college project, opinions please

i_am_dogboy

I'm a 3rd year programming student in carlowIT, for my project this year i have chosen a basic games developer.......i'd just lie to know what people think of it, feel free to give suggestions. It is a 2 man project so it's not that huge a workload.

We're going for something on the same lines as game maker(www.gamemaker.nl) but scaled down a good bit.

First off we intend to have the games based on a grid, objects will be placed on the grid. The objects will be everything with a function in the game-characters, items ect. We will probably be dealing with some basic animations but no sound(for now). We intend to include pre made objects, pictures, animations and other stuff to make it easier to make games. We will allow for people to import their own images and the likes, but have no facilites for producing them. But we will have an object builder.....seeing as it's a central part of the programme.

Now the awkward part, we will write the progeamme in c++, and we intend to have the games written in java. What i mean is-you make a game, it creates the compilable java files and bundles anything thats needed for the game, and the game may be compiled outside the developer. This is simply to allow the games to be run independantly. We will probably ave a compile option-using someone elses compiler of course.

Sorry for being so vague but we haven't completed the spec yet so we haven't completely decided on whats going in and whats not. Could ye tell us what ye think and any suggestions will be taken into consideration, just nothing too complicated please.

Anyway, Thanks for your time.

Hobbes

vague is an understatement. What exactly is your question?

Your question reads like a project description rather then something you are actually working on.

Ivan

Firstly of course its vague cos as he's mentioned we havent even completed a functional spec yet.

We're not entirely sure what we're going to make.

I think the title pretty much tells you his question "college project, opinions please". We're looking for opinions, suggestions any input anyone might have on the subject at hand.

We're still at the design stage and are a bit worried that we might be a little bit over our heads, so basically we're looking for any input any experienced programmers might have.

Snippets of code, design suggestions, interface ideas. Read ANYTHING.

To Rehash : -

Its a program written in C/C++ that will allow a non-programming user to write a game using a simplistic interface. It then compiles and creates a java code file which can then be compiled using the editor or using a third party compiler.

I mean that seems pretty straight forward.

Hobbes

Originally posted by Ivan
Firstly of course its vague cos as he's mentioned we havent even completed a functional spec yet.

We're not entirely sure what we're going to make.

...And...

Snippets of code, design suggestions, interface ideas. Read ANYTHING.

...And...
Its a program written in C/C++ that will allow a non-programming user to write a game using a simplistic interface. It then compiles and creates a java code file which can then be compiled using the editor or using a third party compiler.

Would imply that you haven't done any work whatsoever and have just posted your project assignment up.

You won't get any help that way here you need to be a bit more specific in what your problem is and show that you have actually done some work.

I could be wrong, maybe you have got a lot of work done but you need to show it.

Ivan

You seem to be missing the point.

Firstly we came up with our own idea.

Secondly we HAVENT done any work.

Thirdly we dont have a problem.

We're just looking for any input anyone has on the whole concept.

We cant jump in and start writing code without designing the system first (or at least so we're told). We're looking for ANY input what so ever.

Not help on a specific problem or a solution.

Hmmm, maybe I'm missing the point.

Is that all the Programming board is for or is there another board for our type of question?

Hobbes

Is that all the Programming board is for or is there another board for our type of question?

Check the "Frequently Given Answer" in the FAQ for the forum.

But for school projects where you say "we HAVENT done any work" You probably won't get much answers. After all it is your project.

Drazhar

im assuming that by "We havent done any work" you mean you havent done any coding on the project yet (no need to be so anal Hobbes, no offence by the way)

Im in the same position. Im just about finishing up my requirements and analysis. Im 4th year Comp Sys in UL, and im making an online heldesk for small/medium sized companies.

Id recommend sticking to one of the many design processes(SDLC, Waterfall Model etc.). in my experiece Heroic Programming never works. you always end up scrapping and satarting again.

Get a good analisys and requirements, then maybe some data mosels, and maybe, if you know how, use a CASE tool (vpuml is good) to build up some Use Cases and Class Diagrams and the like. That way it breaks up the project into manageable chunks. (if you have no idea what i just said, pay more attention in class:) )

Good luck to ya, sounds like an interesting, if difficult project

Hobbes

Originally posted by Drazhar
(no need to be so anal Hobbes, no offence by the way)

None taken. It sounds like an intresting project and I'd like to comment but I have a strict rule on projects.

uberwolf

I think the lads are looking for anyone who has done some work on anything related to what they're proposing, and who might be able to tell them, avoid doing this...., this is managable... etc, just to avoid turning around in 2 months and having to start from scratch becos they got in over their heads...

str8_away

Sounds like a very interesting project.
It give you the chance to learn or show off both C/C++ and Java language skill and program/class structuring, graphics, programming language design (if you are planning to create script like GameMaker) ....

How much time do you have? Personally I think the project might be too big to get it all finish by next May/Jun? My advice is plan your milestone well and at each milestone you have something to show. So that if you don't get the project finish you would still have something to demo.

i.e. 1) have game board working. 2) add background object like wall, tree, hole on game board. 3) add character or foreground object 4) add movement for foreground object 5) have foreground object react with other foreground objects and back ground objects 6) .....

I think there are three part to this project
1) create some internal structure to store all objects, behaviours, rules ...
2) c/c++ program to populate this structure
3) Translate this structure to Java

Remember you still have classes to attend, exams to pass and most important fun to have

Ivan

Yes, obviously when I say "We havent done any work" I mean we havent done any coding.

And at this point we're not looking for any help coding.


Thanks Drazhar, thats precisely the type of input we were looking for.

We're probably gonna just stick with the Waterfall method as we havent really covered much else in Software engineering.

I've never heard of vpuml but I will certainly look into it.

Str8_away yeah it does seem pretty interesting but REALLY demanding at the same time, still we're constantly being reassured that we can pull this off, and the more I think about code the more reasonable it seems.

We're gonna try get something together written in C++ that can create a java windowed application with a background.

This should be done before christmas perhaps even 1-2 weeks away, as well as hand up our functional spec which is gonna be fun*


Hobbes, I dont see a reason why you cant comment on the project however thats your perogative.


*may not actually be fun.

tommycahir

lads i done that course last year the most important thing that i found was to just totally pin down your design spec as early as poss the codeing part can be done in bout two or trhrees weeks as soon as u have exactly all the functionality of the proiject and the data structures behind it designed.. ps who have ye as project lect as some of them tend to just spend ages trying to you to do manuals while others dont even bother turning up half the time u should also only be at the reasearch stage by now if i rem right..

but all in all it sounds like a cool idea for a proj...
better than the ****ty one i was stuck with last year

HaVoC

your just plain crazy :ninja:

sounds like a Challenge good look with it hope you get it all done in time.