I'm new to game programming, and would like some advice. My goal is to code a MMO browser based game with PHP+MySQL, with a little Javascript and CSS when needed.
At this moment I'm just considering which would be the best way to do it: Is it better doing it using a framework like CakePHP or CodeIgniter or it's enough with my medium knowledge of PHP? I've enver used none of those frameworks, nor I have made OOP, but I'm quite concerned about security.
What do you think?
I am not a fan of frameworks. It doesn't make sense to me to learn PHP, and then learn a whole framework based on PHP. I think your time is better spent perfecting you PHP skills. I have tried several frameworks and I always end up back where I started - writing straight PHP code.
Don't worry about OOP. It can help make large programs easier to manage, especially with multiple programmers, but you can develop great games without it. Consider it a bonus after you learn the fundamentals of PHP.
It's good that you're thinking about security, but think about it realistically. What are the odds that one of the few great crackers is going to attack your site? As for the rest of the internet hooligans, there are a few basic measures you can take that will suffice, such as encoding passwords in the database with the md5 hash or using mysql_real_escape_string on all form data to prevent SQL injection attacks.
My final advice is to think small. Develop a simple game using what you know. You will definitely learn more as you go. Always try new things. Your games will get more complex and much cooler as you learn more. And if you ever have questions, post in this forum again.
Good Luck and tell everyone you know about this site.
