Game Programming

There technically is no such thing as game programming. Game programming is simply taking what you've learned from core programming and applying it to the solution of making games. If you are new to game programming, see our Game Programming FAQ.

Here at the main GDN wiki, we use pseudocode supplemented with PlayBasic code for working examples. Wherever possible, we include examples from other game programming languages and languages that are commonly used to make games with.

Game Programming Concepts

Game Structure

Every game follows a general programming structure, often known as game structure. This structure makes sure helps you set up, run, and terminate things properly. Using this basic game structure will save you headaches later as your game project grows.

Game Objects

Control

Player Control is usually implemented using the keyboard or mouse

Graphics

Data

(Full article : Data)
Data is information used by a video game. The name or hit points of a game character is data that must be stored and changed during the course of your game. There are two main divisions of data types : numeric information used for math, and text data used for character names, descriptions, messages to the player, etc. Data can appear directly in the source code as a literal, be stored and manipulated in a data structure while a game is running, or stored in a file.

A.I.

(Full article: A.I.)
A.I. stands for artificial intelligence. A.I is used to control things not controlled by a player.

Game Programming Tools

Game Programming Software

Programming Languages

(Full article: Programming Languages
Programming languages can be used to make video games. However, it is harder than using a game programming language. A game programming library can help programming games with a programming language much easier.

Game Programming Languages

(Full article : Game Programming Languages)
A game programming language is a modified programming language made specifically to make games. It is generally easier to make games with a game programming language than a general purpose programming language because they include most of the common features you will need to make a game. For example, easy to use functions for loading and manipulating sprites.

Graphics

Graphics

List of Game Programming Concepts

  • 1up - an extra life
  • collision detection - do two game objects collide?
  • counter variable - a variable used for counting…
  • crashing - crashing, falling to your death, it's all the same
  • damage - causing damage, taking damage
  • flag variable - much like a light switch
  • game loop - you spin me round baby right round…
  • game space - simulated space used in video games
  • gravity - simulating gravity in 2d games
  • inertia - the physics of being lazy
  • jumping - the general process of jumping in platform games.
  • loopin - time measured in game loops.
  • money - get it, spend it, see if the player has enough
  • platform game - ah, the platform game.
  • position - the position (or location) of things in your game.
  • threshold - putting a limit on a variable's value.
  • vspeed - vertical speed of a game object
  • x - horizontal location of a game object
  • y - vertical location of a game object
  • z - depth location of a game object in 3D

Game Objects

A game object is anything the player can see and/or interact with.

Common Types of Game Objects

  • player object - the game object that the player controls.
  • power up - a game object that increases or gives an ability to the player object.
  • projectile - throwing and shooting projectiles.
  • turret - a fixed game object that shoots at the player object.

Related Pages

This page is 'effin screwed! It's probably Shawn's fault — but can you please try to help rewrite the page?

Categories: Game Programming : Programming
page tags: g game-development game-programming programming
page_revision: 28, last_edited: 1247367367|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z (%O ago)
edittagsdiscuss (0) history files print site tools+ options