Very appropriate emoticon.

:rofl:

That was just hilarious xD

Another potentially interesting beginner's Python tutorial: http://inventwithpython.com/chapters/

Any of you guys ever written an XML parser in C++? I'm working on one right now and have a few unresolved externals that I can't figure out how to fix.

[EDIT]: Never mind, as expected it was a missing library file.

Just got my latest PHP project onto http://code.google.com/p/es-search/ at last.

Guys, I've an important question to ask you all. Please help.

I'm developing my programming skills to create a platforming game I'll present to a council of teachers for my senior project. Here is my text document regarding the basic ideas I have.

1. McPygame(SENIOR PROJECT):A. Platformer	a. Mario-like features		-Jump on enemies head they die		-Colorful world, stylized	b. Ropegun(main focus)		-Latches, detaches		-Reels in, repels		-Swing with it(physics?)	c. One level needed only!		-Don't try anything too fancy until the ropegun works		-One level only needed for presentation		-Don't overdo it with the difficulty!	d. Level design		-Vertical level design		-Ropegun is imperative

I've named it McPygame because I've been planning to create this in PyGame. Though after looking through the games produced in PyGame, I've come to the conclusion that there must be some far more powerful alternative.

What alternative would best suit my needs for this project? I'm not asking for a fill in the blanks game engine like Game Maker or what have you, I want to build this from the ground up.
I know the basics of C++ and Java, but my primary language is Python, and I'm willing to put in the time to learn other languages seeing as how I have more than a year to create this.

In a nut shell, what language, library, or whatever else(please explain the whatever elses to me) would you recommend for me to develop this game?

Is that up on failblog already?

If it's not then why?! :stare:

Is it going to be 2D or 3D? If the latter, I'd suggest using C++. You mentioned physics as a possibility for the ropegun (very Bionic Commando), in which case you could implement Havok if you want to take it that far, as it's now free for non-commercial development.

Definitely 2D, I'm a novice with Blender. As for Havok, how difficult would it be to implement?

Just looked at Bionic Commando.

Bionic Commando's 3D if I recall correctly, but yours is 2D, which should be significantly easier to program, because you're excluding the z axis. As for Havok, I have no idea, but I'd imagine that it would be done via a hook. I think. (Don't know a lot about programming, only the theory. )

The original Bionic Commando and the recent XBLA remake were both 2D (well, the remake was 3D but played like a 2D platformer). The recent retail game was fully 3D, but wasn't that great.

Anyway, Havok wouldn't really be worthwhile if it's just a 2D game, and is probably too complicated for such a project. It's relatively easy to implement Havok if you are familiar with C++ and the likes of DirectX or OpenGL, but otherwise it's probably going to be too much.

I was planning a rope which, when it conflicts with something, attaches and initiates the controls to reel the player in, repel the player, or detach. This idea mostly comes from the Worm games' "Ninja Rope".
As for a hook, this is a great idea. Attaching the script explained above onto the hook, along with one that creates rope between the gun and the hook accordingly, should produce some nice results.

Does this sound like an accurate layout?

Edit:

Is Havok designed to support 2D games? I'm sure with some research I'd be able to implement such a engine to create a more interactive world.

How should I go about learning C++? I know how OOP works, and the syntax of C++. But how can I begin creating games with C++? Which would be better for this project, OpenGL or DirectX?

Are you going to allow the player to swing around on the rope? Instantly reeling them in would only let them climb obstacles if there was something above the platform they wanted to get to.

Yes, jump features will definitely be included too, so sometimes there won't be something above them to latch onto. But since vertical maps are what I was planning, swinging will be very important.

So you'll be adding controls to enable the players to detach, lower themselves, pull themselves up and to swing? Would swinging add extra speed after a while of swinging? It's important to set everything out as explicit as you can, so there's no confusion.

I voted "other" - my formal background is Java, I've done a few major projects in C, I taught myself PHP, and my hobby is C++, sort of. But in my current job I'm mostly using Bash

I actually know very little "pure" C++ - it's almost all been done with Qt, which gives me nice things like documentation, containers, GUI elements...

I guess the next thread will have to be on version control systems

I wish I could programme and I will probably learn some once I get the time (highly likely C++) but I'm just wondering what are some practical "day to day" (so to speak) uses for it? Thanks guys.

Whichever you want. Performance isn't going to be an issue to the level you require C++.


A high level wrapper around one (or both) of them. Me on another site:



While I recommended Ogre3D there, it may not be the best for this project. Another alternative you could look into is http://www.libsdl.org/. Never used it, don't have a clue (Still looks quite low level). :shrug: Maybe more suited to 2D games.

In an effort to bump this thread with something useful, is anyone else (Other than Max) a member of http://stackoverflow.com/? I find it good as it points out to me that there are a lot of times when I think I may know an answer to a question, only to find I do not know it well enough to explain to someone else (in other words, I don't know it). It has improved my ability to write error free code without a compiler and write good answers to questions though.

I am still trying to find time to learn more Haskell and failing I really like the language and that, but I haven't yet got to anything where state is involved which makes my knowledge of it still rather useless and limited to maths and other theoretical problems.


Next, I have a question. I think I understand Hashmaps, however the one thing that alludes me is how they are represented in memory. As (for example) the hash map in TR1 uses hashes from 0 to the maximum value of size_t, which if you had a slot for every possible hash in this range it would take up huge amounts of memory (and waste a huge amount). The only way I could think of doing it would be to have a number of slots and just dividing the hash of the input value to ensure the actual offset is within the bounds of the slots. Is this the way it is done?

SO(and the rest of the trilogy) are great sites. I'm not very active on SO, though, everybody's better than me, so I just hang back and learn. Fairly active on SU, though.

Ah I remember reading http://superuser.com/questions/85355/pulling-the-plug-out-for-10-seconds/85356#85356 on SU but didn't connect it to anyone back here. I wish this forum was a bit more like SO[UF] in some ways. I keep getting urges to correct other peoples posts

It's a lovely system, it really deserves all the popularity it's gotten, and I've learnt a lot from hanging around the sites, too - I'd recommend it to anyone.

Used it a few times and I must agree. It's a good community and you're sure to get quick answers.

My primary programming language is Java -- been doing that heavily for the past 10 years. I've focused more towards J2EE lately. I know C and C++, but those languages have taken a back seat lately.

I think this would be better to ask in here than creating a new thread...

What program/s, programming language and other skills would I need to make a game like this: http://armorgames.com/play/3469/robot-dinosaurs-that-shoot-beams-when-they-roar