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I know NOTHING about programming! :) help!


so_tough!

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Okay, I'm the creative type! I make music, Write a little, draw..and you know what? I would really like to make a game! Probably on the 2600 first. Now , I have NO experience with any sort of programming. What should my next move be? I have a lot of time on my hands to learn..

 

I'm ready, where now?

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I just got done creating the following page and this is what I said about Multimedia Fusion 2:

 

http://www.randomterrain.com/personal-favorite-software.

Game making software for newbies and non-programmers that is supposed to be better than Game Maker from YoYo Games. Seems like Multimedia Fusion 2 Developer would be a good product to buy if you can afford it, but regular Multimedia Fusion 2 is more affordable. Soon Multimedia Fusion 2 will let you make Java games that you can put on your web site for people to play online instead of making them download that stupid Vitalize garbage. Who wants to download something special to play a game? I've wondered for a while if I should use Game Maker or Multimedia Fusion 2 since they are similar products and the upcoming Java feature of MM2 was the last thing I needed to help me choose. I'm going to buy Multimedia Fusion 2 as soon as I can after the Java feature is added and start making some of my own online games!

 

You'll have fewer limits with that and will be able to let your imagination run wild, but if you want to make Atari 2600 games, try batari Basic.

Edited by Random Terrain
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Atari Roots is a good book to read.

 

http://www.atariarchives.org/

 

Atari Age 2600 programming page.

 

http://www.atariage.com/2600/programming/index.html

 

Atari Age 2600 programming for newbies. Click on "Book?" and look at post #68 for a document to download.

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showforum=31

Edited by accousticguitar
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@Trey: Javascript and Space Invaders for someone with no previous programming experience? Sure, simple enough compared to modern games, but still maybe a little complicated for a first step.

 

@so_tough!: I think Atari2600 assembly's a little harsh to start with. Assembly is fairly simple, but the A2600 is not beginner-friendly. I'd recommend starting with BASIC on an emulated 8-bit computer, like the Atari 400 or Atari 800. I'd suggest an emulator ... but somehow those're some of the few systems I've never dabbled with. Pick something off http://www.zophar.net unless someone here can recommend something. BASIC is much the same on any computer, but the Atari would make sense if you were to follow the "Atari BASIC" tutorial boook on the http://www.atariarchives.org/ site that acousticguitar suggested. There're also a couple of BASIC games collections books there.

 

Give yourself a chance to get to grips with the concepts involved first; computers are weird beasties. Work through the tutorials and find out how the computer deals with numbers and letters, does maths, makes decisions, gets user input, creates displays (text, line graphics and tile/sprite graphics are all different), loads and saves programs, etc. Start with simple "guess the number" games, then move up to "Noughts and Crosses" (Tic-Tac-Toe for American-types reading). Type in some of the example games and tweak them for your own amusement. When you're feeling happier with it, have a stab at bBasic or assembly for the A2600.

 

It's not quite so scary, as long as you start simple and work up. Programming basics and text first, graphics and sounds later. If you get stuck, give us a shout. Someone here'll help.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi,

 

You're going to get a lot of suggestions for languages and platforms with a thread like this, so I won't add another.

 

Some things I wish people would have told me starting out:

 

1. There are not "bad" languages, especially to start with. Java, C, C++, Basic, Lisp, Python, Assembler, Forth, whatever. You'll hear people really dig one language or really hate one language, but if you've never programmed before, there are universal things that you'll be able to learn from any language.

 

I believe Random Terrain suggested some kind editor, language, compiler, and platform rolled into one. This is far from anything I'd be interested in (I prefer everything separated and very little abstraction), but even being the complete opposite of what I think is a good environment to write in, you will learn things with it that will help you even if you go on to C, Assembler, Lisp, Python, etc.

 

2. Read books. Asking questions is good (ask many questions), but you won't find the kind of resources in conversation you would get from a book. Check at libraries if you pick an older platform/language (6502/assembler.) The libraries around here all have books for 6502 computers (commodore 64, apple II, atari 400) from 1980. If you decide on a language and platform that doesn't have books, print out whatever resources you can get for it online; put them in a binder.

 

3. Use simple mechanics for your first projects. If you like to make music, writings, and drawings try to pick a type of game that maximizes that. If you try something that involves a lot physics, ai, etc., you're going to be frustrated. Adventure games (you can be creative with the mechanics, I'm just using something common; everyone's played Zelda) have a litte AI, some collisions detection, inventory management, but it's mostly the pixel art, the music, the level design.

 

Good luck,

-Robert Jones

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  • 3 weeks later...

I want to suggest you learn C.

 

C, not C++, C#, etc.... the first edition of C, is simple to start with.

 

Or Basic. But, the issue for you is to program on Atari 2600, you will need to either learn Assembler or Batari Basic...Batari Basic being much simpler, but, not real simple.

 

The 2600 is not an easy platform to start on, it doesn't have things like video memory and other things that are easy to grasp.

 

I think when you start out programming, you have enough to worry about...programming constructs, like functions, variables, loops, arrays.... easier to start with something that produces results fairly easily. C is good, because of the many tutorial....type this, see this... you can ease your way into it, and when you get better at it, programming the Colecovision is a snap.

 

Atari 2600 is always going to be....ultimately, an assembly language programmers genre....even Batari Basic, is advertised as a bridge to Assembly programming.

 

OK....now I suggest you don't do this:

 

http://www.toontalk.com/

 

I was a beta tester on this program years ago. I still don't know what it is....its supposed to teach children programming concepts, and you run around some lego land world, putting birds on people's heads and stuff, and when you are done, you can make a Tower of Hanoi game...

 

I DON"T KNOW WHAT IT IS, AND I"M STILL UPSET ABOUT IT.

 

I'm a professional programmer for goodness sake, I cannot make Toon Talk do anything.....sigh.

 

OK, end of rant :-)

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  • 3 months later...
....even Batari Basic, is advertised as a bridge to Assembly programming.

 

I have written a number of bB games and have yet to write one line of assembly. It is frustrating periodically when you run into something that won't compile in bB or run because the compile errors can often be very cryptic, but over time, if you follow the rules and play with it for a while, I think it is a great platform for writing atari 2600 games.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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