Game making beginner help

[Adam]

Never programmed a game in my life. I've done game art for 3 games, but now I'm wanting to do an independent game. I have minor (and I mean MINOR) experience in C++, but I really don't think that'd help me make a platformer (my goal) anybody got any tips, tricks, and sites that would help me get started for my help and the help of other budding game developers?

[Siege]

I've got a small platforming engine in gamemaker (It's still REALLY flawed) and all you'd have to do is change the graphics and program enemies if you use it...

Or, you know, you can study it. Whatever.

[Adam]

I've never used gamemaker. Is it easy/good?

[Siege]

Easy, yes. Good... debatable. Acquire the PRO version if you wanna do anything worthwhile

[Dylan Yoshi]

Hacking the Super Mario World ROM is the best way to make a platformer easily, imo. There have been such advancements made that you can do pretty much anything you want with it. Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWIcoij7IIk) is a good example of the extents that can be reached.

www.smwcentral.net has pretty much everything you'd need to get started, aside from the ROM itself.

[Siege]

Here's what I've done. (http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=3172f29953ed6e711f8e0fff488e27e0e04e75f6 e8ebb871) as you can tell it's still fairly glitchy.

[Adam]

Hacking the Super Mario World ROM is the best way to make a platformer easily, imo. There have been such advancements made that you can do pretty much anything you want with it. Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWIcoij7IIk) is a good example of the extents that can be reached.

www.smwcentral.net has pretty much everything you'd need to get started, aside from the ROM itself.

Wow. I was expecting just some really hard version of SMW, but that was amazing. That has potential...

[Zondekel]

Hacking the Super Mario World ROM is the best way to make a platformer easily, imo. There have been such advancements made that you can do pretty much anything you want with it. Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWIcoij7IIk) is a good example of the extents that can be reached.

www.smwcentral.net has pretty much everything you'd need to get started, aside from the ROM itself.

Wow.. It's been a long time since I went on SMW Central and actually participated in threads... I think I need to restart my hack...

[DekuScrubby]

Game Maker is a good place to start.

[Smouvy]

Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWIcoij7IIk) is a good example of the extents that can be reached.

I doubt anyone that doesn't know very much on programming could make a SMW rom into something far as awesome as that.

I mean, this video shows highly professional stuff that can be done, you could've much better taken a more slightly changed video.

[Dylan Yoshi]

I doubt anyone that doesn't know very much on programming could make a SMW rom into something far as awesome as that.

I mean, this video shows highly professional stuff that can be done, you could've much better taken a more slightly changed video.

I suppose you're right, that was a little bit overly professional. Here's one that changes stuff drastically but isn't as professional as the other one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtvvw04gYfo
Edit: Just for the sake of clarification that it isn't that professional, here's a list of things he did:
-Made cut scenes by changing graphics and making it so you'd jump into a (downloadable) teleport block, leading to the next level.
-Added a downloadable Metroid-style health system.
-Added a patch so that Mario is always small.
-Used a (once again) downloadable custom Birdo sprite and replaced its graphics with Celebi graphics.
-Used a downloadable custom sprite that takes you to the next area when there are no sprites on the screen, or something similar to that effect.
-Added new graphics.
-Downloaded and inserted music that had already been ported.

[Adam]

That was brilliant. I'll DEFINITELY look into hacking Mario. Thanks! Game maker too, if I decide I want to make money off of my games. :smug:

[HUMANZ]

So are there rom editors for other games. i.e. SM64.

Yes, i'm a newb =/

[Dylan Yoshi]

So are there rom editors for other games. i.e. SM64.

Yes, i'm a newb =/

Yeah, there are for quite a lot of games. Super Mario World has the simplest level editor and the most varied ways to use it. SM64 has a level editor called Toad's Tool 64, but it's a lot harder to use effectively, and there's only been one full hack released for it so far.

[Breegullbeak]

Yeah, there are for quite a lot of games. Super Mario World has the simplest level editor and the most varied ways to use it. SM64 has a level editor called Toad's Tool 64, but it's a lot harder to use effectively, and there's only been one full hack released for it so far.

He's in the works on making the program better.

VL-Tone is:
-Fixing the 3d preview for the importer: it doesn't take into account the individual texture scaling values for now.
-Adding a Mario proxy box/sphere to get an idea of Mario's size relative to the level.
-The Level File format for custom levels has to be updated to include the new multi-texture parameters.
-Allowing the saving/loading of level script objects (0x24 etc) in the level file. Partly done
-Dealing with what will happen if you re-import an .OBJ file which has more/less materials, or where the material names have changed.
-Adding custom backgrounds skies to imported levels. Currently working on it
-Finalizing/fixing the sky bg swapper/importer/exporter. Currently working on it
-Getting a working "transparency" GBI command header (without the rainbow Mario glitch).
-Fixing the new Align/Copy/Paste menu options. Not fixed, but I've integrated them as buttons in the interface.
-Revamping part of the TT64 interface to switch between modules (Level editor/Importer/Texture editor/Sky Swapper etc.) Done: screenshots soon.
-ROM extender format update to have it 16 bytes aligned. Done: the new ROM extender will be released at the same time as 0.6
-A lot of error checking routines to be added to prevent the user from crashing TT64 by doing dumb things.
-Updated documentation.
-Allowing the editing of level/act names, as well as dialogs in a more integrated way Probably won't be in 0.6
-Water box creation/editing. Not sure if it will be there in 0.6