C++ Question

Car analogy!

You want to work on Formula 1 race car engines.

You need to start by mastering how to work on a simple car engines.

Then you need to master high performance engines.

Finally you can move on to the Formula 1 race car engines.

Back to the topic:

Games are computer programs, often with soft-realtime requirements, intensive graphics and audio and animation and network requirements, and so on. Or they can be as simple as a "choose your own adventure" stream of text blobs.

You need to start by mastering how to write simple programs.

Then you need to master more advanced topics. They may include networking, graphics, audio, and so on.

Finally you can move on to the big fancy MMORPGRTS you are imagining.

You transition up by taking on progressively bigger tasks. Exactly what those tasks are and how you decide to progress is up to you.

I have about 10% experience with basic computer programming. What I want to know is, how to I do I transitition to game programming?

Say if I were to learn C++ 100% from a computer programming angle. Would that in anyway help me with game programming?

I can’t figure out what you are trying to ask.
Firstly I think your question is, “If I learn to program, does that help me with programming games?”, and the answer is so obvious that I reconsider the semantics of your choice of words. I mean there is no way you just asked, “I want to program games, so should I learn how to program?”.

You are obviously asking something else so I read the words more carefully. Does “C++” have more meaning than I thought? Are you asking if C++ would be better than, say, C#? No…

What about “computer programming” vs. “game programming”? Since game programming is computer programming (even on mobile) I didn’t think twice about this at first, but taking a closer look, did you mean to ask about the nuances between standard application/database/financial programming vs. game programming? There are certainly differences there…

I don’t know what you are asking, but the blanket answer is that anything you learn…

…helps.

L. Spiro

Also just to chime in a bit here, no one in the world knows 100% of C++. Programming isn't mastery of available techniques and technologies it's the understanding of problem solving as it pertains to software. This includes knowing the basics extremely well to a point where no matter what the problem handed to you (or design concept) that you can relate that down to it's fundamentals, take that idea do your research and turn it in to reality. A simple way to gauge your readiness is by the questions you ask yourself and of others. While you still find yourself asking extremely vague questions and getting theoretical responses you're no where near ready yet. When you get to the point where you ask concise and direct questions and get answers that fix the issue you are having is when you are getting close. When you get to the point where you're not asking as many questions rather hitting the web and answering it yourself then your ready.

**Edit**

Forgot to mention this is the same for nearly every aspect of game development and not just related to programming. To develop a game you are overcoming a challenge of taking an idea, making technology that supports doing what you are trying to accomplish and presenting that to your players. Even in the concept designing of a project when you are creating the idea of a game and you are thinking of things like "Strength + Weapon Power - Weapon Damage = Attack Force" <~ That's the same thing. You are taking an idea "How much damage is dealt" and answering it with an equation that makes the calculation of the number possible. Knowing how to program is knowing how to make the computer do the thing you are describing, knowing how to "design" or "develop" is the art of making answers to questions. Yes programming knowledge will always help you but in itself is not very useful to game teams. Many people want to hand you an idea "Make me an RPG system that is based on cool down abilities and live action combat GO!". In larger studios they might employ a designer to sketch out words that define how this happens and a programmer to take that definition and make a piece of computer code that does it. In smaller studios they expect that guy to be one in the same. As a programmer the larger studio doesn't so much care how much you know on paper they want to see the games you have made in the past. As such designing and coding a lot of times go hand in hand. There are other paths to take to get into the industry but unless you have real artistic talent with graphics or audio programming / designing is the easier option.