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Category: Game Development
How to make an online game?

Hi I don't know if this is the right place to post this thread but can I ask? What tools do I need or programs to make a graphical online game? Please refer something free or cheap.

You need....


The most ownage text editor ever, NOTEPAD
The most ownage graphics program ever, PAINT
The most ownage OS ever, WINDOWS
The most ownage programming language ever, JAVA
The most ownage personal asset ever, KNOWLEDGE


Now you ask, "how can I acquire these tools?"

Well... I expect you've got numbers 1 through 4 covered. Google the rest.

Disclaimer: These aren't really the most ownage tools. With time, you'll accumulate tools with far more potent potential to own--but you've got to start somewhere. Yes, even an HTML forum.

You need....


The most ownage text editor ever, NOTEPAD
The most ownage graphics program ever, PAINT
The most ownage OS ever, WINDOWS
The most ownage programming language ever, JAVA
The most ownage personal asset ever, KNOWLEDGE


Now you ask, "how can I acquire these tools?"

Well... I expect you've got numbers 1 through 4 covered. Google the rest.

Disclaimer: These aren't really the most ownage tools. With time, you'll accumulate tools with far more potent potential to own--but you've got to start somewhere. Yes, even an HTML forum.

Doesn't have to be Java by itself though. There are Flash, Javascript or whatever the other programming languages are... :-)

Flash isn't a free tool... Personally I use TextMate and OS X. But hey, that's just me. I'm sure we could all name 15 free tools and languages; I was just trying to get the ball rolling. Uphill.

Flash isn't a free tool... Personally I use TextMate and OS X. But hey, that's just me. I'm sure we could all name 15 free tools and languages; I was just trying to get the ball rolling. Uphill.
have you made ne simple online games? if so can you post them here

If you want to make a graphical online game and ask how to do it I need to know a few things first.

What kind of game will it be? Single-player, Multi-player, MMO? Real-time, Tick-based, Turn-based? Are you aiming for something like a 'Connect 4'-Applet for your website or a real-time multiplayer strategy game?

These choices will all heavily influence what technologies are viable for your project and therefore the knowledge you need to complete the project.

But for a few tools that are free:

Text-editors: Weaverslave, Quanta, Notepad (yes seriously)
Graphics Editor: GIMP, Paint (for simplest things... why not?)
Server-stuff: Apache, PHP, mysql
just to name a few things.

I made my first online game right around the time "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone" hit the shelves. Which would make me... 12? 13? No matter. It was titled "Harry Potter: Wizards' Duel", and programmed in client-side, IE exclusive Javascript (I've come a long way). My text editor of choice was the endurable cyan editor "Notepad". I didn't bog myself down with difficult decisions; I had yet to realize the superiority of every other text editors in existence. In spite of its many shortcomings, years of experience with MS's bare bones editor*1 toughened me up for the down and dirty code-fu to come.

My graphics program of choice of the time was Paint Shop Pro (likely version 7). The "dueling wizards" manifested themselves as robed stick figures with beige heads. In retrospect, these forms could have been concocted in Paint. There would have been no more fancy effects to distract me, either; get playing with those filters and you might as well call the entailing 4 wasted hours of your life dust in the wind. The game, too, is most regretably "dust in the wind"*2, or I'd gladly show it off for your benefit.

*1 "Bare Bones" is the company backing a remarkable feat of text editor engineering, by the by

*2 In lieu of this post's obvious lack of practical value (beyond the satisfaction accorded to one particular nostalgist,) I feel inclined to point out that I also enjoy the song dust in the wind. And long walks on the beach. And... Where the hell am I going with this?

If you want to make a graphical online game and ask how to do it I need to know a few things first.

What kind of game will it be? Single-player, Multi-player, MMO? Real-time, Tick-based, Turn-based? Are you aiming for something like a 'Connect 4'-Applet for your website or a real-time multiplayer strategy game?

These choices will all heavily influence what technologies are viable for your project and therefore the knowledge you need to complete the project.

But for a few tools that are free:

Text-editors: Weaverslave, Quanta, Notepad (yes seriously)
Graphics Editor: GIMP, Paint (for simplest things... why not?)
Server-stuff: Apache, PHP, mysql
just to name a few things.



I got ideas on multiplayer, tick-based, something like a community game where you can be a ruler or an adventurer/citizen belonging to a kingdom. What should I do??? I am a fool I cant understand most things coz I'm only 13 please make'em easier for me. TNX!

I don't want to sound too discouraging but there are hundreds of browser games already and at least a few dozens of them fit your description.

If you're 13, you typically learn HOW to make games. You don't make real games just yet. If you want to make a game anyway, go ahead.

The way you speak generally lends itself to the impression that you're a simple n00b k1dd13, by the way. And no one will take your big plans too seriously.

Learn about communication protocols, using sockets to update clients from a master map, that'd be key for what you're after.

XMLHttpRequest would be good to lookup details on the players in the game, but you'll need some strategy to minimise bandwidth usage.

if (update) {
details.download;
map.item.reposition
} else {
map.item.reposition;
}

You can push ascii characters about the screen, until you get the basic building blocks correct.

Determine the roles of the clients and the server in this relationship. If you give too much control to the client, you open opportunities for cheating (oh, and they will - Sony BMG is allegedly sought after ;p). Too much work on the server side, and you can seriously limit how many players per server.

Basically identify all the areas of the game you wish to develop, and then determine the technology required to address each of these issues ... you'd be well advised to this ahead of writing a single line of code, also think reusable code ... it'll be a pain in the *** initially, but it will speed up development long term

There has to be a plethora of tutorials on the subject out there. Google is your friend

Oh yea, AJAX is such an awesome tool to use. Unfortunately, like Java, Flash, etc., they all suffer from the bandwidth issues whether the server is busy or not, whether there's a interruption of communction on the Internet. Like a power surge/brownout or router convergence issues... :-) It would make someone want to throw the keyboard at the monitor.

What do I save the file as if I am using notepad

What do I save the file as if I am using notepad :confused: what file?

"If you're 13, you typically learn HOW to make games. You don't make real games just yet. If you want to make a game anyway, go ahead.

The way you speak generally lends itself to the impression that you're a simple n00b k1dd13, by the way. And no one will take your big plans too seriously." Jaffet

S'cuse me, I'm ten. And im looking on this page to also make an online game. I don't know what your problem is, man, but i'd take it seriously. Im a noob, yes, but with you being cocky isn't helping anyone. Thanks, guys, for posting the programs i could use [Although Knowledge may be at a low rate!]

So, anyone got any advice a helpless kid like me could follow?

Im planning on making an online game, people can access for free. Where you can walk around and talk to people, gain points and things. I wanna know how you make it, how to upload everything, the amount of things i need to learn is unbeleivable, but all i need right now is a starting point! :D

Im planning on making an online game, people can access for free. Where you can walk around and talk to people, gain points and things. I wanna know how you make it, how to upload everything, the amount of things i need to learn is unbeleivable, but all i need right now is a starting point! :DWhat skills and technologies do you have competence in?

If your online game is being played through the browser, if you want real-time graphics you'll definitely need either Flash or Java. Browser based games that don't need real time graphics have more options like PHP, Javascript/AJAX, Python, ruby, etc. If you don't need your online game to be browser based, just your game needs to be multi-player, any language with graphics capabilities will do. C, C++, Java, Python, C#, VB.NET, etc. Could you tell us what flavor of online game you mean?

What skills and technologies do you have competence in?

If your online game is being played through the browser, if you want real-time graphics you'll definitely need either Flash or Java. Browser based games that don't need real time graphics have more options like PHP, Javascript/AJAX, Python, ruby, etc. If you don't need your online game to be browser based, just your game needs to be multi-player, any language with graphics capabilities will do. C, C++, Java, Python, C#, VB.NET, etc. Could you tell us what flavor of online game you mean?


Heh, My skills? I mostly have skills in graphics really. My dads a super computer geek, so he'll probably be handy.

I don't want any game like.. let's say, online tetris. A multiplayer game where you can get millions of registered people :D - I do have Java, and everything else i might need. A site where you can chat and stuff, and also customize rooms, get points and buy things [Points from the game]

Well i'd say for anyone who doesn't have a ton of knowledge of a variety of programming languages to not attempt making a MMO game with "millions of registered users". Teams of hundreds of programmers, design artists, etc, in professional game studios (i.e. squaresoft) can only make something like that.

If you want to make a game, I would suggest starting small with a simple browser based fantasy game or something... using MySQL as a database and PHP to program. Flash is expensive and you need knowledge of PHP to program in it anyway.

Heh, My skills? I mostly have skills in graphics really. My dads a super computer geek, so he'll probably be handy.

I don't want any game like.. let's say, online tetris. A multiplayer game where you can get millions of registered people :D - I do have Java, and everything else i might need. A site where you can chat and stuff, and also customize rooms, get points and buy things [Points from the game]I'd say first learn to use the tools... and deeply. If all you know how to do is make graphics, then at this moment you can only be part of a team of making a game- the graphics designer.
If you want to make those little addicting games that you see all over the net that people play for hours on end, but then once they close the browser and are done forever- thats usually Macromedia Flash.... sometimes Java.
If you want to make World of Wacraft- start now... you might be ready by the time you're 25-30 to even think of helping in production of that.
If you want to do those web based games thats all text (slavehack, cybernations, etc) and turn based, learn PHP/SQL or some other scripting language.
If you want to make real time text based games (like MUDS), then learn C/C++ and make an RPG. We all have done it. Theyre very complex when you play them, but rather simple to make.
If you want to make it so that RPG you made has graphics, learn Object Orientated Programming so that when you make that RPG, you can easily put some graphics to it.

But if you want to get in the industry- best place to start: learn C/C++/C#/Java... any of them. Preferably C/C++ (essentially the same language)... and if you're having trouble learning OOP, learn Java- it really brings it down to earth.

Bloodshed Dev C++ is a rather clean/simple/straightforward compiler/editor in one. Its free, too.

Anyway, stick to the beginner forum, and beginner programming forums, and learn to program first. Don't jump right into a specific field of programming. I've been programming for 11 years, and I'm still "dumb" in this industry. It takes LOTS of time to master your work and become good at it. LOTS of headaches, all nighters, loss of friends, etc. You need to be very dedicated to learn programming and be good at it. You need to eat/sleep/dream code all the way till your in your early 20s if you want to land a job anywhere with Microsoft, EA, or other big software guys.

Don't let this discourage you. I haven't been too insane with coding, but i do alot of it for hobby. I started in BASIC, then went to C. My first "game" in basic was a guessing game. My first "game" in C was, also. After bout a year in C, I started on a very basic RPG. A few years later, I went onto a much more advanced version of that text based....then went onto make it more "advanced". I haven't touched it in a while, but I just started cleaning it up lately and I plan on applying a GUI to it finally.

have fun!

The most ownage text editor ever, NOTEPAD



I disagree the most ownage text editor ever i think is textpad. it has intergrated ascii list thing, and the find replace tools are much faster. when on a document 5000+ lines notepad begins to become slow whereas textpad is nearly instant.

regards










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