Continuing on from GPGT...
by Gareth Hewes · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 10/13/2008 (2:10 pm) · 3 replies
I recently finished working through the tutorials in the Game Programmer's Guide to Torque, and found it to be very enlightening. The only problem I have with this, is that now I don't know exactly how to proceed and continue learning about TorqueScript.
It's like comparing it to architecture (easiest comparison for me, since it's my major XD): I know now from reading the book what the components of a house are. I know the components that hold up the walls, I know windows, and doors, and arches and joists. In short, I know all of the COMPONENTS used to make a house. However, my knowledge is incomplete until I can utilize those all together to make a complete house, which is the finished Torque Engine.
The more I look at the scripting behind the engine, the less I feel like I know. Like, I know how a house is shaped, but my view of it is complicated by all of the plumbing, and electrical, and air ducts, and...you get the idea.
I have accepted not knowing the whole thing. I am not a programmer by any means, so I don't know the underlying theory behind how half of the stuff works. The main problem I have is that to create my own game, I will have to add things I don't know how to implement. In addition, I have to understand how to strip the things that I don't need out, like the existing menus, things like that. So to speak, which walls bear weight and which ones are only to partition space.
I guess there really isn't an answer to this question, since it isn't really a question at all. In short, if I had to cut it down to something that could be answered, it would be, "What is the best way to understand the interrelation of all of the default files that come with the engine...for example, the template that comes with TGEA 1.7? Is there a way to explain it all as a whole (which I know would be a daunting task), or does understanding only really come when you analyze it piece-by-piece?"
Any thoughts would be appreciated, even if you don't have any particular answers.
It's like comparing it to architecture (easiest comparison for me, since it's my major XD): I know now from reading the book what the components of a house are. I know the components that hold up the walls, I know windows, and doors, and arches and joists. In short, I know all of the COMPONENTS used to make a house. However, my knowledge is incomplete until I can utilize those all together to make a complete house, which is the finished Torque Engine.
The more I look at the scripting behind the engine, the less I feel like I know. Like, I know how a house is shaped, but my view of it is complicated by all of the plumbing, and electrical, and air ducts, and...you get the idea.
I have accepted not knowing the whole thing. I am not a programmer by any means, so I don't know the underlying theory behind how half of the stuff works. The main problem I have is that to create my own game, I will have to add things I don't know how to implement. In addition, I have to understand how to strip the things that I don't need out, like the existing menus, things like that. So to speak, which walls bear weight and which ones are only to partition space.
I guess there really isn't an answer to this question, since it isn't really a question at all. In short, if I had to cut it down to something that could be answered, it would be, "What is the best way to understand the interrelation of all of the default files that come with the engine...for example, the template that comes with TGEA 1.7? Is there a way to explain it all as a whole (which I know would be a daunting task), or does understanding only really come when you analyze it piece-by-piece?"
Any thoughts would be appreciated, even if you don't have any particular answers.
#2
Thanks for the help!
10/13/2008 (2:54 pm)
I will be sure to check that out. And my main thing is just to try to learn, not allow myself to be convinced "I'll never understand this!" Because that's probably what's limited me from trying to understand it to this point anyway.Thanks for the help!
#3
10/13/2008 (2:57 pm)
You're very welcome. Generally reading the source of any script will teach you a lot if you are keen on jumping from script to script to track down what this or that does. 
Associate Konrad Kiss
Bitgap Games
Here is an invaluable TDN article. This will make you familiar with the order of execution. If you have the time, a good idea would be just to follow each of the functions mentioned through the script source, and paying attention to what they actually do line by line. Torsion would be a good idea to get, because its topic sensitive tools (ie. open a file where the underlying function is defined) will be of great help.
Once you go through these, you will pretty much understand why things are the way they are, and what you could skip, or what you would want to do differently. Good luck!