J-dog

I have to second that response... you kinda have to take things one step at a time because game programming can be very involved and you may really frustrate yourself if you jump the gun there - especially if you're new to coding.

I think for this reason, there aren't really many books on programming games... well I mean, I could suggest some, but all of them are on an intermediate - advanced level in terms of code.

So my suggestion is to just learn the basics, but have fun with them - what I mean is, be creative and start to make small games as you can - maybe start with a text-based game and then gradually move up from there. I find then when learning any skill, it's good to put what you've learnt into practice sooner rather than later so you don't get caught in the technicalities. It's also just nice to experience some application for yourself outside of textbook examples.

Oh, and have fun.

Usually, very competitive online games - I used to play a lot of Starcraft 2, and although I loved it, it did become too competitive. The same is true of Dota... these games can be fun but it almost becomes a reflex to play them almost daily and the amount of tension they can create seriously hinders the enjoyment for me.

Also, they become a grind... playing the same game over and over to become better at it can become dull. I embrace the necessity of repetition when it comes to learning new skills such as coding, painting or cooking, but when it comes to games I don't have that same patience.

The same could be said for grinds such as what World of warcraft or Diablo 3 can tend to be... basically anything that causes me to pause and ask "wait, why am I playing this?" wears me out.

I think a thread like this is always going to subject to lots of subjective opinions and that's alright. CoD and angry birds are what they are, and I don't feel the need to comment on them anymore. There really isn't anything too complex about these games.

But sometimes I feel like a game can feel overrated if you just miss the boat, so to speak. For example, halo and gears of war - I played both on PC a while after they came out and they felt a bit generic and dull? I have friends who love those games and I've asked them what's so good about them, and they've never really given me proper reasons.

And while I'm at this, Far cry! I hated that game! Sure, it looked nice, and the stalky jungle stuff was OK until the mutant monkeys started running around, and then there was that ridiculous "storyline" where you chase some hoe around an island and every time you find her she just tells you to do more stuff. Bleh!

But yes, games are like any media... you're always going to have a sea of turds with a few gems in between, and it makes the good ones all the more special. People will complain ad nauseum about movies, music and games they don't like, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. It's fun to rant a bit, and I'm personally guilty of over-analysing games too much sometimes.

Sometimes the masses seem really stupid - and often they are - but meh, I don't think it's too stupid that some guy who doesn't consider himself a monocle-wearing gaming connoisseur can enjoy a mindless round of CoD after work. Or angry birds on his phone.

I'm with you on angry birds, but then I feel like I just don't "get" that game. Casual games feel like a total time sink to me and while I feel angry birds certainly got something right, it just hasn't reeled me in at all. Some casual games do suck me in, bit by bit, until I snap, utter "what am I doing with my life?!" and quit them.

Somehow, I'm OK with pissing away 40+ hours on large RPGs. Hmm... but that brings me to my second point: Oblivion. What the feck? I thought Morrowind was neat after the insanely boring Daggerfall, but Oblivion took a step back in presenting us with one of the most banal RPG worlds yet. Sure, it looked great at first, but that was before you spent some time exploring and realised that the combat was poor, the countryside boring, and not a single interesting character in sight. It's not that the game was that bad, but I just could not understand where all the acclaim came from!

It's kinda like CoD too... CoD1 was a wonderful game after Medal of honour went down the toilet, and CoD4 was a gem because of the level of polish and refined gameplay. But MW2 and 3 have brought nothing new to the table. Meh!

...ok so that's my rant.

I'd love to see Deus Ex redone with present day graphics and better enemy AI. I distinctly remember the AI agents not patrolling properly if they were not in view - which made stealthing a bit of a bitch since you couldn't work around patrols without seeing them.

THIS. I cannot agree more, even though I still consider it my favorite game of all time, the AI was poor and easy to manipulate - especially during a 5th playthrough. But if any game deserves a remake, it's Deus Ex 1.

That, and Planescape Torment... hell of a story, fantastic dialogue and incredible environment would really shine with good voice acting and graphics. The combat and interface could use a bit of a facelift though, but I wouldn't pull it away from DND rules.

Though I think that both these titles could really use a new layer of gloss, I'd hate to see them changed much more than that. So maybe I don't want to see them remade after all!