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A list of challenges to get better and have fun

Bentley

Member
I find my self googling "programming challenges" often, hoping to find something to work on that will be both fun and a learning experience. I was hoping people could reply with challenges they've completed that helped them improve.

I understand that "challenging" is subjective. Feel free to throw in any ideas, because even if it's something too hard for me, someone else might want to do it. Thanks for reading. I hope to hear from people.
 

Mike

nobody important
GMC Elder
See how much of an older retro game you can remake in 10 hours or less. I've done a few of these (see here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8xu_rCLYe2SjXaVifBLFf7JBIS3rndur ), it can be pretty good fun and I've been surprised how much I can remake.

It's also a good confidence booster (once you get into the swing of it, might take a couple of goes), as you'll see how much you can do if you just plough a head.

If your a beginner, then increase the time to a couple of days or so. But as you get better at it, start pulling it back down :)
 

hogwater

Member
@Mike it would be cool if you could get a microphone and find a way to zoom in on the code you're writing. You're doing neat things, but those videos are basically impossible to watch.
 

Mike

nobody important
GMC Elder
:) Not forcing anyone to watch me write bugs :)

As to being able to read the code.... it's recorded at 1080, and if you view it full screen and pause it, you should be able to read it fine..... what res are you viewing at?
 

hogwater

Member
1080p. I mean, I can make it out, but it's not a pleasurable experience.

I'm just letting you know that I am interested in the content but the presentation could be better for the viewer.

On the subject of copying old games to learn, it's actually surprising that this isn't more of a standard practice. That's a big part of how painters learn to paint, musicians learn to music, etc.
 

Mike

nobody important
GMC Elder
LOL.... I get you - I do, but presentation is for a pre-canned demo, when you know whats coming next, so you know to zoom in on X, or pan to Y. When you're just dev-ing, you just go at it..... that's what this is, pure dev, nothing hidden.

There is a reason for this "raw" footage. I think it helps to show that everyone makes mistakes, that everyone stumbles along with bugs and all the rest.... I could make it so that every key-stroke was perfect, but that would be false, and give the impression to beginners that they've got much further to go than they do. No one writes perfect code first time, every time. We should show that more.... (if in doubt ... go look at me hacking Manic Miner. I spend and hour trying to get a sprite to draw properly!)

As to the Mic.... I have gotten one since these, I've just not done another yet to use it.


I'm surprised it looks so bad at 1080.... on my monitor full screen it looks perfect, and is easily readable. This is a 22" monitor mind - are you on a laptop? I could understand it being crisp - but small...?
 

GMWolf

aka fel666
For a while I had been cloning a game every week and livestreaming it.
Took me about 2-4h per game.

I have to say its probably some of the best GMS practice I have ever had.
It's also great fun to have a tiny project to work on. (In contrast to the mutli week or year long projects).

I will definitely do more of these. And recommend anyone learning to work on these sorts of projects.
Just gonna shamelessly plug my channel here :)
https://www.youtube.com/user/GMWolfTuts
And one of my livestreams:

I'm surprised it looks so bad at 1080.... on my monitor full screen it looks perfect, and is easily readable. This is a 22" monitor mind - are you on a laptop? I could understand it being crisp - but small...?
Video encoding can be cruel.
It's a shame there is no easy way in GMS to save all text (including everything in the workspace), it would be great for tutorial making.
I have messed around with the spirit values but it doesn't seem to actually scale anything at all.
 

hogwater

Member
Oh, I'm definitely not asking for an edited tutorial. Like I said, it's interesting stuff I'm sure I could learn a lot from.

One thing you could do is bump up the text size in your code editor a bit when you stream. I was looking at the vids on my tv (50")- I have my pc connected to it. At any rate, the code takes up a relatively small portion of the screen, and most of the time it's the only thing a viewer is looking at.

It's a live stream, I get it. Just suggestions! Regarding audio, hearing you is more important than hearing the thundering keystrokes. WINK WINK
 
R

Ragedleinad

Guest
Oh man this is a nice idea, both making retro games and looking up some challenges, will do the Codeforces and kattis one :D
 

Beedub

Member
Yeah, @Fel666 I'm learning Gamemaker by remaking the classics from when I was a kid (Space invaders, Galaga, Pac Man, you get the jist).

I feel its a good way to learn the ins and outs of Gamemaker as well as challenging myself before trying to write an original game.

@Mike, I would like to start a retro game maker special interest group if nobody is running one, is there a way to run such a group in the forums or would you recommend doing it via facebook groups? Are special interest groups encouraged within the community?
 

Mike

nobody important
GMC Elder
Yeah, @Fel666@Mike, I would like to start a retro game maker special interest group if nobody is running one, is there a way to run such a group in the forums or would you recommend doing it via facebook groups? Are special interest groups encouraged within the community?
You can certainly start a community topic for it, but we wouldn't do a dedicated forum, especially initially. Anything else is up to you....
 

andev

Member
I remember seeing something like this, it was an algorithm thread where you had to post the shortest way to perform a task.

I distinctly remember people fighting over the literal "shortest" method by taking code from above and renaming variables to be shorter and removing the formatting / spaces. It looked fun, I'd join in if you made a topic.
 

Bentley

Member
Thanks for all the input.
For a while I had been cloning a game every week and livestreaming it.
Took me about 2-4h per game.

I have to say its probably some of the best GMS practice I have ever had.
That is a good idea. I've done a few (unfinished) clones. Do you remember some of your favorite ones to work one?
 

Bentley

Member
There is a reason for this "raw" footage. I think it helps to show that everyone makes mistakes, that everyone stumbles along with bugs and all the rest.... I could make it so that every key-stroke was perfect, but that would be false, and give the impression to beginners that they've got much further to go than they do. No one writes perfect code first time, every time. We should show that more.... (if in doubt ... go look at me hacking Manic Miner. I spend and hour trying to get a sprite to draw properly!)
Haha. I think I remember a video of yours like that. It might of been getting the sprite to draw properly, or it might have been getting a stick figure to climb a ladder just right (or maybe they're one in the same). Either way, good points. If you watch a tutorial, it's always the drafted and redrafted and redrafted version. It does give the impression you're talking about. Thanks for the replies : )
 
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Start with Atari 2600 games and keep remaking them until you work your way up to GameBoy games.

I have made ghetto versions of quite a few Atari 2600 games in a mere hour. No art of course.
 
X

xHaydenx

Guest
Love the idea of remaking old games to get better.

Only 1 day in to Game Maker, but I'm going to be trying to clone old games once I get a bit of a better grasp on what I'm doing.
 
K

KMoss31

Guest
Start with Atari 2600 games and keep remaking them until you work your way up to GameBoy games.

I have made ghetto versions of quite a few Atari 2600 games in a mere hour. No art of course.
Atari games? No art needed! :)

(Actually, I grew up on Atari games, and still play them via the flashback. I plan on doing the same thing to start learning.)
 

Rob

Member
Remaking old games is a great idea and I dunno why I haven't already thought of it. I usually think of "What do I need to learn for the next project I wanna make" and try to start from there.

I did play Chimera when I was a kid but I never got very far lol.
 
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