Ok, I'm sure you all have heard this before, "I'm new to programming and I wanna make games...blah, blah, blah,...yada, yada, yada.". Well, I'm in that group too, I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do it. I have looked on this an other websites (such as IDGA.org and Sloperama.com...) and I am STILL finding stuff that is very helpful in my quest to start making games. My concern is this: Do you need to have a strong mathmatical background in order to be proficient in programming? I have messed with HTML and yes I know it's the easiest code out there, but when the talk about having degrees to get into programming, I'm seeing math related subjets. My degree is in Organizational Management, but I want to be on the team to create the games not manage them. I did take some art classes in college, but I don't want to concentrate just on art either. It has been recommended by a few sites that you try to make a simple game of your own first to get a feel of the actual process of making a game. This of course would mean that I'd have to do both sides, programming and art. I think I'll be more proficient on the art side (as far as "traditional" art goes...) but I think it'd be cool to be able to add value in two areas, especially if I end up with a small group. The only other question I have is whether to go C++ or Visual Basic to learn programming. I've already read the pros and cons (even though it's like Greek to me now...), but if I get a book that show me how to program in C++ as complete beginner I'm might take a stab at that. I have someone who can show me a thing or two about PhotoShop and you guys are a beast when it comes to 3-D art apps! One thing I'm definitely trying to do is find some folks here who do this on the side so I can learn some things. I already tried to find a chapter with IGDA here in the DC area, but they are no longer active...sigh. Many thanks for those who take the time to read my post and I am still looking on different websites to get some answers of my own. Thanks. Daris L. Cotton PS Do any of you remember Sony's Yaroze system for the PSX? It was black and was only for those who planned to do hobby programming or use it to create a game to actually sell.(I remember seeing pics of this waaaayy cool shooter this guy did from Japan...) Are any of the console companies doing that today? Is this what running Linux on game consoles is all about? Just curious is all. Thanks again.

Check out the forum faq for this forum, linky just above the post title. There many of your questions are answered. You can also look around a bit in this forum, you're not the only one asking these kinds of questions [smile]

I pretty much agree with what Fruny said.

First, C++ isn't a very good beginners language.
The thing is that the specifics of C++, or any other language, is simple to learn, and takes a matter of hours.

The hard part is the ability to break down any problem into small manageable tasks, and reason about the problem you're working on and the solution you're implementing. That's what takes months and months to learn, but it's also something you only need to learn once. You can learn this from any language, which is why Fruny recommended Python. It allows you to learn this absolutely vital part of programming, without being distracted by the quirks of a more complex and far messier language like C++. In the end, it allows you to learn programming faster and easier.

And once you've done that, C++ is easy enough to pick up.

(However, it is perfectly possible to start with C++. No one are arguing with that. It just isn't the easiest solution.)

As for the mathematical background, you don't really need much to learn programming. As long as you know basic math (addition, subtraction, division, square roots and so on), you can program.
What's more important is the ability to structure your thoughts, and keep track of exactly which steps have to be performed in which order to solve a problem.

But the thing about programming is that it basically requires very little skill. You need to know the most fundamental math operations, you need to be able to keep a cool head and impose order or structure on your thoughts, and that's basically it.
But depending on what you're programming, you might require any other skill on top of it. Write a word processor with spell checker, and you're going to need excellent language skils and knowledge of every quirk of the grammar of your language.
If you're writing a 3d game, you need to know a lot about 3d math. Write software to plan the flight schedules for an airport, and you need to know a hell of a lot about that.
Write a program to educate children about some subject, and you need knowledge both of the subject in question, and of how to teach.

So yes, for some purposes, you're going to need excellent math skills. For others, you can get by with next to no knowledge of it.
For a game, you usually need to know some math, but you should be able to pick that up along the way. (You're not going to be making Doom 4 any time soon anyway)