Where to start... | GameDev.net

Quote:
Original post by HyPNoTiQ
Hi,
I was looking for a little direction into the game development world. Right now I know pretty much nothing. I don't know programing except for a moderate amount of HTML which is no use in gaming. I am a fairly smart person, learn quickly, and am fairly educated with computers.

I just don't know where to start. I know i'm gonna be learning a language (I believe most is C/C++) and I am starting to work on that.

I guess what i'm looking for is mabey some recources to help me learn just plain how to design games.

I know this is an extremely broad question but any help will be greatly appriciated.

Pick a language and run with it. You need to walk before you can run, and game programming is some of the most difficult programming you can do.

I'm not discouraging you, I became a programmer many moons back because I wanted to write games. ( Right up till I found out what hours I would have to work ;) ). Its a nobel cause and never give up on it.

But the best thing you can do is learn programming basics. If you enjoy HTML scripting, trying adding some &#106avascript to your webpages. Then start doing things like moving buttons around the page, or whatever else you can think of in &#106avascript. Or, pick up a bit of flash. Learn to make a character walk around screen in flash. Or, if you hate web programming, like many people do, perhaps pick up something like Python and a library called PyGame. Play around a bit and get a feel for it. Pick a simple game, and use that game as a method to learn programming. Even something so simple as pong will teach you a ton about programming. Once you have created a game like pong in a programming language, if you are happy with the language you are learning, try to learn more. I tell you though, even doing that simple game you set your mind out to create will teach you a ton. How to move graphics around the screen, basic programming concepts like conditionals, functions, variables ( global and local ), etc... Funny thing is, after you get finished your first project, you will probrably look back at what you wrote, slap your forehead and say, doh, I could have done better! Great... do it! Improve what you did. You will still learn tons from that exercise. Programming is great in that regard. Most of the time, your progress isnt so obvious to you. Trust me, code you write today, you will look back on in a months time and laugh at. Much the same as a year down the road, you will look back at your revision and laugh. Not many hobbys or professions give that kind of noticable skill esculation. It can be really quite satisfying. But first and foremosts. Set attainable goals. If your goal is to *gulp*, write a MMORPG, break it down into its pieces. Well, im going to need sound. Learn how to get sound into your game. I need graphics. Make some 2D graphics and get them animated. Perhaps now you want to learn 3d. If at any time you find yourself being limited by your language ( which probrably wont happen for months, if not years ), then perhaps look into a different language. Just dont try to do too much too quickly. Its easy to get lost amongst the forest of trees, when all you wanted to see was a leaf :)

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