How To Make A Text Based Online Game Script ?

[JohnNitro 0]

Does anyone know if there is a easy was to make a text base online game, Like a free templet, or if anyone know how to make one and can help me.

Edited April 19, 2005 by microscopic^earthling (see edit history)

[Dizasta 0]

what do you want to do with the template? I think you will get more positive feedback if you outline the basics that you want to achieve and then ask for help in attaining those goals.

[JohnNitro 0]

hmmmm, I guess you would be right about that. But I am not a pro at what I want to achieve but I'm very motivated and want to do this. So that's why I asked about it, but I did post about that aspect already wouldn't want to make to post about the same thing, i was only asking for one thing. Thanks for the advice. Would you happen to know anything about making a online game. A fighting/ rpg/ music/chat.

[Hercco 0]

IMO there are only two choices in technology for making online games: Java and Flash. To make a game it is absolutely neccessary to have knowledge in programming. For a template... well I don't think that'd make very good games. I'd say your best choice is to try to find threads about game programming and/or using the technologies I mentiond above. Failing that, I'd recommend starting a thread with specific title (ie. "Teach me the basics of Flash")

[JohnNitro 0]

Thanks for the advice, I want to learn. But not sure if ppl would have the time to touch. It doesn't matter to me how long it takes, I'm willing to learn, so if anycould teach me. Or if you would liek to help me with making my project come true. I think it will be one of the best, if it can get up of the floor. I really am thanksfull for all the advice I've gotten so far.

[Atami 0]

You can get a copy of a number of MUD codebases on the net. There are a lot which are openly available to download. The one which i like the best is ResortMUD. You should just google "ResortMUD codebase" and you will get a few. At first looking at it seems daunting but experience is key, along with a firm understanding of C. Give it a try..

[JohnNitro 0]

Oh, so I need to understand C. Well I guess I got a lot of studying to do and that computer language. I looked it up after you mentioned it so I know it's computer language. I think. Anyways, I looked at what they were saying about it and seem it will be a good challenge to learn it. But they expect you to know a lot of other stuff inorder to to understand what they are talking about so I need to learn to crawl, and then walk, and finally run. lol. A lot of work but I really want to do this. Is there a easy way to learn computer language, well I guess not just easy but fast. Like a program the lets you practice and you can see the effect that the code you type is having? If anyone can help me out with that please help me. Also what the difference between C and C++ all these C but need to start with the very basic. thanks again for any help you can give me.

[warbird1405241485 0]

C was the C++ predecessor. As it's name implies, alot of C remains in C++. Although not actually being more powerful than C, C++ allows the programmer to more easily manage and operate with Objects, using an Object Oriented Programming concept.C++ allows the programmer to create classes, which are somewhat similar to C structures. However, to a class can be assigned methods, functions associated to it, of various prototypes, which can access and operate within the class, somewhat like C functions often operate on a supplied handler pointer.Although it is possible to implement anything which C++ could implement in C. That are the main differences between C and C++.-=Jeroen=-

[JohnNitro 0]

WOW, I understood a bit of that, not sure what the classes are but i do understand that you need to know this c and c++ to make programs, is there a site or something where I can go to read and learn how to program, that is simple to understand. You must know a lot about programing but I dont and what you said was a bit over my head at the moment since I dont understand any type of programing and about C and C++. though you explained it well I still only understood a bit of it, but thank you maybe if I read it a few times over I understand it.

[QBRADQ 0]

Interesting that this topic should be one of the first that I see. I am actualy in early development of a web-based, all text stratagey game (hopefuly it will be hosted here once it's ready for alpha testing).

 

Basic adivse: PHP and MySQL are great for this type of application. Not only are they two very powerful pieces of (open source!) code, but they also play well together.

 

From a design point-of-view (if you are going with server-side scripts and a database) is to throw the idea of events happening without user interaction out the window. For example, you're not going to be able to have the scripts preform any interaction with the database unless someone hits your site, and thus triggers the script to run. So, you need to think in terms of turn-based design, even if your game won't be "turn-based" per-se.

 

Useful links:

http://php.net/ - PHP processor for in-house testing, as well as the PHP manual (CHM format is very handy, with a compiled index).

http://www.mysql.com/ - MySQL server for in-house testing, as well as the MySQL manual which contains complete documentation on the SQL syntax (both the standard implementation, and how the various versions of MySQL vary from the standard).

httpd.apache.org - Apache web server, for in-house testing as well as version information.

http://sourceforge.net/ - Source Forge is the place for open source software on the net. Not only can you find many applications there, you can also use it to colaborate with others on your project. You might even find an open-source web-based text game there for you to look at.

 

The best advise I can give you is to set up a testing environment on your development system. Web server, PHP interpriter, database server, the works. And don't forget to get all of the major browsers to test your page on. No matter how good your page looks in Opera 11, it's not going to do you any good if Mozilla and I.E. fail to render half of it.

 

Hope that helps,

QBRADQ

[QBRADQ 0]

Heh, sorry I didn't see all those replies before I posted. Still getting used to the layout of these forums.

Ok, first off, if you are going to learn a compiled language, C/C++ is a good starting point. It's a fairly complex language, but it's also one of the most powerful. It's also the industry standard for complex, compiled software.

There is no need to learn C before you learn C++. Very few people code in C anymore. Most people that you will find that say C++ is slow and cumbersom, tell you not to use it, and profess to only code in C simply don't know what they are talking about. Most of them are in fact programming in C++, they just aren't using classes and template.

Forget the web site idea, and pick yourself up a good book. Now I am all for learning over the web, in fact I have learned nearly every language that I program in from web resources. However, when learning C++ (especialy when learning it as a first language) it is very important that you learn the basics, and learn them very well. Simply put, when people aren't getting paid to write such technical stuff, the quality just isn't up to par.

You can find many good books out there for novice programmers. The SAM's Teach Yourself in so many days / weeks series are usualy easy to understand, and well written. College texts are also very good books to learn from. Most of them are written for people taking a programming course as a pre-req for accounting or business something like that, so they are written to hold your hand as much as possible.

Something to look for when purcessing a book is to make sure it comes with a compiler. Just about anything from Microsoft or Borland will suit just about any type of work well. However, if you insist on using the web to learn C++, here's a link to a good IDE (Intergrated Development Environment, basicaly a spiffy text editor with a compiler built-in):

http://www.bloodshed.net/devcpp.html

Not only is this IDE totaly free, it's also capable of making Windows graphical programs, something that not all compilers can do. Best of all, it gets updated a lot (usualy twice a year). Personaly, I use Microsoft Visual Studio 6, but it's a rather pricey piece of software the last time I checked (about five years ago).

Well, I wish you the best of luck. Please keep in mind that learning a programming language is going to be frustraitting to say the least. Not to mention time-consumming and difficult. However, once you are fluent in C++ (or any complex language for that matter) you will be able to pick up just about any other language in a matter of a few days or weeks.

For me, it took me nearly six years to become proficient with C++ (by that I mean that I can do anything I please with it, and not have to look stuff up in a book). I started when I was twelve BTW. A few months ago when I started learning Python, I picked up the syntax (read: gramar) in six hours of reading and testing. PHP, being so much like C, took only a few days before I started producing realling good code.

Anyway, best of wishes to you. It's a long, hard road, but it is worth it in the end. Remeber, you can make a good amount of money as a professional programmer.

Later
QBRADQ

[JohnNitro 0]

Wow, that was long and well written. I understood it all. Thank you so much for the information. I went to the site you mentioned, What should I download? I'm still looking around the site. But Iwas curious to know what to download, and if maybe youcan tell me how it works. But maybe it will tell me. Thanks once again. I would study full time but I dont have a pc or the money to do that. But I hope in the future I will. Thanks.

[QBRADQ 0]

NOTE TO ADMINS: Sourceforge allows direct linking like that, just incase you are woundering It's a redirection script anyhow. As far as how to use it, it comes with some documentation I think. Also, just about any book or online tutorial will point you where you need to go. I'll hunt around for some C++ tutorials / guides and get back to you. QBRADQ

[JohnNitro 0]

Thanks a lot. I had downloaded the beta version one, and was reading the help that can with that. I didnt see that you posted a link thanks I download the link you posted. Well the one I downloaded though, was hard to understand. I didnt realy understand how to use it. I tried the hello world like it said in the tutorial but it didnt work not sure why. That suck I was kind of understanding it but it asked to do three thing and I could find one of them it asked to link it I think. I stoped and removed it because It didnt work and it cause my pc to crash and I was having problems getting online. So I have to do memory restore, but I ll try the link you gave. Thanks for the help. If I have any questions while Im working on trying to figure it out want would be the fastest way to get a hold of you, or I could just post here. I guess Ill do that, but thanks once again for the help.

[JohnNitro 0]

OK I downloaded from the link you posted, thanks it kin of looks the same as the one I downloaded, ok so now I reading the tutorial but the thing I did didnt make sense to me, I followed the steps and I got a gray prompt window, is thats what it's called? Yeah so I guess now I read more many be I will be able to understand it better thanks a lot I look forward to your help, oh and a question would you be interested in helping me make a online game? i could really use your help since you have a lot of knowlegde about coding. well let me know if you can.