Alright, so I've kinda started using GStudio, and well..I'm stuck.
I've read the workshops already, and I wouldn't mind reading them again. The problem is when I go to make anything I pretty much draw a blank. It's like I don't know where to begin. I'm not entirely new to making games, but I don't know on how many of you guys consider Game Maker making games. But I enjoyed it, and I learned most of the basics, variables, IF, ELSE, etc. If anyone who has had this same problem, or just has some advice on where and how I should start any help would be extremely appreciated...I would really like to start making games, the first being a 3d, side-scrolling, legend of zelda game, if that's any help to anyone, lol. Thanx in advance.

I started by making a small test level just something simple and then I coded movement(thank you KH movement tutorail) and animation. At first I'd cut and paste a lot of other peoples code just to get something running.This really was a bad idea I didn't start learning for real till people started being hard and making me work over the code a few times. Now a days I like to stat a project by writng a design document. It doesn't have to be a 100 pages but just put your ideas on paper and read a little on how to make a design doc. after that I code the start up screen and the main menu minus the load save stuff I still can't figure out. I recommand reading as many tutorials as posible and just have fun making things. don't try to make a game right off just see if you can get a player model to run around a simple level and be animated. OH yeah don't forget to learn how to use the camera, it doesn't do any good to have a moving player model if the camera doesn't fallow them.

anyway thats my 2 cents
Malice

Thanx man, I appreciate it, I'll definitely look up that stuff on making a design doc. and yah, I hadn't really planned on makin a full game just yet, mainly cuz i'm havin issues with animating on MED...imo it's just too frustrating, so i think i'll start lookin for an external animation program..then about 2+ hours of learning how to export/import to MED., and also skinning..just isn't cool, lol, unless it's just cuz i'm not used to it, but man, i use maya, and i hear autodesk has a program called motion builder, which i'd like to check out, and if somehow i could just use those two, this process would be a lil easier. So, i'm assuming by the design document it'd give me an idea of the variables, and functions and such that i'd be needing? maaan, i ramble huh? dang, well thanx again. Oh, and also i've been through the kh demo, first of all, that was my favorite ps2 game, and to see something like that, it was pretty cool, makes me think maybe someone will make a fan game? lol.

Hi! I used Game Maker before 3DGS as well and found that it really helped with understanding simple code, ifs, variables, simple physics etc. I also found 3DGS massively more complex, my problem though is the time need to make a 3d game as there is so much to do but aside fomr that... If you find it hard to start then simply go straight to the main character (player if you want) of the game. Try to get it moving, get the camera to follow it, build a simple world for it (i.e - floor , walls). if modeling is your problem then try tutorials else where. Once youve got what you want for a player start to work on other aspects of the game. get the basics out of the way first:

1. Player
2. Camera
3. Variables and HUD (Most importantly health)
4. Simple environment
5. Interactions between player and environment
6. Coins, items
7. Opponents
and so on

I tend to follow 2 different patterns
1. Make a test level and build EVERYTHING in that.
2. Make levels and work through them adding to the content of the game as you go.

Work on the much more complex and nittuy gritty things later, come back and make that pest lens flare or auwkward explosion special effect later because it isn't important.

In terms of coding I started pretty much ALL of my code by copying what I wanted from the 1st person shoot tutorial on Acknex. Once I started to grasp the basics I jumped into trying to do my own.

Basically: Start simple and do what you can do rather than trying to do crazy amazing things straight of because otherwise you wont get any where, I know from experience =P

Sydan