Game creation plans

[lassenissen]

I am planning on creating a 3D sandbox/multiplayer game with lots of physics in it. The plan is that it the world will be a city with tall skyscrapers and platforms in the air, and on the ground it will be cars and some pedestrians walking. You will be a guy that has psychokinetic powers and so will your opponent(s).

You can lift cars, people or just tare big chunks out of buildings or the ground, but it wont leave a hole, just maybe a big crack or something that dont remodel the ground/building. You will have the ability to jump very high so you can jump from skyscraper to skyscraper.

You can either pick up one object and hold it infront of you as a shield and redy to throw forwards, or you can just push away all nearby objects, I havent planned these different moves yet, but it will all utilize the surrounding objects.

I wont have very good graphics, the buildings will just be grey blocks and so will the ground, much like the graphics in Black Shades. This is to bea able to focus more on the physics part but of course, if the development continues this may (and most likely will) change.

Im not especially skilled in game development but I will do the best I can to learn how to create such a game and do it. So if you people out there got ideas or tips for me then i'd be happy to hear it. :D

[danahribo]

VERY HARD :/

Take it from an Expert.

[SataMaxx]

Yes, REALLY HARD !
I think it's not a very good idea to start such a challenging project when you're not "especially skilled in game development". You may waste your time trying to do something too big (at the time) for you.
And if you have yet to "learn how to create such a game", you have a very very long road to drive...
I don't want to be pessimistic, but start with something you know how to do, or something where you just have to learn one thing to make it, or you will never succeed in your project.

[Jokker]

Hard?

You're talking almost IMPOSSIBLE for a one-man-starter job. Seriously. First learn the basics. Do some 2D physics. Then, once you UNDERSTAND everything, move to 3D ragdolls.

After you can safely do ragdolls, move to rigid body dinamyics. Understand joints and actively modifying them. Then, once you can do that, start experimenting with making ragdolls act like people, so you don't use animations.

When that's done. Use the people-like ragdolls you made to interact with the rigid bodies, and only after that, make the map and 'powers' you're thinking of and add them.

[lassenissen]

Well, this is a project im planning on using several years on, I know its gonna be hard and stuff but this game is my final goal on a road with lots of other goals too.

Do you have some tips of what i should use when learing to program physics?

[AquaGeneral]

You should use an open source physics engine. Such as Bullet and Newton. I could even give you PhysX (don't worry it is free for non commercial games).

[The Hickster]

I would recommend usin the physx engine or some other hardware accelerated physics. Buy physics are damn hard! I can't make a ball bounce apprioately in gamemaker, but I'm assuming you done some physics before. Look at the AlecRivers thread he releases the source code for his physics stuff! Good luck, if you need a level designer or anything like that I can help, with art, not programming.

[lassenissen]

Heh, the thing with me is that i have almost zero programming skills, the things i got is the ideas and also ive drawn some art and stuff too. The things i need is programmers and stuff.

[Great_Pretender]

If you're not skilled, it doesn't matter how long it'll take for you to do it, you should do something smaller first. Otherwise you'll blunder your way through this thing and it won't be what you wanted.

So you either spend 4 years making this, or 2 years honing your skills and 2 more years making a better game.

-TGP-

[Stigern]

Start off by making a "hello world" app in C++ or some other language.
That would be a start!

[lassenissen]

yeah, ive tried a lil of that but its a long time ago, you know if i need any software to do it?

[Stigern]

Okai, lets say your going to learn C++:

1. Download a Compiler: Dev-C++ (http://www.bloodshed.net/devcpp.html)
2. Start to learn C++ (http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html#c++tutorial)

EDIT:

For 3d models, you should use lets say Blender (http://www.blender.org/). Its a freeware 3d modelling program.

And, for textures I would recommend Paint.Net (http://www.getpaint.net/index2.html)

[lassenissen]

Yaay, thanks! Ill try them out tomorrow. :D

[Jokker]

Hard?

You're talking almost IMPOSSIBLE for a one-man-starter job. Seriously. First learn the basics. Do some 2D physics. Then, once you UNDERSTAND everything, move to 3D ragdolls.

After you can safely do ragdolls, move to rigid body dinamyics. Understand joints and actively modifying them. Then, once you can do that, start experimenting with making ragdolls act like people, so you don't use animations.

When that's done. Use the people-like ragdolls you made to interact with the rigid bodies, and only after that, make the map and 'powers' you're thinking of and add them.
Listen to what I said.

Do it in C++ once you know the basics, then afterwards add in a freeware open source engine like ODE (http://ode.com) or others...

[Sardiini]

Your project will take a looong time if you don't know how to model, script and other stuff you need for game making.

[Rob223]

A fully 3D MMO physics based sandbox game with destructable environments? Good luck with that. If you don't have any programming skills, that there goal is at least ten years away. I personally do all of my stuff with clickteam's MMF and TGF products because they're very flexible and simple to use.

[PhysicsEnabled]

LOL! dude.....

your under estimating how hard that would actually be, listen to everyone. To get the programming skills to make something like that single handedly would take a hell of a long time. And i can guarantee that you will give up or fail.

[lassenissen]

A fully 3D MMO physics based sandbox game with destructable environments?.

Uhm, i never said it would be online, but i meant multiplayer with split screen. Also it wont have destructable enviorments, if you tare a chunk out of the ground it will just leave a kind of flat hole, like a painting of a hole or something.

Hehe, im beginning to get how hard it is to make, but as I said, this game will be the final goal on a long road of many goals.