🔒 Locked

Dreamcast Programming?

Started by grumpymonkey Jan 5, 2009 at 9:47 PM 5 replies 3k views

Original Post

Jan 5, 2009 at 9:47 PM

Hi, im new to these forums, but not to the site. i havent made an account before, but i have found answers to some of my questions when googling :P If im not supposed to post this type of question here, or at all, then sorry but im kinda in a rush and i didnt have time to read the rules =[ ive been programming for 3 years with gamemaker, and i just started using C++ a few months ago, but it was too hard for me to make 3D games, which is the whole reason i moved on >.< and since the dreamcast is the oldest system i have that supports REAL 3D games, not snes 3d games, i decided i wanted to chose that console to make games for..mostly because it uses regular CD's that do not need a copy protection thing. idk if it will be harder than more up-to-date consoles since technology wasnt always what it is today, but its the only one i can use. im not asking for a tutorial(UNLESS YOU HAVE ONE! :P), but i just want to know how i can get started with making console games, preferably dreamcast.

Funkymunky

261

Funkymunky

Jan 5, 2009 at 10:00 PM

I hate to be the first cynic (of which i don't doubt there will be many) but a game, on any console, is still just a piece of software. so maybe give C++ another try?

(oh, and to completely contradict my own point, check out what Google showed me)

generaleskimo

Jan 5, 2009 at 10:02 PM

As far as I know, there is no simple way to build games for the dreamcast. If there is, it is likely a homebrew solution, meaning it will probably be more complex than anything you can imagine. If you want to start building 3D games, you should do it on a PC. At this point, there are NO open platform consoles, meaning that programming for them will require elite computer engineering skills or a $25,000 development kit. Start with OpenGL or DirectX. I recommend DirectX if you use Windows, but if you use a Mac, Linux, or BSD, you need OpenGL.

M2tM

Jan 5, 2009 at 10:07 PM

Honestly, if you have difficulty developing a 3d game on a PC adding an additional level of indirection is not going to help solve anything.

It's like saying "well, I can't run a mile, it's too tough. Can anyone give me advice on how to run a marathon?" And to clarify that I'll just say that SDK's are typically interfaced with by your computer. So technically you still write a 3d game on your computer, but it executes on the platform of your choice... And programming for old consoles involved a lot of funny tricks not really relevant any longer.

generaleskimo

Jan 5, 2009 at 10:09 PM

Quote:
Original post by Funkymunky
I hate to be the first cynic (of which i don't doubt there will be many) but a game, on any console, is still just a piece of software. so maybe give C++ another try?

(oh, and to completely contradict my own point, check out what Google showed me)

So there are homebrew API's. However, if you are looking for beginning 3D game programming, I HIGHLY recommend not using this sort of homebrew stuff, as it tends to require a lot more experience and patience. If you want to get into this stuff quickly, try using C# and XNA. It as simply as 3D game programming gets.

Generally older hardware doesn't make things simpler. For example, the Direct3D10 API is much more clean and simple than DX9 (and DX7-8 in my opinion). Newer hardware doesn't inherently mean more complex coding, it simply ALLOWS for more complex coding.

InvalidPointer

107

InvalidPointer

Jan 5, 2009 at 10:10 PM

You want XNA and an Xbox 360, methinks. I honestly have no idea if the required development kits for the Dreamcast are even *available* anymore, especially since the thing's approaching a decade old. Plus the sheer hackery that was required to get anything that looked decent and perform at sensible rates was just... well... ugly.

And as a general rule of thumb, programming for modern hardware is almost as a rule more forgiving of iffy coding practices than older ones. This may seem slightly counterintuitive at first until you realize that the architecture generally becomes more broad with each successive iteration in addition to exponentially higher amounts of headroom in terms of memory and computing horsepower. :)

EDIT: Beaten to the punch and corrected on a few things. Guess you learn something new every day! :)

EnigmaticCoder

Jan 6, 2009 at 4:33 AM

You can read my article about Dreamcast development on my professor's website. Expect an updated and peer-reviewed version on the gamedev wiki too.

Topic Locked

This topic has been locked by a moderator. New replies are not allowed.