To get C++ to develop games, do I just buy Visual C++ .net 2003 Standard Edition from microsoft?

im dont have time to find the exact url, but google '"visual studio,net" beta' and go to the microsoft website. you can get beta microsoft visual c++ .net beta 2 now for free. check it out!

You don't need to buy a C++ compiler. Microsoft has released Visual C++ .NET 2003 Professional compiler for free as a download (though it lacks the IDE). You can also use MinGW, a gcc port for Windows. For free IDEs you can try Code::Blocks or DevCpp.

Hey hold up a minute!! There are other alternatives besides Visual Studio. Sure VC++ 2005 may seem great, but it is still in its testing phase. I would reccommend you start off with Code::Blocks, or Dev C++. Both are great tools that could make some serious game apps (Plus they are FREE). You can get Dev C++ here at www.bloodshed.net. Code::Blocks at www.codeblocks.org.

So what your all saying is say I download Dev C++ from bloodshed.net for free, itll be just as good as buying it from Microsoft? and Dev C++ is the actual language right? I dont need anything else but that to make games with(I'm using Blender so will they work together)?

It won't be as good as the Microsoft version. Microsoft's IDE is really the best one for PCs right now. It's just that there are free alternatives if you don't want to spend money.

Dev C++ isn't a language, it's just the name of the IDE for programming in C++.

You may need other thing to make games with, like image manipulation programs to make pictures with or software libraries if you don't feel like doing everything from scratch.

Im pretty much a noob to game development but if I want to start making games I already have Blender and Python. Now if I download Dev C++, can somone explain to me other things that I should download to help me like image manipulation and libraries such as SiCrane said. I would like some help with getting all these programs so I can make some good games...not old looking games...full fledged 3d games . So when I learn I can make a team or join one. Any sites explaining what I need to know or if someone could help that would be great.

Ya Dev C++ is exactly watits name sais, Free and pure C++. But if you want to get it to work w/directx or opengl, you will have to install a couple of packs for it.

(Blender should work with directx and opengl)
(youll hav to find out exactly how to do it though)


Directx SDK for Dev C++ can be downloaded at

http://www.devlib-central.org/mambo/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=12&func=selectcat&cat=4



Glut for Dev C++ can be downloaded by clicking "Tools > Check for updates" in the Dev C++ menu.

But these 2 languages require you to know C++ first though(just a reminder).

Quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
So what your all saying is say I download Dev C++ from bloodshed.net for free, itll be just as good as buying it from Microsoft? and Dev C++ is the actual language right? I dont need anything else but that to make games with(I'm using Blender so will they work together)?

The language is C++. Dev-C++ and Code::Blocks are development environments designed to aid a programmer in writing C++ code.

The first link of SiCrane is to a C++ compiler, a program which takes textual C++ code and converts it into it's binary equivalent ('binary' is that code which can be fed directly to the processor unmodified; C++ textual code as written by a programmer cannot).

Dev-C++ and Code::Blocks allow one to "plug in" a compiler. By default I believe they use another free C++ compiler called gcc.

Microsoft Visual Studio is an expensive, top of the line development environment which supports quite a bit more than just C++. They also offer a specialization of that, which is Visual C++. This is, just like Dev-C++ and Code::Blocks, a development environment to aid in writing C++ code.

In my opinion, the Microsoft IDEs ('IDE' is an acronym for Integrated Development Environment) are better than the free ones, but of course given that they cost money (around $100 for Visual C++ I think) many people prefer to use the free ones.

This choice (whether to go with Microsoft or the free ones) is based ultimately on whether you're willing to spend the money. Don't worry that the free IDEs are bad though -- they're quite sufficient, especially so for a beginner.

So what I should do is download Dev C++ then download a compiler such as Si Crane stated in his forst post?