art to reproduce anyway. I suggest you focus on the code and the detailed tutorial instead of making it look pretty. There are lots of free/cheap art resources but not enough basic gaming documentation.
#9
10/22/2007 (7:36 am)
Don't worry about that.. just release the code! :) I'll take squares and triangles as art..
#10
I am pretty good at getting TGB to do what I want but I constantly find myself getting lost in it. Good documented examples of actual working games would help many of us keep our projects on track and most of us will pay handsomely for your time spent (instead of ours :P).
11/12/2007 (3:04 am)
I agree with Presto126 and Deozaan, the art is not important. If you have enough knowledge to make quality TGB tutorials with code you will breathe a serious breath of new life into the community. I am pretty good at getting TGB to do what I want but I constantly find myself getting lost in it. Good documented examples of actual working games would help many of us keep our projects on track and most of us will pay handsomely for your time spent (instead of ours :P).
#11
Despite your claims that art isn't important I have found a skilled and very reasonable artist to help me out. Whether its important to the purist "coder" or not, I know this will improve the look of this pack by leaps and bounds. Now I can say with confidence you will be getting "complete working games" that really look complete.
Another benifit, I don't have to spend any of my time making even placeholder art. Don't get too eager, i still have a whole lot of work to do, but its getting done gradually!
11/17/2007 (6:11 pm)
A little update:Despite your claims that art isn't important I have found a skilled and very reasonable artist to help me out. Whether its important to the purist "coder" or not, I know this will improve the look of this pack by leaps and bounds. Now I can say with confidence you will be getting "complete working games" that really look complete.
Another benifit, I don't have to spend any of my time making even placeholder art. Don't get too eager, i still have a whole lot of work to do, but its getting done gradually!
Torque Owner Pesto126
Also.. I too would love to see a fully documenated step-by-step tutorial on setting up a 2-4 player card game with network support... poker, blackjack.. heck even WAR would be a big help!