Member Avatar for Equa

Hi! I'm new to this forum and the people here seem very knowledgeable.
I was wondering what the best way to go about making a RPG was. I'm new to programming, and I'd like to focus heavily on graphics, such as ones in Mabinogi of FlyFF (3D games). Are there any good beginner programs for this sort of game? There was an old thread from 2004 that listed a few, but they seemed lacking and outdated (I think one was from 1999).
Thanks to whoever takes the time to reply. :]

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Question from asked about how a beginner should approach building a 3D RPG with graphics like Mabinogi or FlyFF. The practical route is to learn the full toolchain and iterate: pick an engine, learn basic programming and 3D math, create simple assets, and make a tight prototype of core gameplay before expanding scope. Contributing to an existing open-source team, as recommended, speeds learning; inspecting mature engines, as suggested, clarifies what “graphics” work actually entails.

Useful engines and tools (stable starting points):

  • Unity Learn — beginner-friendly, C# scripting, large tutorial base and asset ecosystem.
  • Godot — open-source, lightweight, quick to prototype; GDScript is Python-like.
  • Unreal Engine — best-in-class rendering and Blueprints visual scripting; steeper curve for C++.
  • Blender — free modeling/rigging/animation tool for custom assets.
  • Learn OpenGL — clear walkthrough of the graphics pipeline and shaders for deeper graphics work.

Concise, practical learning path:

  1. Learn core programming (choices map to engine: C#, GDScript, or C++).
  2. Study 3D math (vectors, matrices, transforms, quaternions).
  3. Build a minimal prototype (player, camera, one combat mechanic).
  4. Make simple models in Blender and import them to the engine.
  5. Learn lighting, materials, and basic shader concepts.
  6. Profile and optimize early (polygon budgets, texture atlases, LOD, occlusion culling, draw call batching).
  7. Add persistence or networking only after gameplay is solid.
  8. Join a team or contribute to an open project to focus on graphics without being a jack-of-all-trades.

Caution: a full MMO-scale project is a very large undertaking for a new programmer. Prioritize small, playable slices of the experience and iterate; graphics polish can come after solid mechanics and a stable asset pipeline are in place.

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Member Avatar for darkmikey

If you have Java programming experience or are a 3d modeller, etc you might want to check out Radakan which is an open source 3d RPG being developed in Java. That way you don't have to be a jack of all trades and can focus on your specific area of expertise, because you'd be part of a larger team.

Just so you know developing an RPG is no easy task, and you are likely to fail if your working by yourself as a new programmer. I don't know how much experience you have in game design but working in a team or even just reading their forums would be a great way to increase your skills.

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