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Hello again everyone! Now that I have got the basic editor working, I would love to ask were I should get started with leaning basic code.

I would also like to know what other plugins there are and what other things I should consider before moving on with my project. Another question I have is one I have my game built with darkbasic and other plugins is it possible to upgrade my game with things such as a newer version of directX and create networking for the game so it can host some multiplayer capabilities. Is it also possible to upgrade the coding or use darkbasic along with other languages such as C++ and JS in the same game?

I have quite an ambitious idea of what my game will become and I would love to have your support and guidance so I can get to work. Thank you!

There is a whole other board for newcomers with suitable sticky threads at the top of the page here https://forum.thegamecreators.com/board/7


Paid plugins http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000&page=packs
Free plugins https://forum.thegamecreators.com/thread/38709
This is probably not an up to date full list but this board is the dll board which is how plugins are implemented, your best bet would be to check both lists to see whats available, if you want something not there you can always make a thread to ask specifically if anyone knows of one suitable for what you need...you may find some links don't work or product is no longer available. You may even find compatability issues with various dark basic pro update versions, been a while since I tried many of them. One link that is not in that free list that is a must have is this https://forum.thegamecreators.com/thread/85209 and one that is no longer available but not on the dll board is instead in the program announcements board here https://forum.thegamecreators.com/thread/154086


There are many many many things, just make a start for now using tutorials, as you progress you will start to realise more about lots of different things. One thing you must be aware of is that your using the GameGuru version of DBP so some or maybe all those plugins won't work. You should install the free version of dark basic pro not from github but from here http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000&page=free. Then you may want to upgrade using any of the officially supported updates here http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000&page=upgrade7-62 or unofficially supported like for example at the top of this board(dark basic pro board) the last of the sticky threads the U77 public release candidate is available that has several versions of the upgrade. Of course you can still have any versions installed alongside each other by simply renaming their folder as I described in your other thread and just renaming the one you currently use to the correct name. ***Please be aware that you should install free version so you can see the correct folder name of the DBP install path so that what I wrote in your other thread makes more sense if you plan on using various plugins that don't work with GameGuru version - I had assumed you already had it installed before venturing into the GameGuru version***

You can use the forum search tool at the top of the page for anything specific or use google with "site:" followed by the url followed by what you want to search for with a space between them, eg "site: forum.thegamecreators.com newton physics", this is especially useful for specific boards as the old forums had a tool for that that the new forums don't. I haven't tested the new search tool fully but I am fairly certain the old search tool wouldn't provide more than a specific number of results(think it was 100) which was incredibly annoying, so searching on google this way is much better. Also lets say you happen to remember a post someone made in response to a certain thread and all you can recall is the name or names of the users along with the subject in question, searching on google this way again has come up trumps for me many times over.

If I was you I would work on getting familiar with every nook and cranny of this website such as the product page as well as the forums as this board isn't the only relevant one for DBP.


In its current state its dx9 only. Its also limited to using 2Gb of ram.


Yes there are commands(I think they are listed in the gamefx section of the help file but in any case they are definitely there somewhere, they aren't as good though as some free plugins or the one that you can purchase(called darknet)


Not JS but pretty sure they released the source code on something called svn tortoise or something to that effect, what variant of C I don't know offhand and I don't have time to search I'm afraid, besides which its a first for me to look at anyway and I don't know any other language other than DBP. The GameGuru version your using currently came with source code and its significantly different to that of the old version I gather. You also can write your own plugins in some variant of C I gather but all of this depends on your own skills/coding experience you have.

Anyway have fun, its quite verbose(in terms of what I have written) but all in all your not going to be stuck with nothing to do lol, best of luck

Oh no, the reason why I got it from github was because they are no longer giving away keys for the original version. What do I do? Can you send me me a copy your version perhaps.

Oh and did you say it was limited to 2gb of ram? Does that mean that my games cannot be any larger that 2gb total or does it mean that it can only be used2gb at a time? Is there any other important limitations I should know about? Thank you.

I have the paid version(not that I know of any differences between paid and free versions) so the process for me was based around them processing my payment which took a few days as I recall, think I bought it out of working hours - it's a UK based company and back then nothing ever happened on a weekend in terms of payment processing. I suspect individual key codes are issued even for free version to ensure if someone wrote a malicious program then it could perhaps be traced to an account, perhaps more about ensuring the company has followed certain standards to avoid getting themselves into trouble in these circumstances. Nonetheless it may take a little time for them to send you the key code as it is Christmas bank holiday on a weekend as well as it may not be a fully automated process, just make sure you follow the instructions on the video, perhaps a couple of times to ensure you typed in the correct email into the verification process. If you haven't received it after a few days then please contact them using the sites help tool which is a green button on the bottom right hand side of each page of the site and give them a little time to respond. Perhaps there is an issue with key codes that they are unaware of so contacting them will enable them to sort out any issue that may exist.

As for the 2 gig ram limitation your game can be as large as you want but at any given time no more than 2 gig's can be utilized. There is a hack of sorts(I googled it a long time ago) that changes the executable to be able to use up to either 3.5 or 4 gigs but the executable must be used on a 64 bit OS and system to work, I never bothered to try it out though, besides which it then might put an unwanted limitation on the specs for your end user. Aside from this and the dx9 limitation I am not aware of any other limitation.

In terms of the GameGuru version I suppose there is the possibility of it being updated to use more than 2 gigs(maybe it does already - I do not know) and I am fairly sure I read they are introducing dx11 to GameGuru (its a game development kit written with the GameGuru version of dark basic pro you have installed) but whether they allow that to be uploaded to github is another matter whether it be source or just the installation for dark basic pro. I have now tested a few of my older bits of code with the GameGuru version which don't use any plugins but just the standard commands used in dark basic pro version update U7.7 rc7 and they do run just fine, but when it came to using at least one particular command relating to the use of creating a cube map from a full screen shader camera, it couldn't compile as this command does not exist in the GameGuru version. It is likely that there are other commands that don't exist but I haven't tested anything else at this point. This is why I think you may come across some issues with perhaps some tutorials, but for now there is no harm in trying some of the simpler tutorials with your version, some will work for sure so you might be able to at least make a start while you wait on TGC to get back to you regarding your key code, at least if I was in your position that is what I would do. If you do post a new thread asking questions specifically relating to GameGuru version and code your attempting to utilize, then please note that you should inform everyone that your using the GameGuru version, in fact whatever update you use of the older version of dark basic pro when that time comes, it is probably best to detail which upgrade you happen to be using. There are pro's and con's for every version of updates, as you get more familiar with things these will become evident at that time.

Please do not be disheartened by all of this, as you progress there are likely to be all sorts of complications dependent on what program you wish to write, the more complex a game you intend to write the more likely this will be but it's my opinion that that there is not any simpler way to write a game in code than this software - but I haven't explored every possibility out there as I have always been more than happy with dark basic pro, I didn't like unity from the start and unreal engine has way too much overhead for my current system which is heading for almost a decade old now and the help available for it is verbose although using their nodes and blueprints can be quite fun. Dark basic pro though is an excellent way to get started in game development/coding and I have to say it is a lot of fun once you get stuck in. I have been using it for the best part of 10 years now and cannot express just how useful it has been for me or how much fun it has been, I think you will learn to love it quite quickly once you become familiar with the basics

Having said all this have you considered if GameGuru itself is suitable for your project? It is dirt cheap on steam last I checked, something like 7 or 8 pounds - worth a quick look, you may even wish to make a thread on here(game design theory board might be best or even geek culture board as it is more active), outlining your intentions for the game you want to make and ask which tools folks think would be most suitable for your needs and let everyone know of any experience in game making that you have. In terms of coding - especially if you have zero experience of coding - you definitely need to start out writing much smaller and simpler programs until your comfortable that you can take on a much larger project, like the one you have stated is your intention.

Hope at least some of this helps

Oh, well thank you for all that, but the problem isn't actually that they aren't sending the key code, its that they are no longer producing them!

LeeBamber told me that they shut down the servers for the keys and will stop distribution of this http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000&page=free. You can ask him yourself.

It wouldn't even work or ask me for me email for the key at all! Is there anything at all I can do to get the good version of DBP or am I stuck with the gameguru version? I also don't want to pay a cent for any software. the exchange rate from pounds to Canadain money is also less than half! Were in a recession .

Also this is the source of the version I downloaded and and both here and in the program I have not seen Gamaguru mentioned.

https://github.com/LeeBamberTGC/Dark-Basic-Pro

I will take your word for it

The licence for DBP actually prevents me from providing you my certificates as although we can install on as many devices as we want we can only ever use one at a time...you could try copying the certificates folder over from the GameGuru version to the older DBP install directory as I think it might actually work, it is worth a shot.


The Github version link you provided is the newer version used to create GameGuru, fairly sure I read that it all needs compiling with a newer version of whatever C variant is used which is why I think plugins that I tested so far haven't worked with the GameGuru version. Now I keep referring to it as GameGuru version because if you look at the icon of the executable produced when you compile a project, it is the GameGuru logo icon, when I check the version info I get an error message instead of the version number "Could not locate DBP status dll", the other editor I use(Indigo) tells me its version 1.071 which although it may well be, we already have that version for the older DBP so referring to it as 1.071 will certainly confuse when talking about two different versions!

I installed the certificates folder from the "Gameguru" version into what I felt was its respectable place in the older version with no effect

Does this mean that I cannot get my hands on a real version of DBP? Is there a way I can acquire a key?

Copying the certificate folder over works just fine, I just downloaded the free version and installed it, copied certificate folder over, opened the editor, pressed f5 to compile/run and the email/key verification process window did not appear, it runs the program and ends it immediately as there was no code to compile - but as long as the key code window doesn't pop up then it works just fine - the certificate folder needs to go in the compiler folder, is that where you put it?

Now I'm confused; if the key servers aren't active doesn't that mean we can't install dbp retail DVD's on new computers?

It does seem extremely odd - perhaps the verification process will not stop, just the generation of keys and DBP free? I didn't check earlier(as I should have...) but the keys are still being issued. Dreamscape you are doing something wrong with the process as I have now checked and it worked just fine - I got my key instantly. Perhaps you mistook what Lee said as though key codes being issued had stopped already or maybe Lee meant to say that they will be stopping the process but missed out a couple of words by mistake like "will be". I have my certificates backed up regardless from years ago when I didn't have an internet connection of my own so really doesn't affect me unless I lose my backups, I can't see them stopping us using the product we bought, wouldn't make any sense to alienate his long term customers! I won't be moving on to the GameGuru version for a while anyway, I want to see how much attention it and the plugins receive first.

What I mean is that the application absolutely will not open at all.

I don't know what I could have done wrong. I did what I believe is a pretty clean install. I don't know what went wrong. I have lost viewed the activation video on the front of the download page many times.

Perhaps the downloaded file is corrupted or you have an anti virus that stopped it, if you have an anti virus software turn it off and I suggest downloading it again from a machine with a really good internet connection. Uninstall the current installation, then delete The Game Creators folder and its contents if they are still present and then of course install again. If you right click for properties on the Dark Basic Pro Free folder it should say that there are 2,966 Files, 211 Folders.