Re: time to move up in world!!!

[Dustin McCulloch <dustin_mcculloch@yahoo.com>]

Hello, here is an old message of mine, that never got
answered in the slightest.. I dunno, maybe no one saw
it because that has never happened before, read the
end too, cause I got some new things to say!!!

--- Dustin McCulloch <dustin_mcculloch@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> Hello everyone, I wrote a mail just like this
> yesterday, but i guess it didnt get through.
> 
> I have just finished reading the Crash course in
> computer game design and production.  It can be
> found
> by those in avgi under files!!!
> 
> It tells about all the steps in making a game and is
> very useful.  
> 
> I am at a cross roads in my programming life because
> i
> dont know how to animate my games or do game art!!! 
> I
> would like to at least know how to write a 2d mario
> type game, and what software to write it with, ex.
> c++
> and some art program such as agi studios...
> whatever. 
> Iwish someone would tell me what they found was the
> best/easiest to use for this.  
> 
> It talked about backgrounds and sprites, i under
> stood
> most, but still dont understand how to mask, choose
> masking colors, choose pallets, make sure the
> pallets
> are compatible, etc.  
> 
> Any info on this would be appreciated. 
> 
> thanks
> 
> Dustin
> 
> p.s. those in avgi shoud read the crash course
> thing,
> it talk alot about organization!!!
> __________________________________________________

Here are my thoughts on 2d vs 3d

What is better, 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional type
games?  The first answer that comes to mind is 3d. 
"It has better graphics", "It is more realistic,
lifelike!" but these people havent thought about the
question enough.  Most new games today are heavily
loaded with graphics, and look better than ever.  This
does not mean the game itself is better.  So what if
it looks better, are we playing these games for as
long a time?  No, we play one game, then another, then
another.  We dont stop playing different games, we buy
games, then sell them so we can purchase NBA 2000
instead of NBA 99!  The game has a little more
options, and maybe some more graphics, but kids dont
play if for a long period of time!
The main thing is that games today lack the plot, that
the old games had.  RPG's like Shining Force for Sega,
and Dragon Warrior for Nintendo are still probably the
best/most played games for any system (besides Atari,
that was almost before me!!!).  Sure these games had
good graphics for their time(maybe), but the plot and
gameplay of these games, when controllers had minimal
buttons, has never been matched.  You want sports, try
NBA Jam, or there was this great Atari game for
football I had, it mustve been the greatest game for
Atari ever(I didnt sell it, I gave it to a needy
family).  All the shareware games like the Hugo's
didnt have good graphics, but they made you think, and
most people eventually solved them.  You had to type
commands, and options were limited, but almost
everyone has played at least 2 of em.  Games like
Myst, and the Seventh Guest (sorry, I know these are
old now, 3 yrs) have good graphics, and even good
gameplay, but it was too hard.  Id still rather sit
down to a good sessions of Hugo, that to play those 2.
Games in the old days had to have good gameplay and
were very addicting, because there wasnt any good
graphics for them at the time.  They relied on the
game being fun, when I play a skiing game, or racing
game, it looks real, but doesnt feel real anyways. 
You can do crazy stuff, and thats all the younger kids
want, because they like extreme sports, and they want
the biggest jump, the fastest speed, then they drop
the game like the shit it is.
Dont get me wrong though, im 17 and have had the
Atari, Nintendo, Sega Gamegear(wanted something
portable, and gameboy still sucks, even today), then a
486 computer, a Pentium2 computer, then a N64, and now
for christmas I recieved a Sega(yes the orginal).  Im
kinda bad at discarding old things, but I would still
play at least the Atari football game, and I still
play the Mario's on Nintendo.  All those games like
the Hugo's jetpack, Wing Commander, Kings Quest
(especially 6, havent yet played all of 5, 3, and any
of the others), and many others are the most fun. 
Nothing can touch the 64 so far for multiplayer games,
I admit that I love getting 4 guys and playing 007
multiplayer with all those optinos, and especially a
good round of Mariocart, and with the battle option. 
I love the Warcraft's and Starcraft, and I like
Diablo, I think Blizzard games are really good.  I
dont really consider these to be 3d, because the
background is scrolling, not quite rotating like
Mario64
I dunno, Im in class right now just wasting time, in
the "Nintendo" generation, im outdated now, but I can
whip these youngin's all the way in whatever game they
want, no matter the system.  And thats all I got ta
say about that!!!

(sorry, I just copied that from something I wrote in
school 2 weeks ago)

On another note, I want to be a programmer, preferably
games, what courses, and where can I get a good
education in this field?

Thanks alot everyone,

Dustin

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