Where to start?!?!

Hi all,
I'm intrested in making a simple game like tic-tac-toe or tetris (if that is indeed simple) but I dont know where to start. I would prefer to write in C++ but not VC++. Before ya all flame me, I did search google and read the stickies on this forum, but it seems there are almost only tuts for 3D games with OpenGL or such. Thats too difficult for me yet. So, does anyone know of a good tutorial for simple game development?
thx // lingon

Gamedev.net is a good starting place for tutorials and a good forum for any sort of game developer.

How much of C++ do you currently know? Are you on linux or windows? Do you know any windowing APIs, for example Win32, MFC, GTK, QT?

Generally, after you learn C++ syntax, you either make console games. Or if you want to make a 2D game, you go through a similar process for 3D game. First, you need to be able to make GUIs, simple ones at least. Then, you need to learn a graphics API.

Well, I used to know quiet a bit of C++ but then all of a sudden two years ago I just stopped programming and now I am beginning to pick it all up again, thats why I thought a game would be a good thing to do because a game usually contains many parts of programming. I have done some Win32 API hooking with quiet poor results. I was thinking of a 2D windows game but maybe console is the way to go. How do you make GUIs? An external library like DirectX or so?

GUI stands for Graphical User Interface, I think you have to include <windows.h> in C++ to make GUI's

I am looking into using a library called SDL. Do you guys know if its any good?

Was the C++ you learnt two years ago modern C++? STL, iterators, auto pointers, templates, are you familiar with them? Consider picking up a modern C++ book if you aren't.



You could make a game for practice. If you're only practicing C++, I suggest you do something first in console, so you avoid both GUI programming and graphics. After you dust off your C++ knowledge, then you can move ahead.



So you are using Windows right? There's a few options available to you. The most direct way is to use the Win32API. Well, in general you should download the Windows SDK and look through the API. It's effectively your way of manipulating the OS through C++. It also allows you to make windows and GUIs.

You could also learn something that sits on top of win32API. MFC and WTL (unofficial Microsoft contribution) allow you to make GUIs faster and easier, although I never got into them.

There are some open source toolkits that allow you to make GUIs. GTK, QT, wxWindows, and FLTK are possible choices. GTK and QT are well known. They are cross platform, used primarily in linux.

Each choice has its pros and cons. I recommend you understand how making win32API guis works, at a basic level. The reason is, you'll understand the message/event based programming that's a staple of GUI programming.

Finally, you might have to learn graphics. If you need complex 2D graphics, there's three choices available to you on windows. Windows GDI+ is the most basic. You most likely want to go the DirectX or OpenGL route, though. DirectX is actually a whole set of APIs for graphics, input, and sound.

DirectX reflects COM programming in C/C++. It can be very confusing at first, unless you are familiar with COM. OpenGL is graphics only, so you usually combine it with some other libraries for game programming. Don't ask openGL vs DirectX here. It's one of those questions that gets debated endlessly and your best hope is to get the facts through google.



SDL is a cross platform layer over audio, graphics, input, etc. It's pretty popular. The thing is, it's just a layer that allows you access to the different hardware devices. You still need to know what to do with them. For example, SDL works with OpenGL to give you access to the video card. But you still need to know OpenGL.

Wow, thanks alot Oler1s, I can tell you know what you are talking about. I think I'll begin with dusting off my C++ skills and then look into Windows SDK.

EDIT: There seems to be quite alot of SDK for windows by microsoft. Wich one to use? :S

I'm not sure I understand. What SDKs are you talking about? If you're working directly with win32, you'll want the Windows SDK. DirectX requires DirectX SDK. Other SDKs I mentioned are not by MS.

On this site they have listed alot of different SDKs and maybe I missunderstood this but wich one of these is the one to chose for making GUIs and later on graphics?

In my post where I mention the different GUI and graphics options you have, I refer to two official Microsoft SDKs. The first is the Windows Platform SDK, the second is DirectX SDK.

Windows Platform SDK: Just look through the listings, and pick out the Windows Server 2003 Platform SDK. That's the latest.
DirectX: Straightforward here. DirectX SDK. Actually, the DirectX SDK is released monthly with updates. So currently it's the August 2006 DirectX SDK.

Be careful when you see something about redist. If you play DirectX games, you don't need to have the whole SDK installed. Just the appropriate supporting files. These are the Redist files, stuff that you can "redistribute" with your programs. You automatically get those files (obviously) if you download the SDK.

Okay sweet, thanks