basic language to make direct3d games

The DirectX 7 SDK has support for Visual Basic.

Don't start trying to learn 3D stuff until you can at least program well and program 2d stuff. You should consider starting with an easier project perhaps.

--TheGoop

I'd try and learn C++ first, and then work on a 2D engine, perhaps with DirectDraw.

CDX is also a nice class to program DirectX with. Check it out at http://www.cdx.sk. Though to use it, you will still have to have basic windows programming knowledge (CreateWindow, etc).

I'd suggest getting Programming Windows by Microsoft Press. Its a excellent book for introductory Windows programming, and advanced Windows programming.

Visual Basic, and QBasic, and the similar languages, are not recommended for Game Development. QBasic is for DOS only, so that rules that out. Visual Basic is good for rapid application development.

But, Visual C++ 6.0 is the way to go for all kinds of Windows Development usally.

If you think VB is too hard for you, you will never code some cool stuff. I personally found C/C++ easy to learn, it wasn't that hard as it looked like at the first moment. I never used VB, but it's easier than C/C++. And if you want to create some games, you have got to use a modern, complex language.

CU

I personally recommend taking a trip over to www.amazon.com and looking at some of the intro-C/C++ books. I'll try to make up a list of *good* 'learning to program in C++' books for your convenience.

I personally started with Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days. I did it in about 25 but I like to take my time Now please note 25 days was to understand the *syntax* ... not how to apply it effectively using OOA/OOD/OOP techiques...that unfortunately took a bit longer. It took me roughly 1 1/2 yrs to become very proficient using C++ with OOA/D techniques to build robust and efficient applications.

Now I'm trying to build COM/DCOM/ActiveX components by hand in IDL...extremely complex but its fun It taught me a lot about component ideologies and that knowledge has served my game programming endeavours well!

Max: It sounds like your giving up too easy. Take the time to really learn it. Programming isn't easy, and you can't expect to learn it overnight. If you don't completely understand something experiment with the sample code in your book until you fully understand it.

Just remember: start off simple and be patient.

--TheGoop

If you want to make games, it won't happen overnight. You say VB was too hard? Time and patience is all you need.

It took me about a year and a half to teach myself programming, and here's how I did it:

I learned HTML first. Not programming, I know, but you need to know it in order to learn JavaScript. Learning JS is a wonderful way to learn some of the basic building blocks of programming... and it's easy. Once I was comfortable with JS I moved on to Java. Of the high-level languages I feel it's the easiest to learn on your own.

When I was competent with the basics of Java I started C, and finally C++. Somewhere in there I learned Visual Basic and Perl.

I didn't plan to follow that course, it's just that one thing led to another and I'm glad it did. Now I'm making games, which is what I've always wanted to do. Moral of the story: It takes time.

Good Luck!

[This message has been edited by Aldacron (edited October 18, 1999).]

There is no BIG difference between QBasic and Visual Basic. QBasic is text only and Visual Basic can eaisly import those functions. Using Visual Basic is QBasic with Windows support, objects, DLL support and a prettier program.