Berto

good luck chap.

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Ooble

Good plan. Remember to enjoy yourself.

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Clotters

Right now I'm looking particularly into two important aspects of my game. These are creating a GUI (and then learning skinning to spruce it up) and then creating a database. The good think is I might have someone willing to create the database while I work on coding the game. What database program would ou recommend? How hard is it to learn. Also, how difficult is skinning?

Ooble

I would suggest checking out PostgreSQL - I'm pretty sure it's considered by most experts to be the best, if not the fastest. You'd have to learn SQL - Structured Query Language. It's not that hard to learn, but it's not easy either.

Skinning is easy enough - just paint your own buttons, etc. instead of using the Win32 APIs to draw them.

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Clotters

Firstly, I think I should warn you this is quite a long post ...

I'm learning more about C++ as each day progresses and I think soon I should have a decent command to get into the 'nitty gritty' (as we say in England) and start the programming - at the moment I'm having difficulties with pointers and references, but otherwsie ... it's not too bad. I'd say I'm half-way there in the learning process and I'm progressing steadily and am beginning to picture mental images of how things could piece together. However, I have some questions that have arose in my learning.

I'll split this into seven different sections.

Part 1 - The Database:

I know I've touched on this earlier but would like to go back into it a little...

Obviously, for a soccer management game I'll need a stable database and I was thinking what database utilities would you recommend me to go into? SQL? Oracle? Then the question is how hard would it be to learn? Are there any other suggestions on how I could (or should) build the database.

I was also thinking of just using .txt files and using file input/output. It would be a lot simpler and easier for others to go in and edit the in-game database themselves. Do you think this would be a good option to take instead?

Part 2 - Graphical User Interface:

The other question I have is where to learn about building a GUI for my game and what would be the best language to use? Again, how difficult can this be to learn? I was thinking of using OpenGL, SDL or DirectX as opposed to Win32 or something like that. Graphically speaking, I'd be able to achieve a lot more. What do you recommend?

Part 3 - The Game Engine:

The most difficult thing I think the game will bring will be programming the match engine, especially if it's going to be in 2D, like I would eventually hope (otherwise it will just be a running commentary). I expect to start with I'll just use commentary or even just a generated match result. I already have source code on the commentary (i.e a list different possible statements to print in every situation) Any suggestions on how I could tackle this? The actual programming of how each player responds it particularly what I'm worried about.

Part 4 - Assembling a team?:

Finally, I have expectations to really get this simulation to a good standard. Would you recommend that I get some other people to work with me on this project so we can spilt up the tasks. Maybe someone would work on the GUI, someone else organizing the databse and another person coding the actual game (with the others helping complete this task when their assignments have been finished) - something like that anyway.

Part 5 - The graphics:

I doubt a football management simulation is going to require a lot of graphics, but if I used a 2D match engine, I think I would need to use one. What would you recommend? SDL? OpenGL? DirectX? How difficult will this be, roughly? And this match engine brings me to another section ...

Part 6 - The AI:

I need to look into the AI for not only the match engine, but also the computer's handling of non-user managed teams. I don't know much about the AI so any general comments about this would be appreaciated greatly.

Part 7 - Legal Issues:

I know that there are serious legal considerations to take into account with something like this. And I just wondered what my rights would be generally ... if it was freeware or if I decided it was good enough to sell. What programs can't I use if I want to sell this or don't want to release source code? Do any of you know much about the player rights aswell? I couldn't use real player names legally, without permission from whoever owns them ... could I?

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Also, tutorials, articles and any generally relevant addition information would be recieved gladly along with any other general feedback.

Thanks in advance.

Ooble

You're not allowed to use player names, or even team names (excluding countries) without permission. As for the database and graphics, I would recommend PostgreSQL (make sure you learn about SQL procedures to get the most out of it) and OpenGL (works on Mac OS and Linux too!) respectively.

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Clotters

So I can't use player names


What if I manipulated names slightly? I'm sure you've all heard of the football David Beckham. So David Beckham would be something like David Beckam or David Backham.

Would this be legal and if so, what defines whether the name has been altered enough?

It seems like if I'm not careful I could release this game and have a whole bunch of law suits on my case.

My last legal question is whether, if a law suit does knock on your door, whether you, as the creator of the game, hold the right to take the game off the market before they sue. By this I mean they can't just go and sue you. They must first ask you to take the game off the market and only then if you refuse, can they sue.

DaWei

If you break a law you can be punished. It isn't as if you can always just say, "I'm sorry", and give the money back to the bank. I suspect that a blatant attempt to skirt a law by slightly altering names (or such) would be viewed dimly. Why would you even want to use the names if it didn't amount to capitalizing on them at someone else's expense? See my point?

You need to initially worry about the design and execution of your program. Beckham may be old and grey when you're through. Believe me, with the kinds of questions you're asking, you are not going to have a marketable, competetive product any time soon. That is not to belittle you -- it's just a fact.

You are also re-asking questions for which you have received responses. For instance, I stated in another thread that Oracle would probably not be the best choice. You are quite free to reject responses as incorrect (they very well may be), but you shouldn't keep asking a question just to have someone finally break down and say what you want to hear. If you're proposing Oracle on the one hand and considering a flat-file database on the other, you haven't researched what a database is enough to understand your responses!

It is very encouraging that you have thought about the problem enough to know what questions to ask. You aren't going to learn all that's required here in the forum. Take your responses, filter them as rationally as you can, and pursue the subject in detail according to those results. The forum is here to help when you begin to produce and get into trouble. This interactive part of the forum is not the same thing as a tutorial or a dissertation on matters of this or that. You will require the aid of both.

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Clotters

Sorry, I value your opinion greatly, but I also think Ooble equally knows what he's talking about. However, he seldom seems to come to the C++ forum so I thought to ask hear, knowing he writes posts hear far more often - in my experience anyway.

Thanks for all your help. I'll probably use fake names for now and play it on the safe side - I can always change later on.

I've also seen some great articles on writing sports management sims which have helped me greatly, on top of this.

Sorry for re-posting and thanks again.

DaWei

I think it's safe to say Ooble and I will both see your questions and respond even if you post in the Timbuktu forum .

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Abstraction doesn't make it impossible to write bad code; it makes it possible to write superior code.
Contributor's Corner: Grumpy on C++ Exceptions DaWei on Pointers