Game Development Questions

[Hansika]

Okay so before you rant about how you think I'm a huge fag, I'm 23 and I want to make games! Okay now I know a good bit about Java programming of course still at Novice level but I know enough to teach someone the basics. I'm mainly having trouble with the whole concept of a GAME. So my major question is where would I start (obviously once I know the answers to the other questions I have). I have no clue where to start, I know what I want to do, I have a good storyline in my head but I don't have the first clue as to how to put it together. Do I start on the main class? Do I start with the player's image? Do I make a GUI first? You see what I'm getting at?

Okay so yeah thats my major question but I need these questions answered as well

- What is the best way to make a customizable GUI. I know both "java.applet.Applet;" and Swing. Swing for me is the easist to "customize" but I don't have the first clue as to how to add images and key events ect into the GUI.

- I keep having problems with moving the image around. My key events don't seem to work. I made a public void for them, I tried some other way that was really stupid and I still cant get all my key events to work. I can get them to do this "System.out.println("Left Key")" and they work but when I try to add something like x_pos++ or x_pos-- it wont do anything!

- This question is for later but how would I make it so that when objects collide they do something or if an object is near something and a button is pressed how would I make it do a selected event, and also would I need an extra class for that (ie. NPC's)

- Would using cases for items and NPC's be a good idea?

I know those sound like kiddie questions but what would be the point of calling me a noob and telling me to google it? If you can answer at least ONE of these questions please do so. That would so much easier for me. Every time I get on forums and ask a question people never answer them or they talk to me like I already know what I'm doing. So for once in my life I'm actually going to ask you to talk to me like a first grader.

Thanks for any help,

 

[Waudby]

Okay, my first question is, why use java? I know that you only know this language, but why not learn more?

If you have a basic knowledge of a programming language then picking up another is quite simple, you just need to know the syntax of it.
The reason I say this is because you would need to program the whole game engine yourself before even starting on the game - why reinvent the wheel when there are game makers out that that do all you need?

I am obviously just assuming that a Pokémon game is what you'd like to make considering you posted here, however correct me if I am wrong.

But I'd suggest taking a look at Sphere or RMXP and see how how you like them. I personally use Sphere, and it's a very flexible engine that can pretty much do whatever you want it to do based on your knowledge. For example, the game I'm making, Pokémon Odyssey, has online play and trading, a character creation system and a few other less used features.

I'm going to be writing up a big beginners tutorial using Sphere later on, so once it's done you may like to look at that and learn?

However if you'd really like to create your own engine for your game, it's going to get somewhat complicated. I don't really know any Java so it's hard for me to explain to you.

 

[Improfane]

Games are hard

It sounds like you're setting the co-ordinates of a component with the layout manager? If so, that might not work. I would instead go down to the low level image stuff. That way you have full control over positioning but you have to do all the co-ordinate logic yourself. Swing probably caches movement inside the interface so that nothing happens. You may have to pack() if you move things about? I don't know what you are doing without code.

Games are hard. I'd start getting something basic to display on the screen, like a map. This map would allow a character to be anywhere on the map. You need to think of a way to represent the map and where the characters are.

Then you can start writing a display engine. In my Java game for one assignment (a two dimensional turn based strategy game, like Red Alert but not real time) I used the BufferedImage class from the API library and used drawImage to draw to it.

https://leepoint.net/notes-java/GUI-lowlevel/graphics/43buffimage.html

Forgot to say, you would draw to the screen using your own swing JPanel class, when you override paintComponent method you are given the graphics to draw to. See the web page, it makes it a little clearer. Remember that you're working with pixels.

Good luck man!

 

[Flameguru]

I'm actually working on a Space Invaders game in Java. If you wanted I could give you the source and try and teach you how to do things. You need to know OOP, static, threads, graphics, and IO though before you can really learn anything.

Similar to Improfane, I am using BufferedImages and a Canvas to draw my images on.

By the way, for movement don't ever move the x or y positions in the Listeners directly. Simply set booleans to true or false in the Pressed/Released and then call another void. Something like:

The following code is just from some random assignment in my programming class.

Spoiler:

public void keyPressed (KeyEvent e) {
        int keyCode = e.getKeyCode();
        
        if (keyCode == u) {
        	w = true;
        }
}

public void smoothmoving() {
       if (w == true) {
              move(0,5);
       }
}

etc. and then in a move void actually move the x and y pos like:

public void move (int a, int b) {
      x = x + a;
      y = y + b;
}

Of course you need an ActionListener in the Panel's class to call the smootmover in the actual objects class which will have a keyListener and do what I explained above. A simple Panel below will do the job:

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
    
public class FlyPanel extends JPanel implements ActionListener {

    private Ship ship1;
    private Ship ship2;
    private Ship ship3;
    
    public FlyPanel() {
        ship1 = new Ship (50, 50, 50, 50, this, Color.RED, KeyEvent.VK_UP, KeyEvent.VK_DOWN, KeyEvent.VK_LEFT, KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT);
        ship2 = new Ship (155, 155, 50, 50, this, Color.GREEN, KeyEvent.VK_W, KeyEvent.VK_S, KeyEvent.VK_A, KeyEvent.VK_D);
        ship3 = new Ship (300, 285, 50, 50, this, Color.BLUE, KeyEvent.VK_U, KeyEvent.VK_J, KeyEvent.VK_H, KeyEvent.VK_K);
        addKeyListener(ship1);
        addKeyListener(ship2);
        addKeyListener(ship3);
        setPreferredSize(new Dimension(400, 400));
        Timer timer1 = new Timer (30, this);
        timer1.start();
    }
    
    public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e) {
    	ship1.smoothmoving();
    	ship2.smoothmoving();
    	ship3.smoothmoving();
    }
    
    public void paintComponent (Graphics g) {
        super.paintComponent(g);
        ship1.paint(g);
        ship2.paint(g);
        ship3.paint(g);
    }
}

Here would be the whole class for the Ship if you are still confused:

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
    
public class Ship implements KeyListener{

    private JPanel jp;
    private int x, y, width, height;
    private Color color;
    private int speed;
    private boolean w = false;
    private boolean s = false;
    private boolean a = false;
    private boolean dd = false;
    private int u, d, l, r;
    
    public Ship (int c, int d, int cwidth, int cheight, JPanel panel, Color lol, int up, int down, int left, int right) {
    	x = c;
    	y = d;
        width = cwidth;
        height = cheight;
        color = lol;
        jp = panel;
        u = up;
        d = down;
        l = left;
        r = right;
    }
    
    public void move (int a, int b) {
    	int rofl = x;
    	int loler = y;
    	
    	if (rofl >= 400) {
    		x = 1;
    		y = y;
    		if (loler >= 400) {
    			x = x;
    			y = 1;
    		}		
    	}
    	else if (rofl <= 0) {
    		x = 399;
    		y = y;
    		if (loler <= 0) {
    			x = x;
    			y = 399;
    		}		
    	}
    	
    	if (loler >= 400) {
    		x = x;
    		y = 0;
    		if (rofl >= 400) {
    			x = 0;
    			y = y;
    		}
    	}
    	else if (loler <= 0) {
    		x = x;
    		y = 399;
    		if (rofl <= 0) {
    			x = 399;
    			y = y;
    		}
    	}
    	
    	x = x + a;
    	y = y + b;
    }
    
    public void smoothmoving() {
    	if (w == true) {
    		move(0, -5);
    	}
    	if (s == true) {
    		move(0, 5);
    	}
    	if (a == true) {
    		move(-5, 0);
    	}
    	if (dd == true) {
    		move(5, 0);
    	}
    	
    	jp.repaint();
    }
    
    public void paint (Graphics g) {
    	g.setColor(color);
        g.fillRect(x, y, width, height);
    }  
  
    public void keyPressed (KeyEvent e) {
        int keyCode = e.getKeyCode();
        
        if (keyCode == u) {
        	w = true;
        }
        else if (keyCode == d) {
        	s = true;
        } 
        else if (keyCode == l) {
        	a = true;
        } 
        else if (keyCode == r) {
        	dd = true;
        }
        jp.repaint();
    }
    
    public void keyReleased (KeyEvent e) {
    	int keyCode = e.getKeyCode();
        
        if (keyCode == u) {
        	w = false;
        }
        else if (keyCode == d) {
        	s = false;
        } 
        else if (keyCode == l) {
        	a = false;
        } 
        else if (keyCode == r) {
        	dd = false;
        }
        jp.repaint();
	}
    public void keyTyped (KeyEvent e) {}
}

I'm sure you can make a frame to run this but if you're lazy, use this:

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class Framer extends JFrame{	

	public Framer (String name) {
		super (name);
		setSize(400, 400);
		setResizable(false);
		setVisible(true);
		Container c = getContentPane();
		c.setBackground(Color.BLACK);
		FlyPanel fp = new FlyPanel();
		c.add(fp);
		fp.requestFocus();
	}
	
	public static void main (String args []) {
		new Framer("SmoothMover Example");
	}
}