Quote:Original post by CTar
I bet there are plenty of 14 year olds here.
they are :D
I think i want to quit game programming???
Hmm, interesting thoughts you guys brought up here.
I am 30 years old and I'm also asking myself similar questions after around 5 simple, little games completed. It took me around 3 years of evenings and weekends programming, learning, reading and posting forums, searching the internet, experimenting and so on.
I've been fascinated with the computer games since I was 8 (ZX Spectrum times). Many things have changed since then. 20 years ago computers were for the elite and although games lacked the graphics and the sound they often were a lot of fun to play.
Nowadays it seems that people don't pay too much attention to the quality of the game itself. People want stunning graphics and instant excitement. Professional game companies are aware of this and they make the games to make the majority of people happy and gain profits.
I agree a solo game developer (or even a small team) has little chance to compete on the field. Programming is hard and it often takes a lot of time to implement a simple looking trick in your game. I agree it takes months to make an uncomplicated game and once done an average player would probably play it once or twice only. When I develop games I'm usually sick of it before I'm half done with it. On the top of all that: it's extremely hard to find an artist who would like to help programmers with their games.
Yet another thing that may draw away from the game development is the fact that the game programming skills have hardly of any use in other commercial jobs. In addition, a position in a company that develops the entertainment software usually pays less than somewhere else in the IT.
Why make games then? I'm not sure – perhaps we can make games that are not easily available on the current commercial market? I know there are a lot of people out there with their specific game requirements. Perhaps we should go out to them?
This way or another, whatever path you take – have fun!
I am 30 years old and I'm also asking myself similar questions after around 5 simple, little games completed. It took me around 3 years of evenings and weekends programming, learning, reading and posting forums, searching the internet, experimenting and so on.
I've been fascinated with the computer games since I was 8 (ZX Spectrum times). Many things have changed since then. 20 years ago computers were for the elite and although games lacked the graphics and the sound they often were a lot of fun to play.
Nowadays it seems that people don't pay too much attention to the quality of the game itself. People want stunning graphics and instant excitement. Professional game companies are aware of this and they make the games to make the majority of people happy and gain profits.
I agree a solo game developer (or even a small team) has little chance to compete on the field. Programming is hard and it often takes a lot of time to implement a simple looking trick in your game. I agree it takes months to make an uncomplicated game and once done an average player would probably play it once or twice only. When I develop games I'm usually sick of it before I'm half done with it. On the top of all that: it's extremely hard to find an artist who would like to help programmers with their games.
Yet another thing that may draw away from the game development is the fact that the game programming skills have hardly of any use in other commercial jobs. In addition, a position in a company that develops the entertainment software usually pays less than somewhere else in the IT.
Why make games then? I'm not sure – perhaps we can make games that are not easily available on the current commercial market? I know there are a lot of people out there with their specific game requirements. Perhaps we should go out to them?
This way or another, whatever path you take – have fun!
Quote:Original post by CTar
[I bet there are plenty of 14 year olds here. Of course math may be a problem, but if you really like game programming then you probably also like maths and you don't mind learning some math on the side.
I am 14. Math is only a problem if you make it a problem. Most people think math is boring, but once you get into it is really interesting, especially if you do it with physics, it may seem hard, but it feels great when it all just clicks. Get some beginner math books, and work through the basics, then go on and look at some of the higher levels, in lots of game programming books, they have a math primer, go through that very slowly and reference other books on it. I have one great math book that put all the stuff into real world situations, I'll try and find the title.
Take it slow, start with a language like python to build up the basics, maybe you started above your level?
you said:
takes months to make something, and it's still so small
can take years to make an mmorpg, and people will probably still not play it
can't make graphics, want good ones too
don't know any advanced math, only algebra 1, lol
i am only 14, i'm not that very logical
can't make sound, at least not very good ones...
too slow internet (like 450k dsl) for networking and servers
directx is too complicated
can't make 3d models
opengl takes too much code, don't got patience for it
sdl is easier to learn, but i have proved it unreliable, and therefore it sucks
win32 is too complicated, and i don't want to get involved into that kind of stuff
Would you prefer everything to be done for you? You actually have to work to get something done you know, stop blaming everything. Also, if you stop making games, do you really think graphical user interfaces for software just appear out of thin air? Maybe Winforms is more your thing, drag and drop GUI items. With the whole graphics things, you should have seen my first game, the graphics were rubbish! There was meant to be lots of cars, so, I went into Photoshop elements and created rectangles, and put a bevel on them! 3D modelling is quite hard, do you have any friends who could help?t is Algebra 1 & 2? I am from England and have no clue at all, we just go through the text book!
Just my thoughts on the subject
Sophie
I agree with many I've read on this. If it's fun, do it. If not...find something that is. I've been programming since I was about 16 (11 years now), and some of the first games I made included a yahtzee game made in Visual Basic, and an attempted clone of Utopia (no graphics, ran in web-browser, fantasy-based strategy warfare, etc...). I've worked on many many projects that never came close to being complete, but I have no regrets because it was all fun, and it was all educational.
As for who you're programming games for...IF you stick with it, it will be quite some time before you have anything that will get alot of play from other people. Simply because the best starting places are all-text/no-game, then pong clone, etc. etc.
As about everyone else has said so far, whether or not you should quit is dependant on your feelings toward it. I, personally suggest, that you do what sounds like more fun, and accept that it will be alot of work (but hopefully work you find interesting). After all, isn't it every person's goal to "do for a living" that which they get the most pleasure from? Barring anything illegal, of course ;)
As for who you're programming games for...IF you stick with it, it will be quite some time before you have anything that will get alot of play from other people. Simply because the best starting places are all-text/no-game, then pong clone, etc. etc.
As about everyone else has said so far, whether or not you should quit is dependant on your feelings toward it. I, personally suggest, that you do what sounds like more fun, and accept that it will be alot of work (but hopefully work you find interesting). After all, isn't it every person's goal to "do for a living" that which they get the most pleasure from? Barring anything illegal, of course ;)
Quote:Original post by PythonRulezQuote:Original post by CTar
[I bet there are plenty of 14 year olds here. Of course math may be a problem, but if you really like game programming then you probably also like maths and you don't mind learning some math on the side.
I am 14. Math is only a problem if you make it a problem. Most people think math is boring, but once you get into it is really interesting, especially if you do it with physics, it may seem hard, but it feels great when it all just clicks. Get some beginner math books, and work through the basics, then go on and look at some of the higher levels, in lots of game programming books, they have a math primer, go through that very slowly and reference other books on it. I have one great math book that put all the stuff into real world situations, I'll try and find the title.
Take it slow, start with a language like python to build up the basics, maybe you started above your level?
you said:
takes months to make something, and it's still so small
can take years to make an mmorpg, and people will probably still not play it
can't make graphics, want good ones too
don't know any advanced math, only algebra 1, lol
i am only 14, i'm not that very logical
can't make sound, at least not very good ones...
too slow internet (like 450k dsl) for networking and servers
directx is too complicated
can't make 3d models
opengl takes too much code, don't got patience for it
sdl is easier to learn, but i have proved it unreliable, and therefore it sucks
win32 is too complicated, and i don't want to get involved into that kind of stuff
Would you prefer everything to be done for you? You actually have to work to get something done you know, stop blaming everything. Also, if you stop making games, do you really think graphical user interfaces for software just appear out of thin air? Maybe Winforms is more your thing, drag and drop GUI items. With the whole graphics things, you should have seen my first game, the graphics were rubbish! There was meant to be lots of cars, so, I went into Photoshop elements and created rectangles, and put a bevel on them! 3D modelling is quite hard, do you have any friends who could help?t is Algebra 1 & 2? I am from England and have no clue at all, we just go through the text book!
Just my thoughts on the subject
Sophie
Ahh, a fellow 14 year old Python enthusiast... finally.
I, too, am 14. I am struggling with a problem in converting Python to an executable. I have been trying to figure it out since Christmas and am still trying. I know that I will eventually find it.
You keep saying that it takes 3 years to make a high quality game- you are right. But, these games are made by groups of professional people that are made of 70 or so people. You will never be able to make a game like that until you are out of college and actually get a programming job.
Because something is hard, does't mean you should quit it. Suck it up. Life is full of difficulties and programming defiantly won't be your toughest. As the saying says "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"
If you dont find programming enjoyable, then forget it. None of the reasons you mentioned really matter in my opinion, you're probably never going to make a huge game anyways until you're lucky enough to get a job in the industry. Find something else that interests you programming wise, or just try something really really small. I've almost finished my degree in games programming, yet I've never finished any significantly large game, and it doesn't bother me. In fact, in general I find programming pretty much anything can be fun, certainly not just games.
My point is, games are just a single aspect of all that is programming, look for something else to spend your programming energy on. Think of small little problems you could solve, do something simple but cool with graphics. Learn something new every now and then when an idea goes into new territory. There's no sense of achievement if you spend all of your time working an some huge project that is unlikely to ever get finished. It sounds as if you could just be aiming to high, when you should be starting out small.
My point is, games are just a single aspect of all that is programming, look for something else to spend your programming energy on. Think of small little problems you could solve, do something simple but cool with graphics. Learn something new every now and then when an idea goes into new territory. There's no sense of achievement if you spend all of your time working an some huge project that is unlikely to ever get finished. It sounds as if you could just be aiming to high, when you should be starting out small.
Quote:Original post by Sneftel
You're young and it sounds like you're not particularly intelligent.
HAHAHA ice cold ratings++ for being a badass
I don't think your age is a disadventage. I'm 15 year myself. I have also been tired of programming. What you should do is to learn something new. New things are fun. Learn some other programming language maybe or learn how to use SDL, which I think is an excellent library.
Or even better - switch operativesystem and tinker a litle bit with GNU/Linux or something similiarie.
That is at least what I should have done if I was you. ;) My medicine agains the tire-of-programming-illness is to learn new things or new techniques.
But if you really don't want to continue with game programming, then quit. KISS.
And I would reccommend you to read How to become a hacker by Eric S. Raymond. I read that essay for about two to three months ago and it still motivates me as hell.
For math studies, http://www.mathlinks.ro, is an excellent community.
(Sorry bad english, I'm from Sweden.)
Or even better - switch operativesystem and tinker a litle bit with GNU/Linux or something similiarie.
That is at least what I should have done if I was you. ;) My medicine agains the tire-of-programming-illness is to learn new things or new techniques.
But if you really don't want to continue with game programming, then quit. KISS.
And I would reccommend you to read How to become a hacker by Eric S. Raymond. I read that essay for about two to three months ago and it still motivates me as hell.
For math studies, http://www.mathlinks.ro, is an excellent community.
(Sorry bad english, I'm from Sweden.)
Grab alice or game maker and play with them until you think game development is fun. If you haven't done any scripting in game maker, then do so. Make a few games with scripting instead of the prebuilt actions. Learn programming and continue were you are right now, and make a pong clone or a sequel to one of those game maker programs. It will be alot easier, and more fun.
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