Thomas,
There is really quit a different consideration you have to pull into this: how much time do you plan on spending on your project? You have a finite amount of time, and I'll assume, you have other demands and considerations in life other than living in your room until the end of the school year. So decide this: how complicated of game do you want to do?
Do you want to have interactive text? -- and in that you need a real language interface along with an AI or just a few commands?
How well do you draw and what tools do you have available--and are proficient in--to create graphics?
Do you have time to render for 3D or 2D complex graphics? Do you really want to take the time to do so?
You can do a Zork type of game in a day or two, a Wompus type of game (limited basic graphics) in a couple more days, you can probably do a simple fly and shoot type of game in about a week (7 days for something along the line of space invaders or packman), after that things can get fairly complex depending on just what you want to do--a Zork type of game with a full real language and AI interface could be all you do and maybe more scope than you may have time for or what to do.
So the thing I basically am interjecting into your thought process is: choose a scope for your project first, then rigorously adhere to that scope plan and do not let it creep. More than one glorious project had died an ill-fated death due to scope creep and it is not just the beginner that falls into that pit. There is a short book that was required in my Software Engineering Class called the "Mythical Man Month". I suggest you find a copy and give it a read before you do much planning--it's a few hours of humorous read that has great insight into where you want to go.
Les
BTW: in that software engineering class we had to implement a cross compiler for our final project while working in a 4 person team environment. When we turned in our plan, most of the class laughed at our simplicity, but we had figured in real time what each of us could do. We completed our project on time and we all got an A out of the class. We found out after the final, that our team was the only one that was able to implement, everyone else ran out of time. Our plan was simple, but appropriate and we had a very difficult time completing it with our normal schedule of classes and
testing, but we did. The others could not and had to turn in a project that was 1/2, or less, done. One thing you will be tested on is can you plan your work load appropriately for your desired outcome. Think about it and make a plan before you make other choices.
Thomas McAdams wrote:Hello Java Ranch members, today I was coming up with ideas to do for my senior project. Everyone else I know are making computers, easy enough. Well I was thinking about making a Java video game. I know the basics of Java, but I have never really went farther. I was hoping for my senior project to make a 2D pixel game of some sort. With that in mind I do not know where to start. Should I learn OpenGL or use the panels that Java provides to get my results? Any feedback on this topic would be great! Thanks for your time.