Not sure why but I thought to do this.
(grammar is not great)
I am by no means an expert I do not even see myself as intermediate yet. Since I am still learning and have seen a lot of questions I had once i started to learn the ropes I thought to give a little advice to any that I would like to read it.
A big question everyone may have is. What do I need to learn to make a basic game? Bad news here there is a few things you need to look into; html, css, php ,sql, javascript/ajax and.xml.
One of the first things you need to look into is html. This is the building block of every website. If you have the basic knowledge of html that lucky you. If not this may be one of the simplest thing to learn. It may not. But it is a good ideal to grasp this before you moving on.
Next is css. It is html's little helper. It is what you use to design the layout of your game. This one can be tricky as not all web browsers are created equal. What looks good on you screen may not look good on another. If you can it is best to get the main web browsers and test out your site. To make sure you are getting the look on all of them. You may also wish to resize your screen to look over the layout to make sure it looks the way you intend.
We now move on to php. This is used behind the scenes. Php is the brain of you game. It will contain functions, variables and many other things that make your game run. The basics are very easy to learn. Once you get into more advance coding and more complex functions your code may become a little overwhelming. It is best to take it slow and get the flow of things before you dive in the deep in.
Once you grasp php move on to sql. Now sql is used to store information within a database. It holds users passwords, stats and any thing your game needs to keep track of over the course of your game. A good thing is php and sql work well together. You can create nice php functions that connect to your sql database, retrieve data and display it to your users. There are many types of sql databases so you should see what your host supports before going to far.
Something you do not need but is good to learn is javascript/ajax.
I have not yet learned it yet so I can not give much details on it. I do know it can add a lot to a game. It is up to you to learn this one as it is not needed and can be turned off by the user.
You can also learn xml. XML has many uses. It is also another thing I have not looked in so i will not go in it much.. It is not needed but can add to a game.
One of the most impotent things you MUST look in is security. There are many ways someone can use your own work agents you. So look up and read about SQL Injections XSS. and many other things that can bring your game to its knees.
As you are learning it is best to understand you will not master it overnight if at all.
Some very good tutorials:
http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp < You can learn most of what I talked about at this one site.
http://www.tizag.com/ < Has most also
http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/PHP/Security/1 <PHP Security Tutorials
http://www.zymic.com/ <has free hosting you can use what you learn here
http://www.freewebmasterhelp.com/tutorials/ < has a list of tutorials
The main thing it is up to you. It takes time and the will to learn. It may come easy to some and others may struggle( I am one of them) Just remember. “Only with practice can perfection shine through.”
