Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs.
169
votes
28answers
22k views
What are good games to “earn your wings” with? [closed]
I believe that in order to become a good game developer, you need to make games.
From a programmer's perspective, what are some good entry level games to get your hands dirty? What skills and ...
93
votes
17answers
26k views
What math should all game programmers know? [closed]
Simple enough question: What math should all game programmers have a firm grasp of in order to be successful?
I'm not specifically talking about rendering math or anything in the niche areas of game ...
62
votes
9answers
17k views
What are some programming design patterns that are useful in game development? [closed]
I have a few books on Design Patterns, and have read some articles, but cannot intuitively figure out which programming design patterns would be useful in game development.
For example, I have a book ...
40
votes
10answers
4k views
New to creating AI - where to start?
I am new to game programming and am trying to make a basic 2d top-down space game with 2 space ships that fight each other. I am doing well with the user controlled space ship, but have no idea how ...
21
votes
10answers
3k views
What are the most commonly used programming languages? [closed]
When I took my Java courses a year ago, I was told that Java is used mostly in the overseas gaming companies while C++ is used here in the US. What languages should I focus on learning in-depth?
10
votes
5answers
880 views
Finding other programmers to help on a project [closed]
As a semi FAQ question attempt :
Where can you find people to work with you on a project? Particularly programmers. One thing that is obvious is that all programmers have a project (or twenty), and ...
16
votes
4answers
4k views
What should a game engine do?
I'd like to improve my skills/try something new and I'd like to start with 3D. I have read Starting programming in 3D with C++ but I have question about engines:
What should engine do? I know it is ...
65
votes
15answers
8k views
How are bullets simulated in video games?
I have been playing games like MW2 recently and, as a programmer, I tend to ask myself how do they make the game so immersive. For example, how to they simulate bullet speed.
When an NPC fires a ...
53
votes
4answers
7k views
What are the typical day-to-day tasks of an entry level games programmer? [closed]
What I would like to know is: What are the daily duties of a graduate programmer in the games industry workplace? Is it mostly coding, analysing, designing, or what?
Thank you.
P.S. I am in my ...
11
votes
5answers
5k views
How can I implement gravity?
How can I implement gravity? Not for a particular language, just pseudocode...
35
votes
8answers
5k views
Event Driven Communication in Game Engine - Yes or No?
As I am reading book Game Coding Complete (http://www.amazon.com/Game-Coding-Complete-Third-McShaffry/dp/1584506806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295978774&sr=8-1), the author recommend Event Driven ...
16
votes
10answers
4k views
Does C# have a future in games development?
I recently learned that the MMO Minecraft is powered by Java from a recent interview on CVG.co.uk on a possible collaboration between two former and now competing colleagues. In the interview he ...
12
votes
3answers
1k views
Appropriate level of granularity for component-based architecture
I'm working on a game with a component-based architecture. An Entity owns a set of Component instances, each of which has a set of Slot instances with which to store, send, and receive values. Factory ...
7
votes
10answers
856 views
What tools should I consider if my aim is to make a game available to as many platforms as possible?
We're planning on developing a 2D, grid-based puzzle game, and although it's still very early in the planning stages, we'd like to make our decisions well from the beginning.
Our strategy will be to ...
4
votes
2answers
389 views
Experiences of test-driven devleopment in large projects
I've used TDD in personal projects, but I wondered if anyone had any experience of using this approach across a large team? Was there resistence to the test-first approach? Did you keep code coverage ...
42
votes
2answers
2k views
How can I get textures on edge of walls like in Super Metroid and Aquaria?
Games like Super Metroid and Aquaria present the terrain with the other facing parts having rocks and stuff while deeper behind them (i.e. underground) there's different detail or just black.
I ...
10
votes
5answers
835 views
How could you parallelise a 2D boids simulation
How could you program a 2D boids simulation in such a way that it could use processing power from different sources (clusters, gpu).
In the above example, the non-coloured particles move around ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views
How to get PS3/Xbox 360 experience without having access to Dev kits?
I am a budding game programmer trying to get into the industry programming for PS3, Xbox 360. The main problem I see is the need to demonstrate my skills to a potential employer, but without access ...
16
votes
15answers
4k views
Simple game engines / development tools made with artists in mind?
I've been working in the 2d art side of games for a while now, and my full time job keeps me very busy on the art side of things, but I'm becoming more and more interested in learning to prototype my ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Entity Component System based engine
Note: I'm programming this in Javascript, but it should be language agnostic in the most part.
I am thinking about converting my engine to an ECS based one.
I get the basic idea (note: this is ...
4
votes
3answers
3k views
Should I use Game Engines to learn to make 3D games?
HI i am a software engineering student in his second-last year.
I am proficient with C,C++,C# and java programming languages, and being a student of engineering I have studied calculus, vectors etc ...
-3
votes
3answers
891 views
What language for Indie dev? [closed]
What would be a easy/fast language that would be good for an Indie developer for a FPS?
Java?
C#?
C++?
C?
Anything else that would be good?
Edit: (Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows)
26
votes
4answers
3k views
Multi-threaded game (engine) design resources?
What are the best resources on multi-threaded game or game engine design and development? As this is obviously where computers are headed, I intend to study this topic and I'd like to know what ...
20
votes
5answers
961 views
Beyond “Novice” Game Projects
I was reading this answer on the type of math a game developer should know and this part really stood out at me:
How do I move my game object? The novice might say:
"I know! I'll just do:" ...
29
votes
4answers
2k views
How to avoid the GameManager god object?
I just read an answer to a question about structuring game code. It made me wonder about the ubiquitous GameManager class, and how it often becomes an issue in a production environment. Let me ...
16
votes
7answers
2k views
What scripting language would you recommend for a C++ game project?
By scripting here I mean not just putting config data in a script, but scripting parts of the project like some class methods, test specific game loop, etc. This would be not just to accelerate ...
6
votes
2answers
741 views
Where do you search/look for game developers for an indie game startup? [closed]
I just recently saw stackoverflow had a game dev sister site so here I am, wondering if you experienced fellows know where one can search/look for game developers for an indie game startup? In other ...
21
votes
1answer
828 views
Determine position of a rotated element in Tetris
Tetris-Tiles are stored as a 4x4 boolean matrix. Each rotation step has it's own matrix, the representation of the T-Block would look like this:
[
0, 0, 0, 0,
0, 1, 1, 1,
0, 0, 1, 0,
...
17
votes
9answers
1k views
How to get a game done?
My problem is, whenever I start programming a clone of a game (for practice) or my own game or some other problem I stop somewhere in the middle of the development, because I lost interest in it.
How ...
19
votes
9answers
2k views
Is storing all game objects in a single list an acceptable design?
For every game I've made, I just end up placing all my game objects (bullets, cars, players) in a single array list, which I loop through to draw and update. The update code for each entity is stored ...
17
votes
6answers
2k views
Is Test Driven Development viable in game development?
As being Scrum certified, I tend to prone for Agile methodologies while developping a system, and even use some canvas from the Scrum framework to manage my day-to-day work.
Besides, I am wondering ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Patterns for racing AI behaviour
So let's say you've got a spline-based racing AI. Assume it can already handle the basics of braking and steering around the track.
How would you structure and implement collision avoidance, ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Separating physics and game logic from UI code
I'm working on a simple block-based puzzle game.
The game play consists pretty much of moving blocks around in the game area, so it's a trivial physics simulation. My implementation, however, is in ...
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Throwing Exceptions in C++ game DLL's? Pros and Cons
What are the pros and cons of using Exceptions in C++ in relation to game development.
Google style guide says that they don't use Exceptions for a variety of reasons. Are the same reasons ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
Information on seamless MMO server architecture
I'm looking for any material on seamless MMO servers! I do have a few articles in the "Massively Multiplayer Game Development" books and "Game Programming Gems 5." Has anyone experience on that topic ...
13
votes
3answers
3k views
Finite state machine in C++
So, I've read a lot about using FSMs to do game state management, things like what an FSM is, and using a stack or set of states for building one. I've gone through all that. But I'm stuck at writing ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
finite state machine used in mario like platform game
I don't understand how to use a finite state machine with the entity controlled by the player.
For example I have a Mario style game (2d platform). I can jump, run, walk, take damage, swim, etc. So ...
13
votes
2answers
613 views
How should I check if a player has completed an achievement?
I'm making an MMO game and I just got to a point where I need to implement achievements... How do I do that? The most straight forward thing to do would be to run this once every 100ms,:
for a in ...
11
votes
1answer
750 views
What research areas exist in game programming?
I'm currently in a group that researches network optimizations and various distributed applications, I'm much more interested in games but more from a research side.Is there a resource that focuses on ...
8
votes
3answers
892 views
Display a Message Box over a Full Screen DirectX application
In our custom assertion handler, I'd like to display a message box asking to see whether or not this failure can be ignored. However, when our DirectX game is full screen, I can't get the MessageBox ...
8
votes
2answers
439 views
What are the restrictions of 3g online games
I am looking into make a 3g online multiplayer game for the iphone. Multiplayer is my main focus but I have noticed all game apps require wi-fi. Dose anyone know if this is simply an issue with the ...
1
vote
2answers
439 views
How to implement physics and AoE spells in an MMO game?
I'm making a game which will be completely centered around PVP battlegrounds and arenas. Think something like WoW, but with the RPG part removed. There will just be a lobby, where you can join a ...
-3
votes
3answers
635 views
game maker book for beginner
Which book is more a beginner to learn to program in c++ (or GML) and more fun: "Game Maker 8 Cookbook" (available for pre-order), or "The Game Maker's Companion" ?
10
votes
4answers
492 views
Little and big endianness in games
Do we have to worry about byte orders in the process of programming a game? Do game consoles use different byte orders?
6
votes
4answers
783 views
Requirements Analysis in Game Development?
I'm a software engineering student with a focus on game development and am wondering how big of a part does requirement analysis play a part in game development?
I'm asking because there is a class ...
4
votes
5answers
1k views
Do game studios hire people based on their math knowledge alone?
I have very little programming skills outside of very basic levels of Java, but I have excellent math and science knowledge. I was wondering what I could offer any potential team if I were to go into ...
1
vote
1answer
215 views
How to correct shooting in touch-screen shooting games?
Assume a shooting game for iPhone that the character shoot toward where player has touched.
But as we know, There may be fault in touching screen by player and it conclude to bad game play and low ...
1
vote
2answers
595 views
What's the best phone for game development?
Yeah yeah I know, best is probably a bad way to phrase this. But I need some pros and cons. I need a new phone and if I'm going to get a smartphone and pay all that money, I better get one that I can ...
0
votes
0answers
83 views
Building a team, hiring TL/PM [closed]
I've finally secured enough funds and I'm starting a game company at the moment. I don't plan anything over the top. For starters I'm planning to hire 3-4 people and see where it all goes.
But I have ...
0
votes
0answers
186 views
Where to start if I want to be a game (AI & 3D) programmer? [closed]
This question might have been asked a lot of times earlier too, but after an intensive Google search I landed in a no-man's-land. So I am here to ask this.
I have a great interest in programming with ...
