Steps After learning programming (c++)

Well what is your goal?

Create some applications, more complicated then "Hello World!" try pong as thats the game equivalent of "Hello World" and move on to harder projects. Generally what you need to do now is write applications so you get familiar with solving problems in the language and get more proficient at C++/

Do a few problems on Project Euler so that you build you ability to think algorithmically. Or start on a text based adventure/rpg game.

Do a few problems on Project Euler so that you build you ability to think algorithmically. Or start on a text based adventure/rpg game.

I'm not sure why people always suggest this. While project Euler is nice it's basically aimed at solving math problems with coding, something that doesn't really come up as often as it seems in coding(even if it does, it's rarely the same type of problems.) Overall I'd say start working on a game, there's a lot to learn about games like architecture: the game loop, states, rendering, updating, handling input, timing, etc. None of this is covered in generic programming books and all are very much required if you're building from the ground up.

What is the largest project you have completed to date?

You could try learning some ASM if you want to get a better knowledge of programming .

Next is opengl or directx if you want to make games.
Or improve C++ more until you can read through a good c++ book and know whats happening on every page.

Next you must solve the C++ quiz.