Unfortunately for you, there are no clear-cut answers to your questions, as everyone has different preferences as to which language to use or which engine to make a game in.

Fortunately, someone has made this helpful guide to answer many of your questions.

If you still have questions after reading through that, I'm sure the community here would be glad to point you in the right direction, but you'll find that most of what people here will say is echoed in that guide.

Good advice about starting with programming, especially Python. I've had good great experience with PyGame/Python. Hacking up games is possible in less than a day.

Also, re game engines:

http://scientificninja.com/blog/write-games-not-engines

http://www.gamedev.net/topic/636523-how-come-many-of-you-prefer-to-make-games-from-scratch-rather-than-use-an-engine/#entry5015647

My advice would be to start somewhere - anywhere - and you'll gradually get a more solid grasp on what you want to learn. I'm not familiar with Python personally, the first language I dipped my toe into was Java and then C#. And don't expect to be producing AAA titles any time soon. There's a reason why they cost hundreds of millions to develop!

It doesn't matter particularly where you start, the fundamentals of programming are largely transferrable. But it's no short journey! If you have no background in programming and just want to start making games, you may be better served looking into something like Game Maker or RPG Maker to get a feel for games development, and then look at learning a "real" programming language (forgive the awful terminology) once you've got your feet wet.

I started out tinkering in Multimedia Fusion 2 back in high school. I never produced anything significant (less to do with MMF2 and more to do with being an extraordinarily easily-distracted teenager), but I got a flavour of games creation (albeit in a contained environment), and most importantly it was a lot of fun. Last year, I looked into XNA and learnt C# to be able to make use of that, and then decided I wanted to go a little deeper - learning C++ and DirectX.

Alternatively, you could take the web route, making games for browsers in HTML5. That will require learning HTML, CSS and Javascript at a minimum. Fortunately, HTML and CSS are very easy to get into, and Javascript is quite an 'easy' language to learn too, especially with the jQuery library. After that, you may well end up wanting to save player's progress or scores, where languages like PHP come into play.

Wherever you start, it will be a journey. Quite a long one! There's few shortcuts, but the journey is a lot of fun. Start out small, and see where it takes you.

Hi Ive just decided that game development is for me. but I'm culess as to: what game engine I want to use (I cant pay for one but I do want one that is AAA grade and is meant for 3D games) I dont know what language to use and I have no idea how to animate

First question that anyone should ask is: What games have you made so far? If the answer is none, then you are doing too much.

There are three paths:

1. If you have never programmed before, then most certainly learn how to do that first before anything else.
2. If you have programmed before, but have never made a game ever, then google Lazy Foo's SDL tutorial and follow that tutorial.
3. If you have programmed before, made a 2D game before, then download XNA and pick one of their tutorials and follow that tutorial.

IMO, you'll have more success this way then if you try to get an AAA game engine and have no idea how to use it or what to do at all.

Okay, well, for you - do it in this order:

1) Make a long search for a game engine and make your final decision to stick with it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engines

Some of the top recommendations for the 3D aspiring developer in your position would be Blender, Unity3D, Torque3D, and so forth.

2) Research which language or languages you will have to learn in that game engine.

3) Make console type applications for a while in that first language, such as "Hello World", simple data base, easy letter display application, question and answer application with multiple choices, and other simple programs. You will be surprised how much carries to your game development needs eventually.

4) After step #3 above here, make 3 to 5 simple 2D games using the game engine. That's right! I said 2D games. Those 3D game engines allow you to make nice 2D games. The communities which use the game engine can help you with them.

Crossword Puzzle
Tic-Tac-Toe
Pong
Tetris
Pac Man
Defender
Asteroids
Donkey Kong
Galaxy
Mario Brothers

... or other simple 2D games.

Finish each game completely and well. Polish them and add features before going to the next one. These games will keep you busy for 1 or 2 years, but will save you time later in the lessons to be learned in them.

5) After a good year or two with 2D games, then start a simple 3D game copy of existing simple one. This will get you familiar with the game engine for 3D work.

6) Start developing your 3D game.