Unsure of where to go next
Okay, I've written one game, which turned out to be about 45% rubbish.
I started working on another (Tic Tac Toe in SDL), but it now seems I can't really be bothered, simply because I just know there's no way I'll ever become a professional games programmer and that even small games are just too much work. I'm also finding that new, innovative solutions which I think up usually just result in either unexpected results or the compiler complaining.
I also feel like I'm specialising too much, and I don't know huge amounts of C++ when it comes down to it.
Just wondering, what should I do? I wonder if I should forget games altogether (at least for the time being), and learn some more C++ concepts (including Winsock etc) and maybe some Win32/MFC/.Net to make something worthwhile and useful. I think that would make me more employable as a programmer (which IMHO would be quite good to do professionally).
I hope you can see my problem. I know how to draw an image onto the screen using SDL, but I don't know how a heap sort works or how to properly use a templated class. I think the latter two are far more important
Thanks for your time, people, I'm just not 100% sure what I should do. Any thoughts?
ukdeveloper.
I'm sure there are many different advices; here is mine. You tried your hands at some work, but you suggest your knowledge lacks (heapsort etc). If you really want to reach something (like being a professional programmer or game programmer) you must be willing to go for it.
I'd say there are three main important things to get familiar with: alogithsm and datastructures, linear algebra and game programming/engine design. I'd suggest buying a good book (use search for suggestions) on each topic and read your ass off. Try examples and such. Keep up your programming on TTT in the mean time, filling in details as you read about them.
I'd also suggest that maybe C++ is not your language, or at least not now. Perhaps you can try a more education-friendly language. Also, you do not have to use all full features from the start; if you can do TTT without heapsort and templates that is fine. At some point you may require this or that and read up on it. But it is good to have a firm basis in CS.
Hope it helps a little. Also hope some others are willing to give advice. Greetz,
Illco
I'd say there are three main important things to get familiar with: alogithsm and datastructures, linear algebra and game programming/engine design. I'd suggest buying a good book (use search for suggestions) on each topic and read your ass off. Try examples and such. Keep up your programming on TTT in the mean time, filling in details as you read about them.
I'd also suggest that maybe C++ is not your language, or at least not now. Perhaps you can try a more education-friendly language. Also, you do not have to use all full features from the start; if you can do TTT without heapsort and templates that is fine. At some point you may require this or that and read up on it. But it is good to have a firm basis in CS.
Hope it helps a little. Also hope some others are willing to give advice. Greetz,
Illco
Illco, couldn't say it better myself.
I am a newer programmer, I'm at the point of datastructres, advanced inheritance stuff like that..beginning to scratch the survice of what I will actually use in programming. Simply put, this isn't easy. There will be weeks when I am studying the same material. Over and Over again becuase I only had 15 min to study and this is all on the side not for school..atleast yet.
Focus on what your passion is, this has been my goal. I have a difficult time a lot like yourself, I am not the natural programmer like alot of these guys.. it takes a while for me to learn and learn it well, also retain that info. If this is what you seem to have, you need to say to yourself.."what is it that I want in life?" If it's to make games..then continue to study and study and study. If your in school beat the hell out of your teacher will C++ questions. If he doesn't know it that well, try someone else.
I am a spitting image of you and at times I get really down, because I say that I won't be able to do this, I am not that great of a programmer. Well let me tell you, it's all were your passion is and were your heart is. If you wanna make games, you have something alot of people don't have and thats true desire to do this for a living. Yeah, some guys just do this because they are good at it, but the people like yourself are the ones that become the legends of the industry because they would do anything to become a part of this industry.
Don't give up, hell we can study together and learn with each other if you want, just PM me. I go to school full time and work full time and avearge 13 hour days but still mamange to read atleast some C++ material before I go to bed. Make it a goal to succeed and your success is what you make it. If I get a paid $4.00 and hour and work 60 hours weeks, I have succeeded as long as I am part of this industry in some way, this is the way i think.
Keep you head up and keep studying C++, forget the other languages cause this is what you will use. Even if you have to go back to procedural prgramming to make a sticks game, do what ever you have to do!
Don't forget to PM if you wanna study together! Good Luck
I am a newer programmer, I'm at the point of datastructres, advanced inheritance stuff like that..beginning to scratch the survice of what I will actually use in programming. Simply put, this isn't easy. There will be weeks when I am studying the same material. Over and Over again becuase I only had 15 min to study and this is all on the side not for school..atleast yet.
Focus on what your passion is, this has been my goal. I have a difficult time a lot like yourself, I am not the natural programmer like alot of these guys.. it takes a while for me to learn and learn it well, also retain that info. If this is what you seem to have, you need to say to yourself.."what is it that I want in life?" If it's to make games..then continue to study and study and study. If your in school beat the hell out of your teacher will C++ questions. If he doesn't know it that well, try someone else.
I am a spitting image of you and at times I get really down, because I say that I won't be able to do this, I am not that great of a programmer. Well let me tell you, it's all were your passion is and were your heart is. If you wanna make games, you have something alot of people don't have and thats true desire to do this for a living. Yeah, some guys just do this because they are good at it, but the people like yourself are the ones that become the legends of the industry because they would do anything to become a part of this industry.
Don't give up, hell we can study together and learn with each other if you want, just PM me. I go to school full time and work full time and avearge 13 hour days but still mamange to read atleast some C++ material before I go to bed. Make it a goal to succeed and your success is what you make it. If I get a paid $4.00 and hour and work 60 hours weeks, I have succeeded as long as I am part of this industry in some way, this is the way i think.
Keep you head up and keep studying C++, forget the other languages cause this is what you will use. Even if you have to go back to procedural prgramming to make a sticks game, do what ever you have to do!
Don't forget to PM if you wanna study together! Good Luck
I´m a newbie at c++ and I´m trying to learn it with the help of Beginning C++ Game programming book.
I want to make part of this industry I love so much, but to achieve that I have to dominate C++.
I can´t wait to start my own games but I have to keep in mind that I can´t rush myself into that. I´m studying this book for 2 weeks and I didn't even pass the 4th chapter. That´s not because of lack of time or lazyness, it´s just because that I want to really fully understand every single bit, and I know that if I really undestand all the basis it will be much easier for me to do more complex things.
Pearhaps it could be usefull for you to spend some time (re)studying some
things from the beginning.
Good luck mate and awrabest.
I want to make part of this industry I love so much, but to achieve that I have to dominate C++.
I can´t wait to start my own games but I have to keep in mind that I can´t rush myself into that. I´m studying this book for 2 weeks and I didn't even pass the 4th chapter. That´s not because of lack of time or lazyness, it´s just because that I want to really fully understand every single bit, and I know that if I really undestand all the basis it will be much easier for me to do more complex things.
Pearhaps it could be usefull for you to spend some time (re)studying some
things from the beginning.
Good luck mate and awrabest.
Not to be too contrary here, but most professional houses use a LOT of scripting tools to interface with the engine that is maintained by the hardcore guys.
Instead of worrying about how much C++ you know (or not), why not try out an engine like Torque?
The scripting interface is similar to javascript and it lets you visualize pretty much everything you want to see without having to dig through reams of code to get a triangle on the screen.
You may find that your passion might lie in game design or a level scripter or something..
Not that C++ is a waste of time (far from it), but there's boatloads you can do in the games industry without using it...(ie. web games, python games, Torque or other scripting engine games, etc).
just my 2 cents.
Instead of worrying about how much C++ you know (or not), why not try out an engine like Torque?
The scripting interface is similar to javascript and it lets you visualize pretty much everything you want to see without having to dig through reams of code to get a triangle on the screen.
You may find that your passion might lie in game design or a level scripter or something..
Not that C++ is a waste of time (far from it), but there's boatloads you can do in the games industry without using it...(ie. web games, python games, Torque or other scripting engine games, etc).
just my 2 cents.
I think changing languages would be a good idea. It sounds like you are fed up with C++ rather than games.
best thing i can say to you all is finish your projects. You must practice to get better at what you want to do.
Ugh, I'm pretty much like you ukdeveloper. I've probably read the PART 1 and PART 2 of Beginning 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9 about 5 times (started once then lost motivation then when I start up again feel as if I should read from the beginning again)... I just lose the motivation when I look and see how much there is to remember about just setting up DirectX and drawing a few triangles etc - I Don't Know How People Do It!!! Not only that but it is a hassle everytime when you start a new project to link everything and copy paste your standard set up a window code etc etc etc.
I'm not a bad programmer - I'm better than 99% of people doing CS/CE at uni according to some people I know but I just feel as if there is noone I have to stimulate my thought and who has learnt it before and I can question to properly get an understanding of what a device and all the other niggldy piggldy concepts in DirectX are. I'm currently in year 11 (2nd last year of highschool) and my Software Design class has been doing "for" loops in QBasic for well over 6 months?? People still don't understand! I teach myself as much as possible but it all seems so impossible.
I'm not a bad programmer - I'm better than 99% of people doing CS/CE at uni according to some people I know but I just feel as if there is noone I have to stimulate my thought and who has learnt it before and I can question to properly get an understanding of what a device and all the other niggldy piggldy concepts in DirectX are. I'm currently in year 11 (2nd last year of highschool) and my Software Design class has been doing "for" loops in QBasic for well over 6 months?? People still don't understand! I teach myself as much as possible but it all seems so impossible.
Quote:Original post by Jemburula
Ugh, I'm pretty much like you ukdeveloper. I've probably read the PART 1 and PART 2 of Beginning 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9 about 5 times (started once then lost motivation then when I start up again feel as if I should read from the beginning again)... I just lose the motivation when I look and see how much there is to remember about just setting up DirectX and drawing a few triangles etc - I Don't Know How People Do It!!! Not only that but it is a hassle everytime when you start a new project to link everything and copy paste your standard set up a window code etc etc etc.
I'm not a bad programmer - I'm better than 99% of people doing CS/CE at uni according to some people I know but I just feel as if there is noone I have to stimulate my thought and who has learnt it before and I can question to properly get an understanding of what a device and all the other niggldy piggldy concepts in DirectX are. I'm currently in year 11 (2nd last year of highschool) and my Software Design class has been doing "for" loops in QBasic for well over 6 months?? People still don't understand! I teach myself as much as possible but it all seems so impossible.
i know the feeling about the lack of motivation...
last summer i started Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus (back when I thought ddraw was cool! =D), i read about 400 pages, but just couldn't do it... off and on programming till about 2 months ago; then i just said, gawd i'm tired of this, i want to realize my dream... and so i did it
i don't know what to tell u to get ur motivation... i think if it's truly there it'll come, just give it some time (and well try to be motivated)
i thought i was done in for game programming and that my decision to be a CS major was a bad choice... but i turned myself around
just my 2 cents
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement