What about playing with an existing game engine, and learning to make mods, modifying the game logic through it's scripting language, playing with textures, models, etc.
I started programming in qbasic, as a kid, and got into making mods for Quake. The scripting language designed for it (QuakeC) was really how I first came into contact with anything resembling C, and it was only a while later that I started making my first rainbow triangles and texturing them using OpenGL and a C compiler.
you don't really need a story for a rpg. the player's actions create the story as they play, you just need to create a cool world to play in.
if i were you i'd work on the game design, and start with something like rpg maker or another basic 2d engine. then move up to a 3d engine once you're ready. and i'd check out a couple of different languages. c#, python, c++ etc. in the long run for hard core games you gotta go c++, there are no substitutes. but that's not until you're taking on EA head to head. until then you want to go with what you can learn fastest that runs fast enough. i started with basic, then switched to pascal, then C++ in the never ending quest for speed.
and incidentally, you can build a text based adventure game in c++ quite easily with just cout or printf.
PS love the skull and cross bones.
I'd say make it in RPG Maker. Programming takes years to get good at, and RPGs can be particularly difficult. Plus having made stuff with RPG Maker 95 myself back in the day, it's quite valuable experience actually putting a game together. When you do learn programming later, you'll have a better idea of what you're trying to accomplish. Plus the content creation is more work than the programming in most RPGs, so if you do all the graphics and music yourself, it will still be a major undertaking and improve your skills in those areas a lot.
When it comes to programming RPGs, if you've played the very first Final Fantasy on NES, that's about as easy as it gets, and a reasonable first large scale project. If you want to do scripted cutscenes and a more fancy battle system like FF4 on SNES, then you're getting into much more difficult territory, and RPG Maker experience will be helpful.
Yeah I know how I want it to look. And I may give Unity3D a try But for right now I am learning to use Microsoft Visual C# 2010 Express and learning C#. I think I am aiming WAAAAY to high with this RPG ATM. I the battle system to kinda be like KH. You know run around and every so often enemies will appear to attack you. But yeah I will try RPGMaker. And do a 2D version first.
