How can I learn how to create my own browser based game similar to games like Travian?

if you wasted all your time trying to make a browser game, you'd curl up into a ball and cry like a baby.

Its a waste of time, but if you're ambitious, try making a single player game and putting it online first.
kingdom of loathing is a quality browser game.
http://www.kingdomofloathing.com

How can I learn how to create my own browser based game similar to games like Travian?

A browser game usually comes down to 2 components:

- Server Side
The server side stuff is the place where you will store the details relating to players as well as run most secure functions. (PHP/ASP)

- Client Side
This is where you will display most of the things you want your players to see, you can do some simple logic here but it depends on how secure you want to make your site. (HTML/FLASH)


As mentioned if you dont have a clue about any of the 4 subjects in the brackets i wouldnt bother either. I haven't played Travian so i dont know exactly what you do in it but i guess you build a town or something from the ads ive seen.

First thing you want to ask yourself is, why would people want to play your game that is *like* Travian when they could just play Travian with an already existing player base and game. If you have something new to add that the other game hasnt got, or take the game in a different direction then maybe there is a point to trying to make one.

If you decide that what you want to make IS different and you do have the spare time and effort/resources to put in to make it happen. Then you will want to do some brainstorming first and work out WHAT is different and why it would work. Once you have mapped out your game and know the direction you want to head with it, either go in search of some coders/artists to help you, or try to learn the skill gaps yourself.

If you go for it yourself you will want to look at using either PHP or ASP as your backend language (you can use other SS languages if you want, but you wont find as much help online to learn with). Then work out if you want to use Flash or a HTML based front end for the players to use, then learn about that subject.

The question is kinda vauge, so im hoping my scattered response will help.

Grofit has a pro description of it.

What I mean is, I know nothing about creating games and the idea just hit me and I thought it would be fun. What I need to know is where would I go or what would I do to find out how to create a browser game.

I know nothing about creating games

Well why do you want to make one if you dont know anything about making them and by the sounds of it you dont have any ideas for a game, just that you want to make one...

the idea just hit me and I thought it would be fun.

Im sure it would be until you find a problem or a skill gap that you cant fill, then you will just end up giving up. Even if you dont give up its pointless unless you have a start and an end point in mind.

What I need to know is where would I go or what would I do to find out how to create a browser game.

There isnt really anywhere, there is no *School For PBBGs*. You are looking at too big a picture... you dont just make *a* game, you get an idea for a game and an idea of how to create it, then you start implementing the game bit by bit. You cant just go around asking other people how to make some browser game, as every game is unique (or should be).

So to sum it up, if you dont have a unique idea for a game, and dont understand my previous post, i wouldn't bother. If you REALLY want to work on a browser game, go find a team already working on one and see if you can help them out, otherwise you dont know what you want or how to find out what you want, and only you can decide what you want.

you can make a quality FPS game. which is a very small download for people when you are done.

www.silentworks.com

I've been thinking about doing something like this as well. I've decided to use Adobe Flash: http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/

Here is a very good article about using it to create mmog's: http://www.gotoandplay.it/_articles/2007/07/building_mmo.php

If you'd like to see an example of the types of games you can create with it, just type 'flash games' into google, I think you'll be pretty impressed. There are also heaps and heaps of tutorials available (which is another big plus in my book).

Hope that helps. Good luck.

A little update, I've just found a FREE 2D game engine that can create browser based games. It's called the 'Golden T Game Engine': http://www.goldenstudios.or.id/

Here are some of it's features:

Key Features
· Supports for major operating systems, Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X (Java write once run anywhere)
· Extremely easy to set up a new game
· The game can run in fullscreen, windowed, or applet mode (embedded in webpage)
· High-level accelerated 2D graphics API supporting OpenGL as the render targets
· Support three image types (.gif, .png, .jpg) with masked color
· Fully supported mouse and keyboard input
· Audio support, support for wave, midi, mp3, and ogg (.wav, .mid, .mp3, .ogg) audio playback
· Time based game movement and animation for making a frame rate independent game
· Complete bitmapped font routines for drawing left, right, centered, and justified alignment text
· Powerful and very flexible sprite management, support for animated and directional sprite
· Support for various background types, image background, tiling background, and isometric background
· Built-in collision check, with basic, enhanced, and pixel perfect collision detection
Java Specific Features
· Double buffering with bufferstrategy or volatile image
· OpenGL renderer via JOGL or LWJGL
· Hardware-accelerated images
· High-resolution timer, support for time drift calculation
· Fully object oriented library, utilizing Java OOP to maximum

It looks really sweet, and it doesn't have the high price tag of Adobe Flash. So I'm gonna give it a try. I'll let you know how it turns out :).

cool. I'll have to try it out.