alright, if your new and you want to get a structured working environment going heres some tips that may work for you.
REAL ENVIRONMENT
Buy a new notepad for a larger project and a grid pad
It always helps to write down your stuff as neat as possible way before you think about coding it
Write down every fricken idea that comes to mind.
Write a number to the left of it as to how hard you think it will be.
Ask yourself does it apply to the whole games concept, and does it mesh into other areas of the game well.
cull the list down and perhaps draw some diagrams to express components.
use a spreadsheet program to calculate some formula prior to the coding of the problem at hand.
keep a todo list for each project and numerically value the problems in priority
DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT
create a master folder for DB and these will be your work files
outside of the installs should you want to re install safely and the folders make it easy to back up all of your work.
in each of these folders create another called snippets / examples / whatever.
Start to build snippets that you think you would need for all of your games. Think about a small snippet that detects the users environment and writes that to a file.
place it in a folder name it something very obvious and move on.
if you make improvements then add a numerical sequence to your test folders
eg:
say i had 3 folders in my camera tests with better code each time but still the same variables and structure.
camera_test_1
camera_test_2
camera_test_3
This way your building examples to use later as components to something larger.
Create a new master folder for any new project.
Inside the master folder you want to create two folders
Folder(1) is the actual game data and structure only
only insert the data in this folder you would want in your game
be a file nazi about what you put in here for your projects.
Folder(2) is the work files that crunch down to make the game data.
These files may also be tests but they are essentially rough drafts or work in progress files before they are streamlined for insertion into the game.
Study making your stuff into functions, this way its very easy to make a faster modulised project using your own well known and loved functions.
Practise manipulating data in every way.
Try a new command you might have never explored once a week if that.
Each new command you get a grasp on adds to your arsenal with regards to killing problems and identifying bugs.
BACK UP YOUR WORK LOTS
use a cdrw if you want and back up over this each time or datestamp a series of cdroms as you back up.
CLEAR YOUR WORKSPACE
Clear it up and remove the clutter, it can help to focus.
turn off the tv and play music or close the door whatever lets you keep focus for a length of time really helps, dont forget to get up and move around so perhaps set a timer.
HAVE FUN
You have an opportunity here to make something pretty spectacular if you pay attention to DBs coding rules you can make it sing.
um yeah i hope that helps somehow
