A Hello and a question...

General Discussion
1

Hello all,

This would normally be my first post on a new forum, but since I used that one up on a reply already… Well… it’s my second this time :slight_smile:

Just joined this forum after having spent some time checking out Panda3D and at least one game using it (Pirates of The Carribbean Online).

I’m an aspiring game designer who’s working to get his butt off the ground and actually do something about it, rather than sit around thinking about it a lot.

Got a handful of different games I’ve been working on, in terms of initial design, ranging from an “old-school arcade-style” shooter type, to a rather large RPG, whose story and design I’ve been working away at (though not consistently) for several years now.

While I don’t know yet if Panda3D would be the appropriate engine for the latter project, I do think it can more than sufficiently handle the former, and a couple other smaller ones along the way.

I’ve wanted to learn Python and want to be able to at least work with and understand an engine enough to get some ground-work going for a prototype. I would, of course, require a team to do a full-on game project; I have no delusions of being a one-man-studio.

So, after some research on devmaster.net, I decided to check out Panda3D. I’ve read nothing but good about it, like what I’ve seen - both in terms of screenshots and my own experiences playing PoTCO - and have been impressed with the friendly and helpful nature of these forums (a place that can be hostile, to say the least, for other engines I’ve looked into; especially for new users who dare to -gasp- ask questions).

So here I am.

Now that said… I sit here with “Learning Python” from O’Reilly books next to me and this nifty 3D engine on my computer.

My next question is…

Where would you more experienced developers recommend starting? I’ve seen several people mention that they came to Panda3D in much the same state as I am now - being new to Python and to P3D. So your feedback as to what route you took could be helpful as well. I’m usually pretty good at making my way through things once I get started, but sometimes just need some help making that first step… to make sure I’m starting on the right foot.

Reference to any particular tutorials, websites, books, etc you have found are especially helpful or such would be awesome.

Thank you for the time and look forward to posting some of my results on here to share them with y’all somewhere down the road.

Thanks

Mike

2

Hey there, I just wanted to say making a game by oneself is not delusional. If you have enough experience and the skills to do it, which im very close to already, it really is just labor and fiddling from then on. A programmer alone can make a decent game. I know its harder for an artist but i already understand enough programming to really catch on to other P language, if python is like Unreal Script (OOP) then perhaps its pretty much the same without the complication of UE3.

So you just got here on the same day as me eh and were both testing Panda3d… Well, good luck. Im not rushing anything on my side. Nor do i expect anyone to help me on the project as everyone is busy with their own project so im relying on myself to have the skills. Iv spent 3 years working towards these things, so im kinda there already. The hard part is when will i start lol.

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hi and welcome to panda3d :slight_smile:

to answer your questions about how to get started. well you already made the first step. learning python (there are a number of great online books about it, just in case anyone thinks about buying real books, its not necessary if you dont want to). once you understand the basics of python i recommend to read the first few chapters of the manual (look at the navigation bar above). you can also look at the examples which come with your panda installation. the solar-system example is about the simplest one to start with.
ah… gotta phone call now :stuck_out_tongue: if you have further questions. feel free to ask.

greetings,
thomas

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Hello and thank you for the replies :slight_smile:

You know it’s funny. You’d think that with something as ready and “at your finger-tips” as the Web, and all its resources - and how much I’m on the darn thing - that books would be redundant.

I dunno… there’s something I’ve always just liked about having a book handy. For one (especially since I don’t use a laptop) they’re more portable. I guess I also like the tactile nature of a book. Maybe I’m just “old fashioned” like that.

What I look to online in the form of help are instructional videos more than anything else. I find those more helpful than reading from a book; though that usually is only in the case of graphics tutorials.

But anyways… I’m working through the Python book I picked up to learn the basics of it (which the book promises to provide) and then we’ll see where I’m left at the end of it :slight_smile:

Thanks again for the replies!

5

Hmmm fair enough. I think with the right skills, a game certainly could be completed by oneself.

Thing is… I’m not a musician, so I would definitely seek out someone for that. My hand-drawing skills aren’t that great, so I would like to find someone to be a concept artist and/or perhaps a digital artist as well. Same could be said for sound-effects and other areas that I’m simply not that skilled in.

I know there are options out there that you can purchase for music, sound effects, etc… I’ve always thought of those in the capacity of “placeholders”; fine for a prototype or a temporary asset. But for the final thing, I’d like to have original assets; as much as possible anyway.

But anyway… that’s all looking farther down the line. For now, I’m looking to create a good prototype. The full production will come later.