Newbie - Need any advice

Not sure how good your coding skills are, so I'll aim low and you can decide what applies to you.

Write some games. ALOT of games. The more games the better. Start with something simple, work up to more complex stuff. The simple stuff will get you into the right mind-set of what the game loop is all about and how to handle user input, which are fairly key things to learn as they are the foundation of most games.
I'd also recommend brushing up on your maths skills. Especially if you want to get into 3D games, as even very basic stuff makes heavy use of Matrices.

As a general suggestion to my fellow gd.net users, maybe we should have a tutorial forum with stickied posts containing game specs we can direct aspiring game developers to? So an early one might be the spec for a number guessing game, and then each one after that would be structured to slowly increase in complexity and introduce games-related concepts? Just a random thought.

A good place to start

Become a good programmer in six really hard steps.

Become a good programmer in six really hard steps.

You know... and I am really starting to become a bit of a language fanboy.... but with recent developments in C#, you can almost replace part four with "Learn C#". You can really have those "aha" moments for multiple paradigms in C#, without the pain of learning LISP.

You can really have those "aha" moments for multiple paradigms in C#, without the pain of learning LISP.

Sure. And with VS2011, why not just stick with that. It has F#, VB, C#. It's a good way to become well rounded and exposes to different aspects of exactly the same thing in exactly the one way.


Pain is the whole point. LISP, just like any other language, is not about syntax. It's there, but that's not the main point. For one, there is the Unix world, with shell, files, pipes and all that. The absence of anything MS. The annoyances of console text editors and, despite being 2011, still many of them breaking on strange characters and garbling input. The issues with Unicode. Lack of UI. And so on...

That said, good ways to start are: Here. Here. Or perhaps even here.

You know... and I am really starting to become a bit of a language fanboy.... but with recent developments in C#, you can almost replace part four with "Learn C#". You can really have those "aha" moments for multiple paradigms in C#, without the pain of learning LISP.

Obviously, you never "got" Lisp.


I don't mean that to be derogatory - most people never do. But if you think C# is even in the same league of paradigmatic abstraction as Lisp, you never really learned Lisp.

[font="Times New Roman"]Thanks, so far so good. I think you have to hit a lower lower than that. I can only design basic websites, as those are the only languages I know. I have a few ideas on where to start but am quite doubtful. So basically learn a few programming languages and just stick with them until I feel like I can move on to another? I just have notepad and HTML + CSS at the moment. Ha! Also, I've read quite a bit, lisp, C# etc are new to my ears and eyes. I only heard Java or C++. Reading different things kind in different places and that pretty much only screws my head a bit more.[/font]

[font="Times New Roman"]Thanks, so far so good. I think you have to hit a lower lower than that. I can only design basic websites, as those are the only languages I know. I have a few ideas on where to start but am quite doubtful. So basically learn a few programming languages and just stick with them until I feel like I can move on to another? I just have notepad and HTML + CSS at the moment. Ha! Also, I've read quite a bit, lisp, C# etc are new to my ears and eyes. I only heard Java or C++. Reading different things kind in different places and that pretty much only screws my head a bit more.[/font]

No, to be honest, thats pretty terrible advice for someone just starting out. Pick one, one that is main stream, well documented and has good tools and library support, and run with it. Read that first link, it will have the most common/appropriate selections.

At some point in your career you should pick up other languages, and a functional one at that, but now just focus on the basics of programming.

I would personally recommend C#, but Java & Python are perfectly valid alternatives. There is also C++, and some slightly more fringe languages like Ruby or Lua. Ruby and Lua are a bit too unsupported ( very few books, smaller communities, etc... ) and at least in my opinion, C++ makes a fairly poor first language, as you have to master too many concepts on top of learning to program.

Pick a language, any language. Throw a dart at a dartboard, flip a coin, shuffle a deck of cards - whatever it takes.

Then get the tools needed to work in that language, and go start messing around :-) It helps to pick a project or 3 that you really want to try and accomplish - nothing too big, but something that would force you to stretch a bit.

[font="Times New Roman"] Sounds great to me. C#, Python and Java will be on my "To-Do" list. I'll post again if I need any more help. Thanks again.
On a side note, I've been stressing on what college. I should mention that I am out of High School, abroad and have been searching for a while for a decent school.
I've been to West-wood Uni. (IF it is a Uni) in Anaheim, I've spoken to VFS (Vancouver Film School) in Canada and looking at Full Sail.

Or am I thinking too far ahead. Regardless, you've all been of great help. [/font]

[font="Times New Roman"] Sounds great to me. C#, Python and Java will be on my "To-Do" list. I'll post again if I need any more help. Thanks again.
On a side note, I've been stressing on what college. I should mention that I am out of High School, abroad and have been searching for a while for a decent school.
I've been to West-wood Uni. (IF it is a Uni) in Anaheim, I've spoken to VFS (Vancouver Film School) in Canada and looking at Full Sail.

Or am I thinking too far ahead. Regardless, you've all been of great help. [/font]

Just to verify.... C#, Python or Java, right? ;)

Actually,I thought maybe to try learning each in that order. Problem?

Actually,I thought maybe to try learning each in that order. Problem?

Yeah, the number of hours in a day.

Are you messing with me? What?

If those languages appeal to you, go for it. There's absolutely no reason why you can't successfully pick up a few languages in short order. You might find it easiest to focus on one for the first while, but as soon as you get comfortable, and feel ready to move on and expand your repertoire, don't let anybody stop you ;-)

[font="Times New Roman"]Yeah, that's kind of what I meant, spending time with one language then moving onto the next one when I feel I'm ready. So, is there a goal I should reach? Like a language that I should one day learn after I have a firm or even basic understanding of a few such as Java, Python, etc.?
Right now all I can say is that I will do my best and then some. This is most likely the best forum I've ever been to. [/font]

Also -- since you have HTML and CSS experience, you might want to consider learning JavaScript. I recently discovered Codeacademy, which has a neat little interactive introduction to the language.

On a side note: learning LISP isn't a pain... it's fun!

I'd also recommend brushing up on your maths skills. Especially if you want to get into 3D games, as even very basic stuff makes heavy use of Matrices.

I am only as far as Algebra 1 and Geometry. I might need a crash course for them but is that good enough?

[font="Times New Roman"]Yeah, I've tried getting into Javascript before, to try and improve my skills in website developmtn. (Which isn't that good to start with) But I can't find a decent tutorial, or I am just stuck with learning Javascript. I will look at what you recommended. Thanks.[/font]