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Advice For Developers
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About This Page
Occasionally I get emails from programmers who want advice concerning game development, so I thought I'd assign a page on Cornutopia to offering advice and answering some common questions.
Making Hector, The Cornutopia 3D Engine
I started by making Trax, a simple 3D game in DirectX7. Over a few years and games this was improved and refined. The maths isn't very difficult (I had to teach myself just to program my engine). The only maths you really need is how to transform a point to screen coords (this is matrix multiplication) and knowledge of vectors is useful.
Ultimately, I programmed my engine from the docs that come with the DirectX API. That's all you need. The best way to go is to make a simple game because then you know what you need and what you don't. Microsoft make a lot of the work descision making, not learning, so it's best to have a specific goal in mind as opposed to trying to make an engine that can do everything.
Languages
I program in C++ and use Microsoft Visual Studio 6. Whatever language you choose you'll need an appropriate compiler. It's a myth that one computer language is more difficult or more easy to learn than any other. If you can program in one language, it's easy to learn another.
Development
A game is design, programming, graphics, level design, sound and play-testing. When making a game, the graphics, level design and play-testing take up almost all of the time and work. Planning the game beforehand is important. Some developers make detailed design documents but all you really need is to know what you want to do before you do it. If you are making design decisions when programming, you are making them too late.
Marketing
If you want to sell the game you will have to add marketing to the list, this will take up most of your time and will start even before the game is complete. You'll have to deal with customers and feedback, the game press, competitors, fraudsters and pirates, web design, file hosting, contracts and other things too.
Publishers
If your game is done and you're happy with it then you might be approached by a distributor or publisher. They might want exclusive or non-exclusive use of your game, exclusive means you can't sign the game to anyone else. Any publisher should be easy to contact and should be willing to offer you an advance, money up front, for exclusive rights. Never accept a royalty-only exclusive deal.
Useful Links
www.gamedev.net
Gamedev is a games programmers resource with comprehensive forums for all levels of programmer or game designer.
forums.indiegamer.com
The hub of the independent game developer community. These forums are intended for professionals and not hobbyists, but the people there can offer useful advice for those who are serious about becoming a game developer.
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Link Friends
MarkSheeky.co.uk
Lost In Flatspace
Indie Proofing
IndieSFX Sound Effects
Bytten Game Reviews
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