Oh, ok... I'm still confused

I had the opposite problem. I wrote an entire game then realized it had no story or goal. Now I'm starting to mess around with the GECK & TES:CS.

Anyway, my only suggestion ( since I can't make maps, sorry ) is to not overplan, or keep in mind you're only doing a small part first. If you go in thinking you're going to bang the whole thing out and after two weeks realize you've barely made a dent, it'll be will-breakingly discouraging. Trust me man, no faster way to scare yourself away from a project.

"Hello World" is the most common starting place for any CLI programming language, and even object based programming. For C++, it's a small little batch file, or command like command which goes

echo Hello World

Then it gets into more details with making actual variables to hold code. such as this for shell scripting:

Hello=Hello worldecho $Hello[[OUTPUT]] Hello world

It's just the first stepping stone into programming lol.

First this is an excellent way to start a game. To write a map, there is a tool I love, no learning curve at all, intuitive, it is very cheap, almost free, very user friendly, possibility of underwriting, changing colours, drawing free shapes etc...
It's called paper and pencil.

If you have no real experience in programming and you want to go to simulation/racing mainly or simple FPS games, I advise you http://www.3drad.com/. You can later extend with script but even without, you can design some nice games, with real physics. Also, it's free.
You can then see if your first game is nice with your friends, your family and eventually on the web. It is easier than Unity3D or Unreal engine, but don't expect to develop the ultimate RPG or FPS game.
Have fun !

I'm too busy drawing maps for myself


It is quite task to start making RPG as first game, I can tell you that. When I started my game design studies, people where
so eager to make huge RPG's as their first game. It did not end well.

2D is where it is best to start. Also coding 3D is much, much harder than 2D. Unless you are using Unity or something like that.

Hmmm, this threads turned into more of programming thread let's try and steer it back to maps

Does anyone have any tips for drawing maps?

There are tools for making maps. My daughter is using "ye olde map maker" to make maps for her game (when released, I will tell you all, it is really awesome so far for a 13 years old kid game), type "Map Drawing" on google...

I use AutoRealm for DM duties in my own p'n'p campaigns. Highly recommended tool, very handy and easy to learn with about an hour of tutorials on YouTube or somewhere. Should work for any creator of worlds.

How well drawn do you want the map to be?

Not incredibly detailed...

I'll check out the recommended site

Hello.

I want everyone who is interested to know, that me and Undone have been working with
PnP RPG for some time now and if you want to be part of creation of this game please sign up
http://www.jamieep.co.uk/forums/index.php. It is BGSF Minecraft forum, but we are also brainstroming/designing sci-fi RPG there.

So feel free to give comments and help if you want

I love making maps.
Oh just some tips.

Usually most rivers start from mountains(usually) and in to Oceans or Lakes. Or some special underground Lake. Mountains and rivers are natural boundaries for most territories. But you probably already know this. But its nice to have a believeable map even if it is fantasy or whatever your creating.

I'd start drawing your own map. Just google "maps" and find one your looking for, realistic, stylized, ancient looking. Study them, copy them, whatever. Basically, if you can't design your own map, you probably won't get very far with anything else. That's not to say that eventually you won't find someone who can do one better for you, but you should have something to go off of.

And as far as game development goes...it's tough. Real tough. This guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0B6Gbsu3N0&feature=related is kind of a jerk, but he knows what he's doing.

Basically, there are thousands of "idea guys" and only a couple who know how to do stuff. There is no way you are going to make any kind of game by just giving orders to other guys and having them do the work. Especially if you don't know what you say to them. That's why it's important to learn as much as you can about every aspect of game design, mainly programming, but also graphic design, sound, writing, etc. Now, you don't have to learn how to do all the programming yourself, but you have to be familiar with terms, languages, etc. But you should plan on finding one aspect of game design (besides "ideas") that you CAN do all on your own, whether that's modeling, programming, etc.

That's basically the stage I'm at. I'm learning Java (which is not the best for most games, but it's the language used by Android, which is the market I'm building for) as well as trying out Blender and even the Morrowind Construction Set. My plan is to learn as much as I can, then focus on one or two aspects (probably programming and modeling/animating) and then hopefully find some like minded people who want to work on a project together, or do one small enough that I can finish on my own.

Think small small small. If you want to start from the ground up, learn to make the first games anyone made. Program a Pong Simulator, then Tetris, then PacMan. There are a couple programs out there that don't require programming, but they are pretty thin and not as educational. My final advice is to make this a fun hobby, not a job. If you really really enjoy it, maybe look for a school that has gaming majors, but otherwise just do it in your spare time. Indie games are big right now, so don't worry about getting a job with Rockstar. You'd just be a bottom rung guy anyway. Make a simple game well (check out Limbo, Minecraft, Angry Birds) and then go from there.

Don't stop, don't give up. It took me 3 years just to get several story ideas around for 2 chapters of a novel and still need a lot of refining. Work takes up 60% of my life but that doesn't stop me from writing a book about stories I like. May take 10 years, or more, doesn't matter, you have nothing to lose to keep going. 20 years later and looking back, you'll curse yourself for giving up.

OP. I draw stuff with Campaign Cartographer for my D&D game club. Give me the geography and history of different places and let me see if I can come up with something for you. pm me any contacts if you want me to send you stuff.

Ive mapped for BF2 and Red Orchestra, either path is [censored] annoying. BF2 you have to focus on EVERY little detail on the map. In red Orchestra, you gotta make it have cover and all.

@ Tinyhowie

Don't worry about it, I think I'll forget the whole idea

In all things concerning digital map making, http://cartographersguild.com/.