Love to design games... Can't math.

[Urikol]

Okay first of all I have no idea where I should put this, so please excuse that if it's in the wrong category.


Okay so... When I first got interested in designing games yeah it looked fun n all and yeah I found out later it was hard but I still pushed on to achieve my goal and even bought a couple books such as C programming, etc.to help me (Since college is expensive and I don't get paid much)...

But ohhh no... I found a bigger threat... MATH!

I SUCK at math. I can add and subtract, that's where it ends. I even went as far as to get a book called "C++ for dummies" which automatically assumes I'm good at math as well.

So... Either I'm going to have to find a work around or toss everything out the window altogether. I am a hard worker and very stubborn when it comes to getting a job done, so the last thing I wanna do is give up.

Since coding a game uses algebra, which I know nothing about, I feel kind of trapped. I know I can just use what Ren'Py offers but that's not my style.
I want to be able to code games from scratch, especially since I plan to hopefully one day move on to 3D games.

Right now, I just don't know how to make this work. Plus I'm a visual learner (big time). I understand best when shown, not told.

If anyone has some advice that can help me out here, Please do tell.


PS. I prefer a response with no sarcasm, tone or attitude whatsoever. Let's be mature about this.

[thebackup]

Start with the basics. If you can do basic arithmetic (add / subtract / multiply / divide), then you can do algebra.

Here's a link to basic algebra to get you started, with examples that are hopefully visual enough for you:
http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/index.html

Good luck!

[Urikol]

Start with the basics. If you can do basic arithmetic (add / subtract / multiply / divide), then you can do algebra.

Here's a link to basic algebra to get you started, with examples that are hopefully visual enough for you:
http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/index.html

Good luck!

Multiply and divide are a bit harder but I can learn.

Thank you so much, I'll study this asap. Thank you. ^^

[Marionette]

The real question is what you really want to achieve.

If its really that you just want to be able to make games, then you might be better with a pre-built engine, perhaps with a more hands on visual approach to making games rather than explicitly needing you to write code. I mean its possible to make entire games with engines such as Game Maker without ever having to write a single line of code. This could potentially avoid any problems with maths, while still allowing you to design and make games.

But if its really that you just want to be able to build something from scratch yourself, well thats a different kettle of fish.
Programming isn't really about math per se, its about problem solving. A program is just a method to solve a particular problem, so as long as it fulfills this purpose it doesn't really matter how it manages it behind the scenes.

But when it comes to games, the complexity tends to mean that maths isn't something that can be avoided. If you're looking to build an engine from scratch you will have to deal with a whole lot of complexity. Especially with 3D games, even something as simple as showing a 2d square in 3d scene needs a whole lot of crap behind the scenes just to make it happen.

So if you're looking to do something like this you wont be able to avoid maths, and if you're willing to do that then the link posted earlier could be a good place to start. And then when you've got to grips with that programming itself is the easy part. Once you know what you're trying to do, and have an idea how you want to go about it, the rest is just syntax. Like building a jigsaw, its easy once you have the pieces and know what the final thing should look like.

You're other option would be to start with small programs and basically dissect them. Try to figure out what parts of the code do what, how they do it and why. It will take longer to understand the process as a whole, but it has the advantage that you get to jump straight into the code, and building programs out of bits of code that you've taken the time to figure out will give just as good a final output as one you did the same parts from nothing yourself. Specially since these days a lot of code is built from external libraries so its not that big a stretch to do entire programs in this way. The disadvantages of this are obviously that you may have a tougher time if you run into unforeseen problems, and may still have issues with more complex systems as they may require a lot more interaction than any single bit of code can easily display. But if you wanted to do it like this it would be best if you found someone who was already good with code and willing, as having someone explain how a piece of code works and why it does what it does will dramatically decrease the amount of time it takes to understand it.


I guess the only piece of advice i can really add is that it may help if you can try to think of the code (Or even the maths itself) as not maths, but as a puzzle, try to visualise the problems as something you're more familiar with.
Like with algebra, think of the letters in an equation as a container, say a cup, then just figure out what should be in the cup for the rest to make sense.

[Urikol]

@Marionette

Oh, don't get me wrong I do intend to start easy. I can't just want to design games the hard way and jump right into it.
I do intend to use Ren'Py but for 2D games. I'm sorry, I should have worded that better. However for 3D games I wanted to use Unity and from scratch I really meant with a a blank script using that program. Mainly using C++

[LRH]

The most important thing you need to know before you advance from basic mathematics to algebra is the Order of Operations. I was taught to memorize it as BODMAS.
B - Brackets: do everything in brackets first
O - Orders: powers and square roots next
D - Division: do all your division
M - Multiplication: do all your multiplication
A - Addition: do all your addition
S - Subtraction: do all your subtraction

Otherwise, go from left to right. Solve everything with the first operation, use the solution to the first operation as the first number in the second operation, and keep working through until you reach the end.
e.g.:

Code: Select all

11 / 5 x 2 = 5.5 / 2 = 2.75

Not:

Code: Select all

11 / 5 x 2 = 5 / 10 = 0.5

If you do things in the incorrect order, you will come to the incorrect answer.

What really helped me figure out quadratics (slightly advanced algebra) was doing applied math - I balanced chemical equations in my advanced chem class in high school, and everything suddenly clicked. Getting rid of the ultra-sleek simplicity of pure math helped me to visualize what I was doing a lot more easily, so I definitely second the recommendation to visualize your problem differently.

I still find it easier to envision complex algebraic problems as chemical formulae, so I never have find the value of y, I have find the mass of Fe, for example.

Equally, you could have find the number of kittens, hamsters and dogs in an animal shelter, if that wags your tail

[Taleweaver]

I SUCK at math. I can add and subtract, that's where it ends.

If you can add and subtract, you can also multiply and divide. All you need to do is learn the multiplication tables from 1 to 10 (from 1*1 to 10*10), which isn't hard to do as it's only eighty numbers you need to learn. (Anything times 1 remains the same, anything times 10 gets a zero behind it.) Think of it as of learning a really easy, really small language.

Once you know these multiplication tables, you can multiply and divide ALL natural numbers in the world as long as you have pen and paper with you as there are easy techniques of breaking down large numbers into smaller ones, all of which you can teach yourself.

[PyTom]

The most important thing you need to know before you advance from basic mathematics to algebra is the Order of Operations. I was taught to memorize it as BODMAS.
B - Brackets: do everything in brackets first
O - Orders: powers and square roots next
D - Division: do all your division
M - Multiplication: do all your multiplication
A - Addition: do all your addition
S - Subtraction: do all your subtraction

The way you presented this is a bit confusing, since some of these operators have the same level of precedence. Multiplication and division are usually treated at the same level of precedence, as are addition and subtraction. I think this actually matters in an expression like:

1 - 2 + 3

which conventionally has the value of

(1 - 2) + 3 = 2

rather than

1 - (2 + 3) = -4.


As to learning math in the first place - perhaps look at the sort of materials people use in a GED (high school equivalency) course? There are a lot of relatively good books that explain more interesting bits of math, but they kind of all assume a basic level of mathematical literacy has been provided by the educational process.

[SundownKid]

Unfortunately, algebra is kind of a required subject when becoming a true game coder. It's one of those basic things where if you can't do it, you won't be able to do the field.

Maybe coding games from scratch just isn't the thing for you if you hate math. The very reason I started using Ren'py was because I wanted to focus more on the visual and story aspect than the part where you have to program a complicated game. If you want to create a more complex game you can always hire a programmer instead.

[Urikol]

@LRH

This is too difficult for me to understand I'm afraid.


@SundownKid

The link "thebackup" gave me actually helped me understand 5th grade algebra in a few minutes, something my elementary teachers never could do so with further studying I think I can manage this.

But as I had said before, I'm stubborn and giving up is rarely an option for me. I believe in working hard to obtain a goal so one way or another, even if my eyes bleed in the process I still plan to make video games.

[Tempus]

I learn best if I can see things too, and find that a lot of programming resources (and programmers) aren't very visual at all. There's some old Stanford lectures which introduces Java and assumes no programming knowledge, with at least an initial focus on visual presentation from what I remember. It would assume knowledge of multiplication and division, though I seem to recall the process of creating variables and giving them values being explained quite thoroughly.

Here's a link to the first lecture. There's also two other courses beyond this available from the Standford channel, one using C++ and another using C, Assembly, Scheme and Python. It's worth noting though that they're focused on teaching programming skills and thinking, not specific languages. Also, the lectures won't be enough alone, but the early ones may still be of use despite that.

[Tyrantauranox]

As a game designer, I don't use super-complicated math much. Usually it's not much more than (PSEUDO-CODE EXAMPLE) "Create a black box that covers exactly half of the screen: MakeBlackBox(width = the width of the screen divided by 2; height = the height of the screen) <- This isn't real code!

Now, you might be talking about game programming (a completely different job), which definitely requires more math.

[Ben Ayoo]

Having a calculator will help very much.
When I joined high school, it was shout for joy because I could legally use a calculator even during tests.

My advice is get a calculator it help a lot.
It is designed to help people math.

[blankd]

It sounds more like you're trying to do two sorta different things, an "actual" game designer is the one who creates the core and concept of the game, you don't necessarily need to be able to do math or code in order to be a designer. You do have to be able to perform logic thought.

Since you mentioned using unity you may want to look into the "kismet" add-on which removes most of the mathematical aspect of coding. The main boon of it is that it is indeed VISUAL. The downside is that it is not free and support for it can be limited. Hope that helps 8V.

[Urikol]

It sounds more like you're trying to do two sorta different things, an "actual" game designer is the one who creates the core and concept of the game, you don't necessarily need to be able to do math or code in order to be a designer. You do have to be able to perform logic thought.

Since you mentioned using unity you may want to look into the "kismet" add-on which removes most of the mathematical aspect of coding. The main boon of it is that it is indeed VISUAL. The downside is that it is not free and support for it can be limited. Hope that helps 8V.

Oh. I don't have a money issue so I may be able to afford it. If it is as you say "Indeed Visual" I might be able to figure most of it out on my own being a visual learner.