im as noob as they come for this sort of thing, i work with game maker but i want to pursue a career in game making and game maker is far too weak, but all this talk about C++ and C# has went over my head so to speak, where do i get these programs? do i just start scripting in notepad? what do i do to make a very beginner game? i really need help.

WELCOME! Enjoy. [smile]

Beginner FAQ

Quote:Original post by Infinity Dragen
i really need help.

You've got that right [wink]

First of all C# and C++ aren't programs. They're langauges, a way of describing what has to be done in plain text. You can of course program in notepad, but you'll still need a compiler, a program to turn text-code into machine code for the CPU. I would suggest against this method. What you're probably looking for is an IDE, a program with a graphical interface built for a certain language with a number a built-in features that usually comes with a compiler( so no awful command line stuff ).

Here is a list of free IDE's for C#:

SharpDevelop
Visual C# Express(free till November)

There might be some others to, I haven't used C# much. You'll also have to download the .net sdk from Microsoft if you want to do anything with C# or Visual Basic.net.

and some free IDE's for C++/C:

Dev-C++
Code::Blocks
Visual C++ Express(free till November)


There are other languages as well such as Java, Python, Visual Basic, etc... My advice is to try a bunch out a use the one the suits you. Right now your focus should just be learning the principles of programming instead of the latest industry ho-ha.

i plan to start with C++, even though it is said to be to challenging for begginers it can be done and in the end i want to use C++ instead of C# and i dont want to forget things later on to use C++. i understand that the code goes in notepad, but what is a compiler and where would i get one? what are the basics of coding? can i upload pictures (ie backgrounds textures meshs) with script or would i have to code every pixel (i doubt it but i read something about 16 bit coding that you had to do every colour for each pixel and position on the x an y axis, ie 09283 for colour and 109,249 for x and y. i doubt this is at all effective but i just read that some guy was doing it that way (it was in a tutorial. so i need the summary of compilers, how to use basic functions of code (i think some things relate to GML but im not tottaly sure on that). help is very much appreciated.

The IDE links that Scet supplied all come with compilers, so don't worry about that.

I would recommend reading these tutorials if you have your heart set on C++.

As for Graphics, that depends entirely on which API you're using. Also, note that you won't be doing any real graphics until you really know your way around the language. Prepare to learn C++ for a good 9-months at least before you're ready for graphical programming.

If you want that wait time to be shorter, I would recommend python as your first language. It's very different from C++, but once you're done learning Python, you won't have that much trouble learning C++, and you'll get to the interesting stuff faster. In fact, once you learn your first language, it's reletively easy to learn another.

okay, but i have a few questions, what i mean with graphics coding is if i wanted to have a character on screen, would i a) just have to specify the documents and settings file of the picture i want b) code in each pixel c) something that i dont understand at all. c applies to everything for me

Quote:Original post by Infinity Dragen
okay, but i have a few questions, what i mean with graphics coding is if i wanted to have a character on screen, would i a) just have to specify the documents and settings file of the picture i want b) code in each pixel c) something that i dont understand at all. c applies to everything for me

It depends entirely on what API you use and what you're trying to do. The API may have a function that loads from a file, or you may have to load from a file and set the pixels yourself. Trust me, if you learn how to program then this will be a non-issue. You'll know how to do it.

If you follow that tutorial I posted, you'll learn how to use files pretty early, and that will give you an idea on how to load stuff.

Don't get preocupied with trivial graphical programming things, just learn the language and you'll get it. Look at my old posts(from 3 years ago) for an example of what not to do. I was thirteen at the time, and completely fixated on making my own game engine, before I knew enough C++. I would wonder about stupid things, like how to save data and how to make it compile to an .exe (way out of my league), when I should have been working on my programming skills =). After I managed to convince myself that I wasn't good enough, I started actually learning how to program, and now I actually stand a snowball's chance in hell of making the game I wanted (a simple 2D RPG).

The moral of the story is, put the graphics on the backburner. You'll definately get there, and all of these questions will be totally obvious to you then.