作者：Adam Bishop

如果你因为自己未能掌握任何程序设计知识而退缩，我想告诉你大可不必为此担忧。我拥有历史学硕士学位，但从未上过任何程序设计课程，除了在中学（10多年前）时接触了一点皮毛。而在读研究生的时候我突然对电子游戏制作产生了浓厚的兴趣，并且我也开始寻找所有能够助我实现这一创想的工具和知识。在那之后我曾在Xbox Live Indie Games中发布过一款游戏（从中赚得了一些钱），并参与了Experimental Gameplay Project等若干项目。我想正是有这些经历作为跳板，我才能够转变成现在的程序员这一身份。所以我之所以会说，即使没有技术背景也可以创造自己的游戏是因为我自己便经历过这样的过程。

话虽这么说，我还需要给予这些新手们一些警告。即使你没有编程知识（一开始你也不需要掌握这些知识），你也必须了解其它的一些重要内容。不管是C#，Action Script还是其它更专业且更简单的程序设计，Torquescript，你都必须清楚一些编程基础，如变量， if/else语句和对象等。如果你现在还不知道它们是什么也不要紧，因为这都是些非常容易掌握的内容。

同时新人们还需要牢记的是，切忌一开始就尝试创造MMO游戏，也不要马上就去实践你梦想中的游戏。如果你能够先专注于一些能够在短时间（一两个月）内完成的简单小游戏，这对于你的长期发展将非常有帮助。新手们应该先学习基于2D（而非3D）开发游戏，我在下面所描写的编程内容也都是以此为基础的。

在此，我将列举出一些新手们可以使用的工具，并分析它们的作用，它们对于新手们的要求以及新手们在使用这些工具制作游戏时该从哪里着手。让我们开始吧！

Visual Studio（C#）

Visual-CSharp-Editor-Zoom(from gamasutra)

这是什么？

XNA是微软以C#语言为基础所创造的开发框架。基于该框架开发者便能够同时在Xbox 360，PC以及Windows Phones等平台上开发游戏。在我将谈到的所有工具中，XNA是我投入最长时间的一个；并且它也是最强大，最灵活以及（基于你想要从中挖掘出多少潜能）最复杂的一个。XNA游戏是基于C#语言进行编写——因为这种语言与Java或Action Script等语言类似，所以掌握了C#便等于让你获得了可高度转化的技能。对于XNA的使用其实没有太大的限制（至少对于新手们来说），并且它也未局限于特定的游戏类型。如果你想要创造出一款没有太多功能限制的游戏，这便是你的优先选择。

如何开始？

微软提供了许多可靠的教程以引导用户逐步创造他们自己的第一款游戏。这不仅是关于创造一款特别游戏的教程，同时也是关于如何整合游戏代码并解释各种功能的作用的“初级读本”。其中包含了教学视频，代码样本，声音和图像文件。你可能需要花点时间去浏览这些内容，但是当你完成了阅读，你便能够开始创造属于自己的游戏了。

所需成本？

若只在PC开发游戏就可免费下载工具。而如果你想要开发主机游戏你便需要支付99美元的年费，不过工具也仍是免费的。如果你想要开发主机游戏但又不确定支付这笔费用是否有价值，你便可以使用360控制器将游戏当成是PC游戏一样运行（假设你拥有360 PC控制器）。

Torque 2D

Torque 2D(from gamasutra)

这是什么？

Torque 2D是一个2D游戏开发引擎。与XNA（开发者完全通过代码去创造游戏）不同的是，面对Torque 2D时你将在一个更加直观的图形用户界面上开发游戏。与XNA一样，Torque 2D也非常灵活，你可以基于这一工具创造任何你想要的游戏。根据我的经验，Torque 2D对于新手来说是最简单也是最容易理解的一个平台，因为它具有非常直观的图像用户界面。在简单的外观下还隐藏着许多巨大的潜能，新手们可通过编写代码制作任何自己喜欢的游戏。

如何开始？

Torque 2D中有各种各样的文件，但是大多数文件内容却都很乏味。这里也存在一系列非常棒的教程能够帮助新手们更快摸清门道。与只拥有一个大教程的XNA不同的是，Torque 2D的教程被分解成一些小内容，并以此解释不断发展的理念。刚开始时你可以创造一些简单的游戏，如鱼在收集各种食物，之后可慢慢转向更高级的理念，如以忍者为主角的平台游戏。

所需成本？

Torque 2D及其脚本编辑软件Torsion为玩家提供30天的免费演示版本，开发者拥有较多的时间去决定是否要付费购买。Torque 2D的价格是128美元。Torsion需要40美元，不过虽然它非常有用，但却并非必需物品，因为你也可以用简单的文本编辑器编写Torquescript。同时它还提供了各种入门套件——这些套件中包含了各种类型的图像，声音以及各种美术包等资源。而这些都是你可以自行选择的。

RPG Maker VX Ace

RPG Maker VX Ace(from gamasutra)

这是什么？

接下来我将谈到一些基于特定类型的创造工具，如果你希望创造出符合这些特定类型的游戏的话，你便可以选择这些工具。RPG Maker VX Ace是RPG Maker（游戏邦注：是一款即使用户没有程序方面的相关知识，也能独自制作原创RPG游戏的制作软件）的最新版本，优化后的新版本比之前的版本更容易操作了。对于新手来说最重要的一点是它不再要求开发者必须具有任何脚本撰写技能；你可以在RPG Maker VX Ace中通过用图像界面去创造一款角色扮演游戏（而如果你想要扩展游戏功能的话则仍需要编写脚本）。这些工具都较为直白，并且其中还嵌有许多标准的RPG元素，如宝藏箱子和商店等。所有内容都直接且清楚地呈现在一个数据库中，让开发者能够在此创造角色，敌人，技能，道具，地下城等等游戏内容。除此之外工具中还带有许多图像和声音等元素，并且我们需要注意的是这些元素都属于高标准的科幻游戏类型。这一程序名为RPG Maker，开发者只需要动用一点聪明才智便能够轻松地创造出其它游戏类型，例如他们能够很容易创造出老式冒险游戏等类型。

如何开始？

你可以下载PDF格式的教程，并从中了解创造一款RPG游戏的过程。这些教程非常有帮助，尽管我认为它们有点过时了——除了某些内容是通过程序表现出来外，它们的运行方式也相对老旧。其文档也不如XNA或Torque强大，后者更适用于创造出商业性产品。不过RPG Maker VX Ace的界面却非常直观，而无需做出更多解释。

所需成本？

与Torque 2D一样，用户可以在30天内免费使用这一程序的演示版。30天后如果你想继续使用这一程序便需要支付90美元的费用。

Adventure Game Studio

Adventure Game Studio(from gamasutra)

Adventure Game Studio正如其名，是一种用于创造老式冒险游戏的引擎。AGS不如我之前提到的工具那般灵活，但是它却能够实现一些更有针对性的目标。不得不说，从UI角度来看我们很难去操纵这一工具，但幸运的是已经有许多关于AGS的学习材料摆在我们面前——即一些基于AGS所创造出来的游戏。AGS能够处理精灵，动画，对话，库存以及游戏发生领域等内容，也就是说它将提供给你一切创造冒险游戏所必须的内容。与RPG Maker一样，它也伴随着固定且极端明确的脚本语言。AGS的脚本非常简单，而如果你对于代码的编写无从下手，这一工具便是你的最佳选择，因为它的脚本能够容纳各种标准的冒险游戏行动。

如何开始？

AGS共有文本和视频教程两种选择，尽管它们并未放置在一起。如果你想要浏览文本教程，你便可以在AGS中找到它并从中掌握所有主要功能。而如果你希望更轻松地掌握教程，你便可以到Youtube上寻找相关视频。在那里有各种各样的视频能够帮助你掌握创造一款冒险游戏的所需要的元素，不过你只需要清楚程序是如何运作的就好，无需观看所有内容。

所需成本？

不用钱！

总结

我希望通过这篇文章为新晋游戏设计师展现一些可行的开发工具，但是这些却还远远不够。我甚至还未提到Flash以及Flixel等工具。同样也有许多PC游戏带有一些非常有帮助的改装工具，而这对于新手们来说也是一个很好的起步点，不过我仍然决定坚持使用本文提到的工具去创造新游戏。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Getting Into Making Games

by Adam Bishop

Evan Jones recently wrote a blog post here called You Should Make A Game in which he suggested that the world would be a better place if everyone started making games (even bad games).  In the comments below a couple of people chimed in to say that they wanted to make games and had tried to make some kind of foray into development but that they found it difficult to know where and how to start.  I thought it might be helpful to write up a bit of a guide for anyone in that scenario who thinks it would be great to make video games but isn’t really sure how so I’m going to give run-downs of some of the software available to help you get into game development.

If you feel like you’ve got a tough road ahead because you don’t have a background in programming, I know where you’re coming from.  I have a Masters degree in history and I’ve never taken any programming courses aside from some very basic stuff like intro to Turing in high school over a decade ago.  At some point during my graduate studies I decided I was interested in making video games and I started seeking out the tools and the knowledge necessary to make that happen.  Since then I’ve published a game on Xbox Live Indie Games which I’ve made a small amount of money from, participated in the Experimental Gameplay Project, and worked on a number of other projects.  I was able to use this work as a springboard to my current job as a programmer in another industry.  So when I say that you can learn to make games without having a technical background, I know that it can be done because I’ve done it myself.

That being said, there are some caveats.  While you don’t have to be an expert programmer to make games (and you don’t really need to know any programming when you’re just getting started) it is something you’re going to have to learn a bit of.  Whether it’s C#, Action Script, or something more specialised and simple like Torquescript, you are going to need to understand some of the programming basics like variables, if/else statements, and objects.  If you don’t know what those are yet don’t worry, they’re really easy to pick up.

It’s also important to keep in mind that you’re not going to be able to build an MMO right out of the gate (you’d be surprised at how many people think they will).  You’re also probably not going to be able to make your dream game right away.  It’s going to help you out an awful lot in the long run if you focus on starting out small, making simple games that you can complete in a short amount of time (say a month or two).  You should definitely start out by learning to make games in 2D rather than 3D, and all the programs I’m going to describe below will be discussed with that in mind.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone, I just think it’s important to be clear about the fact that it is going to take a bit of work.  But like I said, if a guy like me with a background in writing about international development can pick it up and use it as a launching pad into a new career path, so can you.  If you’re willing to dedicate some time to it like you would with any other hobby (like learning to play an instrument, for example) you’ll find that you’re able to do a lot more than you might think you can in a pretty small amount of time.

With that in mind, I’m going to look at a number of tools that you could use to start out by giving an overview of what they can do, what they’ll require of you, and where you can go to get started on using them to make games.  So let’s get started!

XNA

Download XNA

Download Visual Studio (C#)

What is it?

XNA is a development framework put out by Microsoft built on C#.  It allows for game development across Xbox 360, PC, and Windows Phones.  Of all the tools I’m going to talk about this is the one I’ve spent the most time with.  It’s also the most powerful, flexible and, depending on how far you want to take it, the most complex.  XNA games are written in C#, which has a lot of similarities to other languages like Java or Action Script – as such, learning to write in C# will give you highly transferable skills.  There aren’t really many limits to what you can do with XNA (at least not at the level a beginner is working at) and it doesn’t lend itself especially well to any particular kind or genre of game.  If you want to build games without many limits on functionality, this is the tool to start with.

How do I get started?

Microsoft has put out a really excellent tutorial to guide you step-by-step through the process of creating your first game, and you can find it here.  It’s not just a tutorial to make one specific game, it’s also a great primer on how to structure your game code and what various functions do.  It contains instructional video, code samples, sound, and graphic files.  It will probably take you a few sittings to get through everything here, but you’ll be a lot more prepared to create your own games when you’re finished.

What does it cost?

Nothing to download the tools and develop on PC.  If you want to develop for your console you’ll need to pay a $99 per year registration fee, but the tools will still be free.  If think you might want to develop for console but aren’t sure if the fee will be worth it, you can run your games as PC games with 360 controller support (assuming you have a 360 PC controller).

Torque 2D

Download Torque 2D (also download Torsion from that link)

What is it?

Torque 2D is a 2D game development engine.  Unlike XNA in which games are made more or less entirely through code, a lot of the work that you’ll do in Torque 2D is in a graphical user interface that’s a lot more intuitive.  Much like XNA, Torque 2D is very flexible and you can create almost any kind of game you’d like in it.  See this page for some examples of commercial games made in this engine.  In my experience Torque 2D is one of the simplest and easiest platforms for a beginner developer to get into because so much of it is done through a very intuitive graphical user interface.  Once you get past the simple appearance though, there’s still a lot of power underneath to write code and make whatever game you want to make.

How do I get started?

There’s fairly extensive documentation for Torque 2D, although unfortunately a lot of it is very dry.  There’s a great series of tutorials available to help you learn the ropes.  Unlike XNA, which has one big tutorial, Torque 2D is divided into a number of small tutorials that explain increasingly advanced concepts.  You’ll start out by making a really simple game where fish have to collect some food and then move on to more advanced ideas like a platform game starring a ninja.

What does it cost?

Torque 2D and its script editing software Torsion are both free to demo for 30 days, which should be plenty of time for you to decide if it’s worth purchasing.  Torque 2D is $128 to purchase.  Torsion is $40 and while it’s helpful it’s certainly not necessary as Torquescript can be written in a simple text editor if you’d prefer.  There are also starter kits available containing resources like art and sound for a number of genres as well as various art packs should you decide that you’d like to go that route.  Those are purely optional.

RPG Maker VX Ace

Download RPG Maker

What is it?

Now I’m going to move on to talk about a couple of genre-specific creation tools that you can get started with if you’re interested in making a game that fits into one of these well defined genres.  RPG Maker VX Ace is the latest version of the RPG Maker software and it’s got a number of improvements that make it easier to use than previous versions of the software.  The most important one for a beginning developer is that it no long requires any scripting ability to create games; you can create an RPG in RPG Maker VX Ace using only the graphical interface (though scripting is still available if you’d like to expand your game’s functionality).  The tools provided here are pretty intuitive and there’s a lot of built-in functionality for many standard RPG elements like treasure chests and stores.  The whole thing runs in a pretty straight-forward database that allows for the creation of characters, enemies, skills, items, dungeons, and a whole lot more.  There’s a fair amount of graphics and sound built in, but it’s worth noting that they are of the fairly standard high fantasy style.  And Even though the program is called RPG Maker, with a little ingenuity you could easily make something in another genre; an old-school adventure game would be very easy to do, for example.

How do I get started?

There’s a sequence of tutorials available as PDF downloads that will walk you through the process of creating an RPG.  The tutorials are reasonably good, though in my experience they seem to be a bit outdated in terms of where some things are located in the program and how they work.  The documentation in general is not nearly as strong as it is for XNA or Torque, both of which are much larger commercial products.  Thankfully the interface is pretty self-explanatory for the most part.

What does it cost?

There’s a free demo that will let you try out the full program for 30 days, just as there is with Torque 2D.  After that you’re looking at $90 to unlock the program permanently.

Adventure Game Studio

Download AGS

What is it?

Adventure Game Studio is exactly what it sounds like, an engine for creating old-school adventure games.  AGS isn’t nearly as flexible as the previous programs I’ve mentioned, but it is very good at the narrow purpose for which it was designed.  I have to say that it’s not the easiest to use or navigate from a UI perspective, but thankfully there are lots learning materials out there for AGS which has been around for a while and has been used to create quite a few games.  AGS has built in tools for handling sprites, animations, dialogue, inventory, and the areas that your game will take place in, which is to say that it’s got everything you need to build an adventure game.  Like RPG Maker it comes with a built-in and highly specific scripting language.  Scripting in AGS is pretty simple, and if you’re worried about needing to write code this is definitely one of the easiest places to start because the scripting has been designed to accomodate all sorts of standard adventure game actions.

How do I get started?

You’ve got the option of either text or video tutorials for AGS, although they don’t go together.  If you want the text tutorials they can be found here and they’ll walk you through all the major functionality.  If you’d find videos to be easier to follow, there’s a really expansive series uploaded to Youtube.  There are hours and hours of videos available there to help you out with all kinds of aspects of creating an adventure game, but you don’t need to watch nearly all of them just to get a handle on how the program works.

What does it cost?

Nothing!  What could be simpler than that?

Concluding

My goal here has been to provide a look at some of the tools available to beginning game designers, but this isn’t remotely expansive.  I haven’t even touched on Flash, and there are tools out there like Flixel that you could look at if you’re interested in going that route.  There are also a number of PC games with useful modding tools, and that might be a great place to start too although I decided that I’d stick with programs designed for creating new games in this post.  There are other options out there, and if you’ve got one that you think would be easy for non-programmers to get into it would be great if you could throw a description and a link into the comments.

I’ll end on that note, but if there’s anything that I haven’t made clear or if you’re looking to get into game creation but are unsure about something just add a comment below and hopefully we can get a good discussion going to help as many people as possible start creating the games that they want to make.(source:GAMASUTRA)