New to game development

I can't comment on the book, as I haven't read it.

RPG is REALLY non-specific. A command line text based game can be an RPG. A huge game like Skyrim is an RPG. The latest Final Fantasy is an RPG.

Java is a programming language like any another. The question isn't if Java has the potential for it. The question is if the project you have in mind is within scope of what you can do.

Rent a safe somewhere and put the idea of making an rpg game in it and start learning Java with the book you bought, gamedev and the rest of the internet. An RPG, unless it's stripped as much a RPG can be stripped to still be an RPG, is very hard to make. And way above the level of a beginner. I'll ask some questions to make you understand that a little better.

1. How will you be creating your map?
2. How will you script the dialogues?
3. How will you store your character data?
4. How will you move the player?
5. How will you implement menu's
6. How will you be doing the inventory?
7. How will you... (endless list).

Each of these have there own huge list of "problems" and before you can tackle these you need to know the basics very well. So learn some basics and get comfortable with the syntax and basic functions. Now it's time to make something like pong, reason? Well i can actually make the same list above and finish it.

1. How will you move the paddle and ball.
2. How would you make the ball bounce on the pedal and screen edge.

Hey! This seems very doable. Next up, arkanoid, we know how to bounce a ball and move a pedal you might even know a way to make this even more fancy. So what needs to be done?

1. How to make a map of bricks.
2. How to remove a brick when the ball hits it.

So now you have a basic arkanoid, I found arkanoid a pretty cool game. And to make this a full game some things need to be done.

1. Make a menu with a start and high scores button.
2. Reuse this menu to make a between levels screen.
3. Add score.
4. Add different kinds of bricks.
5. Add bonuses.

You probably know by now how to implement most of these things. And you surely have a basic idea on how to program a RPG. Here is the first list again.

1. How will you be creating your map?

You know how to create a map of bricks for arkanoid, so you should have an idea how to tackle this for an RPG.

2. How will you script the dialogues?

You already made a between game menu that uses game data to show new data.

3. How will you store your character data? You made a highscore list that keeps track of highscore of each play through.

4. How will you move the player?

This one will be easy now.

5. How will you implement menu's? A lot more complicated for RPG's but you have a basic idea on how menu's work.

6. How will you be doing the inventory? Combining menu's, buttons and working with dynamic game data should tackle this area.

This does not imply that your ready to make a RPG after a arkanoid clone. But you surely have some great insight on how to make something like a RPG. Advantage is, you now have a complete game. This gives confidence, sent it to your friends and they will boost your confidence even more. You also have quick access to all the code you wrote since you wrote it yourself and understand how it works.

@zer0wolf
I really wanted to make something like Ultima Online, in case you don't know that game, maybe you know Runescape..it's something like that.
I'm still undecided about if I want it online or not...

@menyo
Yes, my idea was that, start by creating very simple games, understanding the basic logic and what I can do with Java, so this book explains a lot of things, like threads (that I was unaware about) but I'm still in the beginning so...
I'm not hoping that I'll make a game in about 1 month or so, I'm aware that this will take long time to learn and understand things more clearly, but it's this what I want to do, to develop games.

Well thanks a lot for the help guys, I'll continue in this forum and sometime I'll post here my RPG

I dont want to rain on your parade or anything but you will not be able to make a game like Runescape. That's a MMORPG and takes years for big teams to develop

You're better off with doing stuff like Pong, Pacman and maybe even a platformer when you're ready? Just increase the difficulty of the game after every finished project and you'll be fine

I dont want to rain on your parade or anything but you will not be able to make a game like Runescape. That's a MMORPG and takes years for big teams to develop

You're better off with doing stuff like Pong, Pacman and maybe even a platformer when you're ready? Just increase the difficulty of the game after every finished project and you'll be fine

There's lot of RPG's made by one guy, and they're better than Runescape...how come I can't do it? With work and dedication I'll do it and I know it'll take years.

[quote name='NerdyGnome' timestamp='1329526291' post='4914068']
I dont want to rain on your parade or anything but you will not be able to make a game like Runescape. That's a MMORPG and takes years for big teams to develop

You're better off with doing stuff like Pong, Pacman and maybe even a platformer when you're ready? Just increase the difficulty of the game after every finished project and you'll be fine

There's lot of RPG's made by one guy, and they're better than Runescape...how come I can't do it? With work and dedication I'll do it and I know it'll take years.
[/quote]

Just make sure you do your research first, it really doesnt matter what your goals are but without any research you could see yourself doing nothing or doing things the wrong way, dont stick with one book either, as for the goal itself, I say go for it, even if you quit half way or the product fails you will have learnt a lot to make it worth it, that alone makes the goal real. Truth be told any project these days gets negative off putting remarks, doesnt matter if its a website or a simple parser you will get negative remarks. Saying all that, making anything is time consuming and the question really you have to ask yourself is "How much time can I dedicate to this?"

Seriously though, if you can dedicate the time on any project it will get done oh and whatever your estimate duration is, times it by 2

[quote name='Noctiz' timestamp='1329557353' post='4914143']
[quote name='NerdyGnome' timestamp='1329526291' post='4914068']
I dont want to rain on your parade or anything but you will not be able to make a game like Runescape. That's a MMORPG and takes years for big teams to develop

You're better off with doing stuff like Pong, Pacman and maybe even a platformer when you're ready? Just increase the difficulty of the game after every finished project and you'll be fine

There's lot of RPG's made by one guy, and they're better than Runescape...how come I can't do it? With work and dedication I'll do it and I know it'll take years.
[/quote]

Just make sure you do your research first, it really doesnt matter what your goals are but without any research you could see yourself doing nothing or doing things the wrong way, dont stick with one book either, as for the goal itself, I say go for it, even if you quit half way or the product fails you will have learnt a lot to make it worth it, that alone makes the goal real. Truth be told any project these days gets negative off putting remarks, doesnt matter if its a website or a simple parser you will get negative remarks. Saying all that, making anything is time consuming and the question really you have to ask yourself is "How much time can I dedicate to this?"

Seriously though, if you can dedicate the time on any project it will get done oh and whatever your estimate duration is, times it by 2
[/quote]

I understand that I'm really talking about 4/5 years, even more...after I finish college (I'm taking computer engineering course) I want to go to another college about game development that I fount here near my town.

I want to go to another college about game development that I fount here near my town.

U are lucky xDDD

[quote name='Noctiz' timestamp='1329559756' post='4914152']
I want to go to another college about game development that I fount here near my town.

U are lucky xDDD
[/quote]

Hah not really, I fount it before I went to this college that I'm in now taking computer engineering, and really wanted to go to that course of game dev. but I have to pay 386€ (507$) every month and that's why I didn't go.

[quote name='NerdyGnome' timestamp='1329526291' post='4914068']
I dont want to rain on your parade or anything but you will not be able to make a game like Runescape. That's a MMORPG and takes years for big teams to develop

You're better off with doing stuff like Pong, Pacman and maybe even a platformer when you're ready? Just increase the difficulty of the game after every finished project and you'll be fine

There's lot of RPG's made by one guy, and they're better than Runescape...how come I can't do it? With work and dedication I'll do it and I know it'll take years.
[/quote]

Well, you said you wanted to make a game like RS, and RS is a MMORPG, which is a HUGE game. Seeing as it takes years for a big team of professionals to make a MMORPG it will take a single beginner lots and lots of years. If you really want to do it you will probably be able to do it but since it will take so many years there is a high chance of you not completing it.

I'm not trying to be a douche, just being realistic.

EDIT: There is lots of different RPG's, maybe try making a text-based?

I'm aware that RS is a MMORPG, I don't want you to take me in the wrong way, I'm not saying that you're being a douche or something I really understand what you are saying - if it needs a big team and many years to create this type of game, one only beginner will take his life to make it - this is my fault for not explaining well what I really want to do...

Do you know Wollay? http://www.youtube.com/user/WollayFX He's making in his own a RPG inspired in Minecraft and Zelda, ok the map is random generated and he's not a beginner at all, and yes his not using Java but C++ and DirectX.

Taking out the part of the MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online)..
My idea is to make a 2D RPG, where the player can create his own character, choose his skills and so on. The player would then "born" in a city based on the primary skill he chose and start his adventure.
I'm not really alone for I've got many friends that are good artists, and they want to help me with the game.

Do you know Wollay? http://www.youtube.com/user/WollayFX He's making in his own a RPG inspired in Minecraft and Zelda, ok the map is random generated and he's not a beginner at all, and yes his not using Java but C++ and DirectX.

Are you trying to say, "Since Wollay can do it, I can do it?" Well, that might be true, if you've been educated and self-taught for years and then been in the industry for many years. THEN, you might be able to do what Wollay does.

Right now, concentrate on learning to program. JAVA is a good language to start with.

By the time you're ready to make your "masterpiece", you'll be able to pick the bets language for it since you'll have all the expereinces required for such a project.

GL, but be careful of lofty-goals. Start small, PLEASE (small doesn't mean a massive 2d RPG with a huge world, many NPC's, etc.)

What BeerNuts said, he is exactly right. Read this guide for recommendations on tools, books, tutorials, game libraries etc... on getting started.

You need to start small, complete little projects and build on that. Learn to program before you learn to program games, because frankly, you have to.

Well I THINK I can program...Before college I have been 3 years in a programming course, the first year I learned the basics of C++, the last two years I learned to program Java, mostly programs using databases and so on, but in the last year after finishing the classes I was told to make a project, I decided to make a game using XNA, so I bought a book to learn C#, but yeah I can tell you I made the game (very incomplete) and didn't understand most of what I did, because I used a tutorial to make it...lot's of pressure but I did it.

@BeerNutts thanks I'll do what you told me to, start by small projects (not a RPG, but like pong and platforms games maybe? )

@Serapth thanks for sharing that guide

thanks a lot guys