Quote Originally Posted by Monk View Post
I wasn't insulting you at all, actually. If you want to learn how to code and create a game you really do need to get some kind of education. Not one of those 'gaming' degrees you see advertised on television but something in programming.
i have a diploma in digital entertainment, a degree in computer science, and another major in multimedia and game. Had being involved in the programming military simulator used for army training. but I can tell you that an education in computers alone ain't useful to getting a gaming career or help you in designing a game.

designing, as the word implies is about design. the concept of a game is far more complicated than just write lines of codes.

besides, computer science do not cover the math involved in 3d nor the optimization involved to allow the program to run at realtime. (the correct degree to pursuit is "Realtime Interactive Simulation")

computer science do not cover design and art production, i did a separate major to learn that. being able to write a program is quite different from being able to make a game. the reality is... if you don't know the concept of animation, how do you write a program that compute that? if you don't know the concept of game balancing, how do you handle your variable? how do you design an AI if you can't even win a battle yourself!?

there are commercially available game engine a designer can use to avoid heavy coding, what we would call scripting, you can even get a free copy of unreal and play with the editor(it hard and overwhelming, but it can be done)... but there are no commercially available "design" u can get off the shelf. sorry but i seen alot of people take the wrong route and gave wrong advice, but game is always about the design, not programming.

that is not to say programmer don't have a place, i do have a computer science degree. but becoming a programmer is different from becoming a game programmer. game programmer has to know game design, and have abit of passion and style!

---

now for the serious answer, how do I design a game like total war? uhm, you probably need a couple of dozen of artist, modeller, animators, texturer, sound engineer etc. in additional to your game designers that must document(yes, document!) all the variables that would affect the game(ie. morale etc), and finally a programming team of specialist doing the graphics, gameplay, ui, ai, multiplayer, intergration with steam-ing uhm, and even packing everything into an installer too. you will need beta testers, people to deal with the publishers, HR people to make sure everyone get paid or they will turn into RONIN on you!


so it bring us to the first lesson my mentor taught me some 7 years ago: "start small", try and make a 2d game first, with just 1 gameplay element(say run around avoiding giant pizza falling on you or something basic)... then add something else and repeat the process... it will take you a few years to uncover all the stuff but you will get to a level where you have the ability to design the game you want.

this is why game development requires abit of passion... you have to stick around a few years before you get your fruit of labour... GL!