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A new programmer in town

General and Gameplay Programming Programming

Started by ron February 23, 2000 09:46 PM

6 comments, last by ron 24 years, 2 months ago

ron

122

Author

February 23, 2000 09:46 PM

Hi everybody! As you may know, I''m a newbie here, and not too advanced in programming. So, before I get into my questions, I''ll give you a little background. I''m only 13, with Algebra, which I have in 8th grade(still taking). I''ve been programming for 3 or so months, and don''t know too much. Ok, now the questions

So, I know a little about programming, and I really want to make games, and programs, but, I just don''t know how, and, I don''t know enough to play around with the fact. So, I''m stuck right in the middle. It''s hard to discribe how advanced, or whatever I am, unless someone wants me to send them some of my source, for whatever it is that program of mine does, which is usually nothing

As my last note, anything at all will help me, I need to know graphics and everything, and don''t know where to start. If any of you guys know anything that could help me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! ron

InFerN0

122

February 23, 2000 10:33 PM

Don''t kid yourself about your abilities. Just start with simple programs in C/C++. They won''t be games. While you are still making DOS apps try making a text RPG. Could first big project. Then you can begin to write graphic apps. Then games....

InFerN0Not all who wander are lost...

Sieggy

122

February 24, 2000 01:44 PM

Very true. The apis and techniques used in making games are some of the more difficult ones you will find, particulary the graphics ones. Without good command of a language (i.e. C / C++) you won''t get far and most likely be extremely frustated.

Novalis

122

February 24, 2000 01:54 PM

Everything I ever needed to know I learned from K&R "The C Programing Language".

If a man is talking in the forest, and there is no woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?

Mike

141

February 24, 2000 02:48 PM

I seem to be the exception to the rule. Two years ago I decided to learn to program, and I wanted to makes games. Most people suggested starting small; however, I started big. The first C++ program that I wrote turned out to be my first DirectX game. Granted it took me a good deal of the summer to figure things out, but I enjoyed the challenge. If you want to see the game I made you can download it here:

mike010.hypermart.net\Sheep.zip

I was 15 when I did this so I had an age advantage on you and my problem solving skills where probably better than yours as I was older.

Unlike everyone else, I recomend you make your first program a game. Just take on the project in steps. First get some pictures on the screen with DirectX, then learn user inpute with DirectX then put the two together so that you can move pictures on the screen....

As for a book, You don''t need no stinken book. Learn to use the DirectX SDK and the Win32 Platform SDK (I think that''s its name). I believe that if you learn from books you become to dependant on the book to show you the way; where as with just figureing things out your truely learn it (however, once you reach a certain level of complexity you must realy on books). Oh, and of course, look at all the sample code you can.

That''s just my opinon on the subject. By the way, how in the heck does one keep themself motivated enough to finish a text RPG?

One last thing (as if this isn''t long enough already), I agree with InFerN0. "Don''t kid yourself about your abilities." Make your first project a game, but realize that it is going to take quite a while (maybe upto 3 months) to complete. Expect to be confused. It will all make sense eventually.

Useless Code

fuzzyai

122

February 24, 2000 03:05 PM

i agree a bit with what everyone has said..
unlike mike, i think it''s very important to understand well the language you''re going to develop with. trying to learn a language, an APIs you decide to use, and the fundamentals of game programming at the same time would be extremely difficult. that isn''t to say it can''t be done. you don''t need to understand every in and out of the language, if that''s even possible with any full language, but you should have enough understanding to be able to read other people''s code to learn more. for many people, it''s probably easier and much better in the long run to start with small programs and build up from there. i don''t think this is always necessary, though, as long as if you undertake a project that''s above your current abilities, you recognize what you''ll need to learn to develop the program, and appreciate how long and how much work it will take to do that. another key is incremental development.
if you try to write a quake clone while you''re learning C++, and write the whole thing at once and then try to debug, you''ll be lucky to end up in an insane asylum.

so basically, do whatever works for you, just understand what you''re getting into. (lots of help, ain''t i?)

Anonymous

February 24, 2000 03:26 PM

Or, if you wanted an even easier language to start with (but slower than C++), try QBasic.

ron

122

Author

February 24, 2000 05:26 PM

Thanks! I know it''ll be a task to get into something big, but the one reason I don''t is because I don''t know the basics on how to do it. Like graphics for instance, I might be able to figure it out, but I don''t have a clue about how to do it (except I heard it has to do with loading it into memory). But, as for the text game idea, in which I was actually going to do, I don''t know how to get keypresses, let alone moving a little # across the screen. I only know getch() and getche() in that case. But, I''ll keep trying. As for BASIC, thats pretty basic, and I can see the "restrictions" it has already, so I''ll keep away from that. For now, I''ll continue making some stuff in C++ and ASM, and post again when I have a real question to ask.

Thanks again!

A new programmer in town

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