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Programming Language?

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Started by JEJoll August 21, 2013 02:43 AM

4 comments, last by FlyingSatin 10 years, 7 months ago

JEJoll

695

Author

August 21, 2013 02:43 AM

Hello,

This is my first post on gamedev, and I'm curious: does anyone have a suggestion as to which language might be best for creating my first graphical game?

I've got more experience with Javascript than any other language, and I've successfully created a simple RPG battle engine with it, and I also have some rudimentary HTML knowledge. I have NO CLUE how to integrate graphics into my Javascript coding, and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion as to which language might allow graphic use with the shallowest learning curve.

Also, I just started learning C++ on learncpp.com.

Thanks in advance,

Jake

Dave Hunt

4,872

August 21, 2013 02:56 AM

I would suggest you search these forums. This question is discussed/debated repeatedly.

jbadams

26,386

August 21, 2013 03:29 AM

This is a very regular question, so some searching for previous answers would probably turn up some good information.

If you're interested in JavaScript you might consider getting into HTML5 to create games, perhaps using a library such as Jaws, melonJS, LimeJS, or Impact.

You could also consider HaXe, or if you wanted to try Unity3d it's UnityScript language is very similar to JavaScript.

If you're looking for libraries you could use when you're a bit more advanced with C++ you could try SFML, SDL or Allegro.

Hope that helps provide some good potential starting points!

- Jason Astle-Adams

hatenames

200

August 21, 2013 05:22 PM

What are your target platforms?

Lua is pretty much Javascript with a different language. If you want mobile you can go for Gideros or Corona. If you want desktop there is Moai and Polycode. Love2D is also a great solution but it uses update and draw functions which might seem weird to you at first but if you mess around with it for a day it will start becoming pretty natural as well.

Serapth

6,672

August 21, 2013 07:18 PM

You could also consider HaXe, or if you wanted to try Unity3d it's UnityScript language is very similar to JavaScript.

I've become a pretty big fan of HaXe, but I have trouble recommending it to new developers. As it is essentially a code generator, in that it creates code for the target platform then compiles it, if something goes wrong the end user is struck trouble shooting in that language. I have seen first hand how fun troubleshooting a failed HTML5 build was. If I didn't already know JavaScript ( and quite well ), I would have been completely hosed. In the end it was a language level ( either HaXe or NME, I forget ) bug that required a patch to fix. That would have been a complete show stopper for a new developer.

It's a cool language, a very cool one, but if you get in trouble its more trouble than even C++. ( especially if the trouble is in the C++ target ).

To the OP, JavaScript is a perfectly good choice. I put together a list of HTML5 libraries that would be a good place to start. In terms of starting out ( and frankly... in general ), I highly recommend the Easel library, it's incredibly straight forward, easy to learn, bug free and performs well enough.

Huge Collection of Game Development Tutorials || Getting Started? Start Here

FlyingSatin

283

August 21, 2013 10:37 PM

I would recommend some experimenting around and seeing what you can do with different languages. Also, I would recommend not asking "this vs. this tool" questions on GDnet. I just saw last week someone started a thread about C and it exploded.

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