I want to make a game - where start what do

[madhair60]

I've had an idea for a single-screen multi-stage platform game not unlike Manic Miner. I know people who can help with art and music, so it just comes down to me to make the thing. Now, I have zero programming skills, but a single-screen platformer seems like it really shouldn't be beyond me to figure out.

Can anyone advise me on where to start? Easier to use editors/software, that sort of thing. Ideally I want to make this thing and put it on Steam sometime.

[bgmnts]

Will this be on the Commodore 64 or the Amstrad GX4000?

[madhair60]

As I just said, it will be on Steam.

[bgmnts]

So no scope for retro console ports?

I'm out.

[the]

a single-screen multi-stage platform game

One of my favourite genres, I applaud this. Unfortunately I can't help you with how to put it together.

(And if there is some sort of construction kit for this sort of game floating about, I'd also like to know about it.)

[MojoJojo]

Godot is the trendy knew guy on the block - it's open source, which is nice.

GameMaker has been around for years and years so has a lot more features and a lot more tutorials. There is a free version but some restrictions to encourage you to pay. And all the features are probably a distraction. So I'd recommend godot first (https://godotengine.org/)

[a duncandisorderly]

Godot is the trendy knew guy on the block - it's open source, which is nice.

GameMaker has been around for years and years so has a lot more features and a lot more tutorials. There is a free version but some restrictions to encourage you to pay. And all the features are probably a distraction. So I'd recommend godot first (https://godotengine.org/)

so now what- we sit & wait?

[Consignia]

Was going to suggest unity, but looking at Godot is probably better suited. It's been a while since I've done any games dev.

[Kelvin]

Just do it in Mario Maker 2 and save yourself the stress

[the]

Just do it in Mario Maker 2 and save yourself the stressdon't use any imagination, craft or game design skills of your own

[Replies From View]

Or if you're after something more instant:

[madhair60]

Nervous about this because I reckon it could genuinely be good, but I know NOTHING about coding.

[Twed]

I do, I like Manic Miner and have created Manic Miner clones in the past and really want to work on an imaginative one, so maybe we can do something

[madhair60]

Gonna PM you.

[Twed]

Sorry, I wasn't clear: I don't want to have to fucking talk to you during this process.

[batwings]

Back in the early 80s my neighbour was going on about making space invaders on his ZX 81. One day he invited over to see how he was doing. He had basically used the print command to display a facsimile of the classic space invaders screen in one massive quote of block characters. "Now all I've got to do is work out how to make it move." he informed me. So, maybe try something like that?

[Replies From View]

Back in the early 80s my neighbour was going on about making space invaders on his ZX 81. One day he invited over to see how he was doing. He had basically used the print command to display a facsimile of the classic space invaders screen in one massive quote of block characters. "Now all I've got to do is work out how to make it move." he informed me. So, maybe try something like that?

When I was about 14 I tried to create a spin-off of Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion in Q Basic.  I got about as far as some text introduction and then, for the first scene-setting image of the game, a brown horizontal line.  This would have been the muddy ground on which our hero would have been walking, in the finished game which I had no idea how to make.

I just have a strong memory of inviting my two brothers into my room to watch the progress I had made up to that point.  I think my older brother may have snorted in derision because it sounded like it.

[biggytitbo]

I have made about 7 games in my life. The best place to start is to get up, you can't make a game asleep you idiot.

[Replies From View]

I have made about 7 games in my life. The best place to start is to get up, you can't make a game asleep you idiot.

Geoffrey Boycott's Guide to Writing Computer Games

[Noonling]

I've started making about 42 different games (in RPG Maker, Inform, Javascript, PHP, Unity, probably others Ive forgotten) and given up somewhere between 30 minutes and 3 days for all of them.

Hope that helps :)

[Flouncer]

When I was about 14 I tried to create a spin-off of Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion in Q Basic.  I got about as far as some text introduction and then, for the first scene-setting image of the game, a brown horizontal line.  This would have been the muddy ground on which our hero would have been walking, in the finished game which I had no idea how to make.

I just have a strong memory of inviting my two brothers into my room to watch the progress I had made up to that point.  I think my older brother may have snorted in derision because it sounded like it.

He probably just had a cold or something, man.

[lazarou]

I'd go with GameMaker for that sort of thing. Godot seems great from what I've seen of it but I would not recommend it for a first-timer and Unity is probably a little too much toolset for such a simple concept. Of course I'm biased as I've released a few simple games created in GM along with having dozens of prototypes in various stages of development. It used to have garbage sprite and map editors but those have been vastly improved in GMS2, though I still use the 1.x series as I'm a little too used to its odd quirks and have a full set of export licences I'd rather not buy all over again.

Whatever way you go with it, any of these options should be plenty robust & powerful enough to work with, though they all have their own fairly esoteric learning curves. You'll get playable results surprisingly quickly, but you're quite likely going to be tooling around and swearing at stuff for months before you end up with anything actually releasable. I'd say it's worth the time investment though, as once you build up your chops a little it's not too hard to knock up a barebones prototype over an long evening and from there you can basically do what you like.

[MojoJojo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NScngW8vxK8 - Tutorial to make a platformer in godot in 10 minutes

[Norton Canes]

That Godot looks great, like Flash all over again. But open source obv. Getting a warm feeling of nostalgia.

[the]

In terms of what's going to make a single-screen platformer work, I'd say the most important elements are going to be:

• Movement and agility of player. Getting the running and jumping to feel right, is the player nimble enough. Also, momentum - is it necessary, and if so, does it feel manageable (games like Bubble Bobble and Manic Miner don't use momentum at all and don't suffer for it).
• Projectiles (ie. shooting) - will there be a shooting mechanic, and what form will it take.
• Mobile enemies - what are you dodging, how do you defeat them.
• Fixed obstacles and/or puzzles - what are you dodging / getting past, and how are you going to get out of each level.

If you can make all those things fun to be in the presence of, yet make the levels challenging and rewarding to take on, you're onto a winner.

Also don't underestimate the importance of points and scoring, this is something that makes people want to get better at your game and refine their technique, extracting more fun and intensity from the game (as distinct from just whether they can complete it or not).

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

And to make it interesting some of the characters have to be called BASTARD and one of the things they can do is get a LOB ON outside a branch of Greggs, and the jeopardy being that the central character might end up in a SHITTED AIDS TOILET

[MojoJojo]

I did that tutorial. Took a bit over an hour. Mostly because he's rearranged his UI (I think) so end up spending ages looking for the things he's changing. Also he cut and pasted the code.

Here's the shite: http://sanehair.atwebpages.com/platformer.html

[Jerzy Bondov]

So have you finished this yet or what?

[Noonling]

I've had an idea for a single-screen multi-stage platform game not unlike Manic Miner. I know people who can help with art and music, so it just comes down to me to make the thing. Now, I have zero programming skills, but a single-screen platformer seems like it really shouldn't be beyond me to figure out.

Can anyone advise me on where to start? Easier to use editors/software, that sort of thing. Ideally I want to make this thing and put it on Steam sometime.

WHERE'S THE GAME, MATE? WHERE?

I've started fidlling about with Godot, seems pretty tasty. My only problem is that while I know from past experience that colour is color, and a bunch of other Americanisms, I can't seem to get over randomize().

FUCK YOU, USE AN S YOU SHITS.

[Dex Sawash]

FUCK YOU, USE AN S YOU SHITS.

razizt