Trying to learn C++ game programming, can't stay motivated.

if your intention is to developing a game while not having any experience in C++ perhaps you should move on to an easier game making technology, perhaps XNA or one of them gameengines and their scripting.

Why not adapt the exercises from the book and change them into something game related?

Instead of just mindlessly copying the source code from the book, have a think about how the techniques you learn in each chapter could be used in a text-based game for example.

Just been reading about switch statements? Try making a main menu for a game using a switch statement.

learning about classes? maybe make a weapon class that could be used in a text based RPG.

learning about arrays? how about making an inventory for a player which stores weapons.

When you learn about inheritance and polymorphism, make this inventory hold any type of item the player may pick up.

before you know it, you'll be thinking to yourself, "hey, I bet I can put together a small text based role playing game now.."

As well as making learning easier by adapting it to something your interested in, it will also ensure you fully understand the concepts your learning.

Huh.
I had this problem a few years back: I was interested in programming, with a special interest in games. I liked reading through game design books, and sometimes when I found a programming book in the store that read well, I'd buy it.

But my lack of self-motivation lead me to put off learning programming, in spite of my interest.

I'd taught myself a little programming before I got to university. I found that, when you have regular classes, tutorials, labs and a whopper of an exam on the subject, you find yourself learning without forcing yourself.

I'm now in my third year of a Game Tech. degree, and have just finished a class on advanced graphics and rendering. Although I'd have liked to learn this stuff ealier on, and although a more motivated person could have taught themselves this stuff much faster and easier (for instance, a classmate in first year who did ray-casting in JAVA, which was WAY over my head at the time), I have found that the regularity of a uni course suits my lazy style just fine.

Maybe this is the solution for you.

DaveMS's advice is killer. My classmates and I found ourselves so much more interested in our work when we found how it applied to games.

Hope this helps.

Quote:

Original post by GraySnakeGenocide but everything I tend to read, goes in one ear, and out the other. Anyway I can get help?

With memory? Idk, take vitamin supplements or something.

With comprehension? Try doing something easier first. Do you actually understand the things you're reading? There's a reason programmers are normally started off doing those "dos window things" that you're "tired of": because it lets them learn how actual programming works, without getting sidetracked by worrying about a zillion other things.

I decided to learn how to create 3d games so I learned the C++ language and then started my game and learned along the way (which I still am doing). Pretty good if you ask me.

I've had the same problem: I like taking the time to learn something new, but if I cannot get to the results I was expecting in a short time I get tired easily. In addition to programming, it happened to me in other areas:
-I wanted to draw fantasy art without doing all other exercises. I'm quite good in drawing, but adding colors without proper preparation is not easy.
-I wanted to play dire straits songs, so I got a guitar and started to play them. Now I can play them, but other people that have had teachers and 'classic' scholastic instruction can do much more, and much better.
-I started to write a long novel without first writing short novels or doing any sort of exercises. I still have to finish it.

To sum it all: do things step by step, you will be happy in the future, as doing what you really like will be much easier (= more fun) if you have all the knowledge you need!

My main thing was I couldn't stay interested because I had no clue how any of it applied to game making. But I figure i'll just use a bunch of tutorials and do some note taking.

Quote:

Original post by GraySnakeGenocide My main thing was I couldn't stay interested because I had no clue how any of it applied to game making. But I figure i'll just use a bunch of tutorials and do some note taking.

Yeah the problem with C++ and games is the chicken and egg problem IMO.
In order to get to the fun chicken plucking around and laying it's own eggs you have to go through various stages that may take longer than others and longer for some people than others but if you don't you'll come out with a retarded chicken that can't lay any of it's own eggs LOL!
Ron Penton's "Data Structures" book is a very good book that will give you a really good idea of how your knowledge of C++ and various data structures come into play in making a game but the problem is unless you have some experience with C++ it's going to be over your head. It'll be like jumping into a French2 class with just skimming through a french dictionary and you'll be stopping so much along the way to look up stuff that you won't get much done.
Anyways, getting back to Penton's book he show how stacks can be used for game menu's, maps for game saves,etc. A lot less abstract than taking a data structures course in college and a lot more fun since he uses SDL to add some graphics without too much extra work.

Recently I've been reading through a book called "Learn C++ by making Games". I don't know if that will apply to game making though. :)

I might suggest trying to get interested in Programming without worry about the gaming aspect. If you can't get interested in programming in general, I doubt you would like game programming, there's a lot of programming involved.

Here's a link to the book. The games are kind of simple and cheesy at first, but it gets the job done.
http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Making-Games-Charles-Programming/dp/1584504552

The reason you're not retaining the informations is because you're really not interested in it. Not to say you're not interested in programming, but it;'s the delivery of the information that has your eyes glazing over. I'd suggest starting with Python + pygame. You'll have a graphical game up and running in aboiut a week with casual time put into it. You'll have something that has a very real result instead of 105 C++ tutorials that give you a console window.

sorry for the horrible typing: I've recently d/l IE 8 and my font is fudged. Everything is really really tiny and I can't see what I'm typing.

I'm not going to read this entire thread, but what really helped me back in the days was to use SDL. Even though I made lots of foolish errors and the things like that. It really got me more motivated to see something going on and learning the language that way. Then to just see.... text. Either way, don't quit and keep trying, that's the only way to achieve something :)

Good luck !

Quote:

Original post by Kingerthethird Recently I've been reading through a book called "Learn C++ by making Games". I don't know if that will apply to game making though. :) I might suggest trying to get interested in Programming without worry about the gaming aspect. If you can't get interested in programming in general, I doubt you would like game programming, there's a lot of programming involved. Here's a link to the book. The games are kind of simple and cheesy at first, but it gets the job done. http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Making-Games-Charles-Programming/dp/1584504552

Yeah I read that book a while back and actually posted an Amazon review to avoid the book since the author left out essential code/art for the last couple of chapters on SDL. Then again that's part of the learning and what you have to get used to if you want to make games I guess LOL dealing with broken code!
You might want to even try python/pygame, C#/XNA or Flash if you can't stay motivated long enough since they don't require as much concentration and hard work to get something up on the screen. Then if you still want to make games after that I'm sure you'll run into C++ again.

I know what you mean but don't down dos just yet. Im creating my own 3d engine and this is for fun yeah i said it fun. Right as of now im doing the core system that deal with buffering and data structures. well i need a quick way to test my code and one such way was with a dos console app. Most of my engine is libraries mean that they are some dynamic linking library or worst static library.well i could make very graphic program but that would be waste of time since im not there yet. console are fast and easy to set up. I use them for testing and some house hold things. Ok if you cant understand the console version the graphic version might just be worst. Yeah Lets not debat it, console projects are powerful because you have less to worry about in game programming. there is no need to worry about the graphics or the messaging system in win32 or better yet you dont have to worry about lost device that happens in directx. console might be boring but bare with it in the long run your logic will be sound and code will run more effiently. I made a class the other day, it was a simple string object( a class deriving from an Array class I made earlier, and it had the operation i could do on strings). Ok i had a line that held the following

int main()
{
HString mystring = "hello world";
printf("mystring is: %s\n",mystring.c_str());
return 0;
}

geuss what the output was

hello world(*8swk

in other words there was junk at the end which wasn't what i wanted. console help me see this real soon.

[Edited by - owiley on June 22, 2009 9:07:56 PM]