[GRdev] Hobbyist game development

Anything to do with games at all.
User avatar
That's not a growth
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by That's not a growth » Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:20 pm

It's quite old now, but I went through a couple of 'cooking with unity' videos a few years ago - and ended up using some of the theory to help my brother make scratch space Invaders.

At least while you're waiting for better answers you have something playable within a few hours.

User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by That » Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:27 pm

I'm guessing Unity might be quite intimidating as a very first development tool?

Saying that, if you have good tutorials I think anything can work!

more heat than light wrote:Hey dudes. I am in an awful state at the moment and it's making me re-evaluate a few things. Where would be the best place to start for someone with absolutely no experience at all to learn to make a simple videogame? Cheers in advance.

I think Game Maker is supposed to be pretty good for people with less experience, if you're looking to make general 2D games. It can make games in the vein of Pong, Gradius, Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy, and so on.

There are some genre specific tools I've heard are beginner friendly - Twine for interactive fiction and RenPy for visual novels.

Image
User avatar
more heat than light
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: mhtl
Location: Leicestershire

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by more heat than light » Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:31 pm

Thanks guys, was kinda just looking for a pointer in the right direction, just randomly searching earlier was bringing up all kinds of stuff. Appreciate it. :-)

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:MHTL is an OG ledge
User avatar
Jenuall
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Jenuall
Location: 40 light-years outside of the Exeter nebula
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by Jenuall » Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:46 am

Jump straight in with coding your own game engine, it's the only way.

Make sure you do it in C as that's a nice, approachable language. ;)

But yeah as TNAG and Karl say there are various options - Unity and Unreal are a bit more heavyweight than Game Maker Toolkit but there are a huge number of tutorials (both written and video based) out there to get you going whichever avenue you choose to explore.

There are paid training options as well. I signed up for an "intro to Unity" course on Udemy a few years back and it was really useful. Only cost about £10 as it was a deal and you got plenty of material to help you out.

User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by OrangeRKN » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:04 pm

As a way of encouraging myself to start the new year off with some more game dev I had the idea to make a GRcade clicker. I thought it might be fun to collaborate on if anyone is interested? I have no desire or expectation of making it finely balanced so I'll happily accept additions or ideas for additions!

At the moment you can click to post or click to earn money. You can spend money on spambots which make between 3 and 10 posts before being banned, the prices make them statistically slightly more efficient as well as getting cheaper in bulk. I was thinking it could tell you as you surpass certain post milestones or something as a driving goal.

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235
jawa2
Member
Joined in 2020

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by jawa2 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:14 pm

OrangeRKN wrote:As a way of encouraging myself to start the new year off with some more game dev I had the idea to make a GRcade clicker...

I just played it, OR! I got up to 200 posts aided by a few spambots.

jawa2
Member
Joined in 2020

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by jawa2 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:26 pm

OrangeRKN wrote:...

You've got some cool stuff on your site and I just tried out your 8-Bit Canvas utility on my tablet, too!

#ffffff,#000000,#cccccc,#808080,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,3,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,0,0,1,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,0,0,1,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,0,0,1,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,3,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,3,3,3,0,1,3,1,3,0,1,3,3,3,0,0,1,3,0,0,0,1,3,3,0,0,1,3,1,3,0,0,1,3,0,0,0,1,3,1,3,0,1,3,1,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0


:datass: .

User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by That » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:37 pm

OrangeRKN wrote:As a way of encouraging myself to start the new year off with some more game dev I had the idea to make a GRcade clicker. I thought it might be fun to collaborate on if anyone is interested? I have no desire or expectation of making it finely balanced so I'll happily accept additions or ideas for additions!

At the moment you can click to post or click to earn money. You can spend money on spambots which make between 3 and 10 posts before being banned, the prices make them statistically slightly more efficient as well as getting cheaper in bulk. I was thinking it could tell you as you surpass certain post milestones or something as a driving goal.

It's a fun concept! I think if you look at Cookie Clicker, you've got many ways to give yourself a constant resource/second as well as giving yourself more resource/click. Those might be good items to add next?

User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by That » Sat Jan 09, 2021 10:17 pm

more heat than light wrote:Thanks guys, was kinda just looking for a pointer in the right direction, just randomly searching earlier was bringing up all kinds of stuff. Appreciate it. :-)

Did you have a crack at any of those tools? No expectation or anything, I just remembered your last post & was curious!

Image
User avatar
more heat than light
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: mhtl
Location: Leicestershire

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by more heat than light » Sun Jan 10, 2021 9:18 am

Karl_ wrote:
more heat than light wrote:Thanks guys, was kinda just looking for a pointer in the right direction, just randomly searching earlier was bringing up all kinds of stuff. Appreciate it. :-)

Did you have a crack at any of those tools? No expectation or anything, I just remembered your last post & was curious!


Yes, thanks for asking! I decide to dive headfirst into Unity, started with various YouTube videos (there are hundreds of really helpful starter tips there) and I got a rather substantial book for Christmas which I'm slowly working my way through.

I wasn't going to post back until I had something substantial to show off, and Christmas holidays / schools being shut has slowed my efforts down somewhat. But I'm really thankful for the advice here. I know it doesn't sound like much but I was really struggling with some pretty heavy apathy, and this has lit a bit of a flame in me. Baby steps, sure, but it's a start. :)

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:MHTL is an OG ledge
User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by OrangeRKN » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:46 pm

jawa2 wrote:You've got some cool stuff on your site and I just tried out your 8-Bit Canvas utility on my tablet, too!


Thanks jawa! And nice artwork :lol: It's obviously not really useful as an editor but I enjoyed making it!

Karl_ wrote:
OrangeRKN wrote:GRClicker

It's a fun concept! I think if you look at Cookie Clicker, you've got many ways to give yourself a constant resource/second as well as giving yourself more resource/click. Those might be good items to add next?


Now you can start streaming after reaching 50 posts. You earn money every second for every subscriber you have, and subscribers have a 10% chance to increase every second by one hundredth of your post count. It's currently pretty broken once you get enough subs as you get into a vicious feedback loop only limited by how quickly you can click to buy 100 spambots :lol:

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235
User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by That » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:08 pm

Image

While uploading this screenshot I went up to Money: £134653.76, Subscribers: 182342. :lol: :wub:



more heat than light wrote:Yes, thanks for asking! I decide to dive headfirst into Unity, started with various YouTube videos (there are hundreds of really helpful starter tips there) and I got a rather substantial book for Christmas which I'm slowly working my way through.

I wasn't going to post back until I had something substantial to show off, and Christmas holidays / schools being shut has slowed my efforts down somewhat. But I'm really thankful for the advice here. I know it doesn't sound like much but I was really struggling with some pretty heavy apathy, and this has lit a bit of a flame in me. Baby steps, sure, but it's a start. :)

This sounds really cool! I don't know too much about Unity so I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of stuff you get up to!

Image
User avatar
Jenuall
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Jenuall
Location: 40 light-years outside of the Exeter nebula
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by Jenuall » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:50 pm

I don't get the whole "clicker" thing and have never actually tried one so dont think I can help with that I'm afraid!

Good luck though!

User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by OrangeRKN » Sun Jan 10, 2021 9:50 pm

@Karl I told you it was broken! :lol:

Jenuall wrote:I don't get the whole "clicker" thing...


To be honest it's not particularly my thing either! I've played a few but never any persistently - I will sit down and play with my full attention, then close the tab when I get bored somewhere within an hour. That definitely suits the more "clicker" aspect of the genre than the "idle" aspect to give them their other name! Universal Paperclips is the best I have tried given the suitable theming of it, it ties in very well to the clicker gameplay with its exponential growth. I played it for a good half an hour or so then read a guide to find out where the game went from there :lol:

You might be interested to know I just added a new feature to mine though - once you hit 200 posts you can "reimplement post count logic". Every post will then have a 20% to go through as normal, a 40% chance to count double, and a 40% chance not to be counted at all. It's called jenuallMode in the code :msgreen:

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235
User avatar
Jenuall
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Jenuall
Location: 40 light-years outside of the Exeter nebula
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by Jenuall » Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:47 pm

Image

User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by OrangeRKN » Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:59 pm

:wub:

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235
User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by OrangeRKN » Fri Jan 22, 2021 1:52 am

I've updated Unawakening! It might - might - now be complete! The new changes are:

- New player sprite (please tell me how it looks!)
- Added shrine
- Updated RACCOON'S SHACK OF SECRETS
- Added ocarina

The player sprite is now a hooded figure rather than the bald placeholder. I want the player character to be ambiguous as they represent the player themselves.

The shrine was previously blocked by an old man. See if you can solve its secret! A clue: Pay attention to the torches after visiting the endless woods

The shack of secrets was previously a placeholder. Now (once it opens) the raccoon will talk to you about the last NPC you spoke with.

An ocarina can now be found somewhere in the game. A clue: Search a screen that is otherwise unused

Let me know what you think!

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235
jawa2
Member
Joined in 2020

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by jawa2 » Sat Jan 23, 2021 3:16 pm

OrangeRKN wrote:I've updated Unawakening! It might - might - now be complete!...

...Let me know what you think!


Image

:shock: ...I'm playing right now!

Image

jawa2
Member
Joined in 2020

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by jawa2 » Sat Jan 23, 2021 3:20 pm

Hee-hee!

In-game character wrote:Do you always look in other people's drawers?


Edit: Just found the GR reference :lol: .

Edit: The library! :wub: .

Edit: I just met OR!

Last edited by jawa2 on Sat Jan 23, 2021 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: [GRdev] Hobbyist game development
by OrangeRKN » Sat Jan 23, 2021 3:44 pm

jawa2 wrote:Image


:lol:

Thanks for playing jawa! Do let me know how you find it.

I've been trying to work out why it runs slowly on (specifically as far as I have found) Firefox on Windows. My update logic that tries to keep it running at 60FPS just doesn't work as expected with that setup - I call setTimeout with one value (usually about 15ms) but firefox actually delays the next update by 20-30ms. With any other browser I've tested, including firefox on ubuntu, the actual delay matches up (near enough) with the delay requested. Very frustrating!

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235

Return to “Games”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ITSMILNER, more heat than light, OldSoulCyborg and 377 guests