MMF2 Newbie questions about making a game

[Tactician]

Hi, I am looking at Multimedia Fusion 2 as the top candidate to make a couple of games I have design docs for.
I would like to make a PC/mobile version of a board game I have made if I can on Multimedia Fusion 2.
A few questions:
1. Approximately how much scripting and code would I need to learn in order to make a board game similar to something a bit like the Eurogame: Puerto Rico the computer version.
2. Does MMF2 support computer controlled AI opponent funtionality for a single player game version of this? How much coding and scripting would be needed to make this?
3. Does MMF2 support Multiplayer online opponent funtionality? Again, how much coding and scripting would be needed to make this?
4. Are there apps or extensions that can make some of the process easier?

As a general question, how much can be done with GUI and how much scripting/coding as a percentage?

I am a game designer, not programmer so I am trying to learn PC game design without having to spend years learning scripting and coding, or to limit the amount of scripting/coding that I have to learn, lol.
I have designed tabletop RPGs, adventures, plots, and board games as well. I am good with drawing and music to, coding is the one area I am not good with.

I am willing to learn some code, just would like to keep it to a minimum ,thats why I was looking at MMF2 and Game Editor.

How is the coding/scripting compared to Game Editor?

thanks,

[Popcorn]

I haven't played the game you mentioned, but you will certainly be able to create any kind of boardgame in MMF2!
Of the things you mention, AI would be the most difficult thing to do. Integrating an online mode is not the easiest thing either.
You are touching some of the more complex elements of gamemaking here. Here MMF2 is not the limit, but yourself.
MMF2 is not very good for making AI code, but it is fully possible. You could even learn a scripting language like Lua and make the AI using that, and integrate this within MMF2.

I would say that do not start on this project before you are familiar with the tool you're using. Start out small, make smaller games and just experiment with the varous aspects of gamemaking that will be central when you ultimately start on this bigger project.

If you can make a wide range of games, like Breakout, Tetris, 2 player chess, a simple RPG etc, then you'll soon enough know when you're ready to make the game of your dreams. Start out with the demos of MMF2 if you're not sure if this is the right tool for you yet

[nivram]

Welcome to the forums.

Look at the Tutorial in the sidebar over there----->

This will give you an idea of what games can be made. Your imagination is the limit actually. The is "no scripting" in MMF, but there is coding. MMF does most of the work for you in the Event editor.

This software will bring tears of joy to your eyes.

Marv

[Tactician]

I haven't played the game you mentioned, but you will certainly be able to create any kind of boardgame in MMF2!
Of the things you mention, AI would be the most difficult thing to do. Integrating an online mode is not the easiest thing either.
You are touching some of the more complex elements of gamemaking here. Here MMF2 is not the limit, but yourself.
MMF2 is not very good for making AI code, but it is fully possible. You could even learn a scripting language like Lua and make the AI using that, and integrate this within MMF2.

I would say that do not start on this project before you are familiar with the tool you're using. Start out small, make smaller games and just experiment with the varous aspects of gamemaking that will be central when you ultimately start on this bigger project.

If you can make a wide range of games, like Breakout, Tetris, 2 player chess, a simple RPG etc, then you'll soon enough know when you're ready to make the game of your dreams. Start out with the demos of MMF2 if you're not sure if this is the right tool for you yet

Thanks for the reply.
The only thing I think of when you tell me this is motivation and passion. What I mean is that I am passionate about RPGs, Strategy games, and RPG, Strat, Sim hybrids. This means I really love these genres.
Now for other genres like Platformers, Racing games, Sports games, shooters etc., I like most of them, but am not passionate about them, and probably not as motivated about them, and as a result I don't know if I can get as creative and fun with those genres as my favorites.

For example if I work my way up from the simplest games, the simplest I would like to create would be a platformer-----but then I would probably add RPG elements to try to make a game like Castlevania, Metroid, Light Crusader, or Shadow Complex (onXbox live).
Is a platofrmer with a little bit of RPG elements simple enough to start with? Thats really the only game idea I have planned out besides RPGs, strategy, and sim games that I think I can be passionate and motivated enough to complete, you know what I mean?

I mean if I have to go simpler to start out, I can look at my folder of game ideas I desinged when I was a kid, which have arcade platformers and shooters, but man I will really have to try to motivate myself to make a game in a style I really haven't played hardle in the last decade and a half lol.

What do you guys think?

[Konidias]

What do you guys think?

What I think you should do is you should go through the tutorials, try testing some stuff out. Get a hang of how the program works and what kind of work is involved, and then decide from there. Sitting here doing the "should I? could I? would I?" questioning just makes it seem like you're idling and wasting time instead of just jumping in and trying it out. You could have already probably learned firsthand whether or not this program is for you by now.

It's great that you have passion for some game genres... but it's very telling when you say that you can only make a game you're truly passionate about... It tells me that you won't finish a game... ever. Because eventually you'll be working on a game you're passionate about, and it will get hard or you'll have to do the boring parts of the game, and you'll give up on it. You can't just be passionate about games... You have to be passionate about making games.

[nivram]

Ya Konidias...sounds like you trying to flip an object and wanting MMF2 to do it for you.

Marv

[Tactician]

What do you guys think?

I think you're just being lazy. There. I said it.

1. Instead of just looking around the site or searching the forums, you decided to post a bunch of questions that you more than likely could have answered yourself.

2. A lot of your questions sound like "how can I do this without it involving much work" or "should I bother trying to make games with this", which just tells me that you're looking for either someone to tell you that it's super easy and you just drag and drop a few things and push a button and your game is done... or you're looking for someone to tell you it's a ton of work so you can use it as an excuse to not bother.

What I think you should do is you should go through the tutorials, try testing some stuff out. Get a hang of how the program works and what kind of work is involved, and then decide from there. Sitting here doing the "should I? could I? would I?" questioning just makes it seem like you're idling and wasting time instead of just jumping in and trying it out. You could have already probably learned firsthand whether or not this program is for you by now.

It's great that you have passion for some game genres... but it's very telling when you say that you can only make a game you're truly passionate about... It tells me that you won't finish a game... ever. Because eventually you'll be working on a game you're passionate about, and it will get hard or you'll have to do the boring parts of the game, and you'll give up on it. You can't just be passionate about games... You have to be passionate about making games.

Thanks for your opnions
I can see how the way I presented my questions could belay the appearance of not wanting to do the exploratory work myself. The only reason I am asking for so much detail is that I am trying to compare all the 2d software development tools out there and it is taking a lot of time. I would like to avoid testing out out 20 or more development tools, and learning individual scripting/coding for each just to determine which tool would work best.
So I have tried to find out as much as I can before working on all of them.
I have narrowed down the tools to MMF 2, Game Editor, and possibly Torque 2d but that seems less likely.

Also, I can definitely complete games as I have completed 2 board games, a full tabletop RPG, and a few table top modules.

But I guess your right and I will just have to work on the demo of MMF2 and see how it works.

[Eliyahu]

AI in MMF2 is not easy at all. I find creating somewhat complex AI in foreign languages to me, like Java, far easier than using MMF2 to make a basic AI. But that doesn't mean it isn't possible. It is.

Overall, MMF2 has it's downfalls where scripts help out, but MMF2 is worth the buy because of it's other attributes. Quickly import graphics, move things around during edittime, and it's flexibility to do ANYTHING. And while the hard parts take some of your time, the whole process is faster in MMF2, and far less painful.

MMF2 was worth every cent (which it later bought me back with the SWF exporter and selling games), and will remain a timeless tool to me. Onto your topic: many people come here asking "How do I make a _________ game?" or "How long would this take?" It gets very sickening to hear that people think that making a game is like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Making a game is more like making.....a triple decker burger. If you don't start with the bottom bun and center it carefully, the rest of the burger will topple over and make a mess on your plate, and youll go, "screw this!" and then you'll just abandon your messy burger and start on a new one.

Not a great analogy? I thought it was decent. Basically, making a game takes a complicated process. It's not simple. If it is simple, you're doing it wrong. A game in ANY language will have its own difficulties, but through working at it, you make YOUR game, not some default preset game that you contribute nothing to.

Instead of jumping into a first massive game, which I can guarentee would fail entirely, you need to find an understanding of how MMF2 works. Then you will understand why people prefer it. Start with smaller games, work up, gain techniques, then make the dream game that you always wanted to.

If you're so passionate about games, you will willingly do what it takes to make them. Unfortunately, your first game will NEVER be the massive game you expect. It WILL fail. This is true for all game makers! No one just strolls into MMF2 and pops out an MMORPG. Those who try do fail.

It's your call. And don't leave the community because you don't want to hear "You cannot make that big a game on your first try." Communities who don't tell you this are lying, because development takes practice, practice, and practice.

Good luck on your journeys, I hope you make the right decision.

-Eliyahu

[JasonDarby]

Making games is a lot of fun, but it can also be a bit of a slog, when trying to get from A to B, especially keeping motivated.

The reason why people say start simple is that you can learn the basics, and get results faster, there is nothing worse than starting on a project that will have everything in it, to only find 12 months later that you are drained and have no passion left to continue.

When people said start small, there is no reason why where you start isnt a small component of the final game you want to make. That way whatever you make to begin with not only helps you learn, but you will be happy about doing it because you know it will go in your final game.

So dont think you have to go through your old design docs to find a simple project to start on, get your end game that you want to make and break it down into key features and work on one of those features instead

Now i am biased, but i still look around at other tools (knowledge is power ... but i can say as a non programmer, imho MMF is still the best development tool by far (and is continuing to move forward in leaps and bounds with Flash recently and iPhone export in the future).

Try the demo, get to know how it works, and once you have understood the flow then its pretty straightforward.

With regards to features that can help, i am not 100% sure what game you are making, but there is the wargame movement object and the board game object that might be of use.

Jason

[Konidias]

I don't see how wanting a simple thing such as stretching the object in the opposite direction when negative scaled is the same as wanting pre-built advanced AI.

My request is a simple transform adjustment. His request is wanting to make complex games with little to no code...