Hi there, I'm new to these forums but i've been looking around at posts without having made an account. I finally decided to and am looking for a little help.

I've been trying to learn C++ for a while now, with the hopes of making indie games (aren't we all?).
I think I have a basic grasp of the language, all self taught. I'm currently in my freshman year of college, majoring in Computer science.

I've been reading books trying to teach myself, as I haven't really learned any programming from school yet. I'm currently reading C++ Without Fear and Game Coding Complete. I'm almost done C++ without Fear, and just cracked into Game Coding Complete. I also have a few of the Game Programming Gems books on standby for after these.

I was wondering if there's any other books anyone would recommend to me, or if i'm even reading the right ones. I'm looking to make 2D games, mostly games that don't require 3DS Max or programs of a similar nature.

I've been thinking about starting Thinking In C++ by Bruce Eckel, but I haven't gotten around to it. So my question is, are there any other, possibly better books I should be reading or other resources I should get ahold of? Thanks!

It sounds like you already have enough learning material for now. I would suggest that you just start writing some simple games. As soon as you run into a problem that you are not equipped to solve just Google it and learn. Embrace your failures and learn from them.

Also, I think it is important to stop and reason about your code fairly often (especially when learning C++). Think about what can cause it to fail, about what you know can't fail, about what you would do differently next time... etc. Try to establish your style and keep it consistent and in good practice.

One book I would definitely suggest after you feel very comfortable in C++ is "Effective C++". I try to read it about once a year.

Thanks for the help! I've already made Tetris and Pong using tutorials, but for some reason that's all I can really seem to find. I want to start coding ASAP, but I still have a little to learn about actually making a game. Like how to start one and all that. I have the source code to some games, like Doom 3, Gish, and the game made before Dungeon Defenders, which is almost the same. I'd love source code to a more simple game, something 2D as that's what i'm primarily interested in.

But right now, I guess I really just need some resources on actually making a game, like how to start. By start, I mean something like initializing a window, even though i've doe that using SDL using tutorials. I think thats more of using tutorials provided by something like SMFL, OpenGL or even DirectX, whichever I decide to use. Any other help is greatly appreciated, as I'm just kind of wandering right now. I'll definitely pick up that book and check it out though!

There really isn't a specific way to "start programming a game". Your focus should be learning how to program as well as using the libraries you need to implement your game (SFML is probably a good choice).

I would recommend just going through the SFML tutorials and learning how to do basic things like initializing a window, drawing sprites, etc. You will be able to implement a simple game (such as pong) in a short amount of time. From there you can move on to slightly more ambitious projects as your programming skills increase.

Also, I wouldn't recommend looking at source code for learning (especially from a project like Doom 3).

Alright, I'll start working through the SMFL tutorials today! Appreciate the help like you wouldn't believe.