Pong (Java) - Update 3

I've played around a little more with the Pong (Paddle Ball) game and it can now be restarted using a JMenuBar. It seems a little choppy, but it works. Maybe someone can come up with a better implementation. Either way, it's updated on my Google Site so check it out!

Something else I was thinking about was tossing up some information on how I actually made the game and how it works. I'm not 100% sure about some things, but I'm sure I can explain most of it. Then, maybe someone else can explain to me the things I don't understand perfectly. So, maybe within the next few weeks, I'll actually post some code with explanations (particularly since I don't think my commenting is overly helpful yet).

Other than that, I think it's about it. I still have some more ideas that I'd like to implement with the game such as a start-up/options screen and some sound effects. If anyone is interested in giving that a shot, please go right ahead. There's no better way to learn than doing.

Pong (Java) - Update 2

This is just a quick one to mention a couple things:

1. I was a bit of a dummy and uploaded a zip file of the pong game, however I didn't include the background image, the new version has it.
2. I've updated the game to have a winner (seems pretty important). The only thing is, I didn't know how to display it very well. I'd like to be able to remove the background, ball and paddles completely and have the text in the middle. Any ideas?
3. Being able to restart the game would also be nice.

So, that's it for now with the Pong game. I'll continuously be updating it until it gets to a decent point, or boring. I am also thinking about starting another game, however, this time, using C++. I have very little experience with C++, so that should be interesting. Though, a simple game shouldn't be too bad. I'm thinking Breakout right now to get a feel for it, but that could change. I'll keep you posted. 

Pong (Java) - Update 1

It's been a few days since I last posted about the pong game, so I figured it is probably time for a little update. I've made a few changes to knock some items off the list. I added a background image, so it looks a little more like Pong and I've changed the way the score is displayed (and the right score is on the right side). I've come across a couple of new problems:

1. The background image constantly repaints with the game. I don't know if this can be changed or not, but it seems rather inefficient, and may actually be slowing down the game some.
2. The path to the image will probably change for others compiling the game. It would be nice if that weren't the case, however, I'd like to be able to keep images and the src code separate

However, other than that, things are pretty much the same. Check out the original post to see what else can be taken care of. I also smartened up and uploaded a zip file containing the src files. I don't know why that didn't occur to me before, but I'll do one for each update I make so people can see how the progress was made if interested. That's all at my Open Games for Beginners Google Site. Until next time...

Pong (Java)

So, the first game will be Pong. It's a java game because I'm more familiar with Java than C++. Though if you want to try a C++ version (or any other language) go ahead and I can have a it posted. I've called it Paddle Ball because I don't know if I'm allowed to call it Pong, but the name is irrelevant, at least for now. It's the first game I've ever created, so it's quite simple, though there are many flaws. I don't have it posted up on Google Code yet simply because I'm waiting to see the interest in learning to make the game. Instead, you can go to my Google Site which has the java source files you'll need to compile and play with.

So, please have a look, if you have any comments or suggestions let me know. If you happen to make any improvements, let me know that as well. I'll keep a list of the contributers.

As for things I can think of to improve (or new features to create) here is a list:

• background image
• sound effects
• intro screen with options
• AI player
• score positioned on correct side
• smoother gameplay
• nicer graphics
• network gameplay
• 3D graphics

**Feel free to add to this list!

Go to the Pong game here.