Newbie Question - tut for game dev

General Discussion
#1

okay Im new to game devolopment so since i decided to use panda3d as engine i also decided to begin learning python. So i looked through net and found a tut by josh cogliati for basic python (here is link to online version http://oopweb.com/Python/Documents/easytut/VolumeFrames.html ) anyways i basically finished tut and now just going over it and fisinshing up on it but i still dont understand how to make games. Does anyone know of a more advance tutorial to add on to what i already know so that i can actually begin creating basic games.
I have looked at the panda3d manual but i dont get it. I was hoping to get a game done like ping - pong or tetris ? before trying to use panda3d manual to create 3d games

thnks any help would be apprecited

#2

Not sure what you’re expecting other than just being pointed to the manual (which apparently you don’t get) but then I’m new to Panda myself. I would suggest looking in the book recommendations thread a few down from this thread because that has lots more learning resources and hopefully just reading other material will eventually click for you.

In the meantime, thanks for the link! I didn’t know about that tutorial and so I’ll read through it to determine if it’s a better beginner’s programming tutorial than the ones I already know about.

ADDITION: From skimming over it, this tutorial seems to suffer from the all too common problem of telling you how programming concepts work without applying them to any practical examples. I think you will be much better off with some of the resources mentioned in the book recommendations thread (in particular the coffeeghost website I mention, and the absolute beginner’s guide a few people mention.)

#3

Okay, a couple of things here. If you went through that whole tutorial and understood everything, then you’ve made the first step. If there’s even one or two things you’re still not sure about, then do not by any means try to move on.

That being said, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are also new to programming in general, and not just Python. This means you have an extra step: learning programming. This includes things like logic and flow - things that apply to all programming languages. Now this isn’t as easy as looking up an online tutorial; you need to do most of this yourself, by using the knowledge you have to create your own programs.

Skimming through the tutorial, I’d have to say that it’s one of the better ones I’ve seen, especially for the beginner. However, simply mimicking the example programs is not enough to learn what it is to program, as it does not give you the most important lesson of all: failure. Nobody learns from copying a program and changing a few variables simply because it will still always work. To truly learn to program you need to write your own program from scratch. Your syntax needs to be wrong, logic completely backwards, and then you need to fix it. That is how you learn.

Sorry, this got a little preachy. I (as well as the rest of the Panda3D community I’m sure) appreciate that you’re being realistic about the games you want to start off making. But before you start with games, first make a program of your own creation, and make it as intricate as you possibly can, try things you’re not sure will work just to see what happens. Even if it’s text-based, you will gain a far greater understanding than anyone who has simply gone through a tutorial.

And finally, once you can do that, you’re ready for the next step: starting basic games. You’ll probably need a slightly more in depth knowledge of Python syntax if the Panda3D manual still doesn’t make sense to you. Either get a real Python book (the ideal way to go), or find more advanced Python tutorials/documentation. This is probably the most organized tutorial link list I’ve seen: awaretek.com/tutorials.html

And if you have any specific questions on how to do something, there are plenty of people here willing to help.

Well… that was long-winded, but I hope it helps. :slight_smile:

#4

kk thanks for the help im have started building my own text based program thing basically going through all the skills via it and i have found a more advanced tut and hopefully soon ill get started on the manual. thanks heaps to all

#5

To get a better grips on programming I suggest making a small program for yourself to do a specific task. For me I made a little IRC chatroom bot that did logs and some statistics, but it should be something that is useful for you.

As for making games, that is a very difficult question to answer because it combines, art, ui, level design, game logic, and game design, and a whole bunch of other specific stuff. The book that I found very insightful is A Theory of Fun for Game Design.