Try different things. See if HGE or Irrlicht suit you, or try a different langauge all together. Don't tell yourself that you're "too good" for things like BASIC, if it comes down to it. You have musical talent and interest? You can join up with a team here at GDNet and compose a soundtrack.
Do what you like, and build up your skills over time, starting small. My first game was a Space Invaders clone, and I encourage any beginner to attempt to recreate it. Move up the ladder, at your own pace, and don't skip things that you don't understand.
Does Anyone Actually "Do Anything" Here? :
Ive been programing for about 9 months now so id say that puts me rougly in your inbetween part, basically ive always had problems with the design phase, i'll start working on a game and then find that my design is unworkable and spend the next 4 weeks trying to hack around design issues get frustrated and start again. About two weeks ago though i discovered the majic world of "throw away prototypes" which i spend 2-3 days on then scrap and start again until things start looking good, now ive got a half complet compiler which is coming along rapidly and am thinking of resurecting something i was working on awhile ago.
So where have i been the whole time while i was doing that, I came here at the start and after about two wweks stoped coming then about 4-6 months later remembered this site and have been on here trying to help people and asking questions ever since...
I dont think the in between people are as rare as you think but i do notice that lots of the ones who look like theyre doing good tend to disapear...
Edit:
Todo 2.0? i still use that :)
So where have i been the whole time while i was doing that, I came here at the start and after about two wweks stoped coming then about 4-6 months later remembered this site and have been on here trying to help people and asking questions ever since...
I dont think the in between people are as rare as you think but i do notice that lots of the ones who look like theyre doing good tend to disapear...
Edit:
Quote:I really haven't done much since, other than a fairly simple todo list program.
Todo 2.0? i still use that :)
I was an utter noob when I wound up here back in 2000 (check out my early posts). I was one of the first 2,500 to join, judging by my ID number--and we're up over 115,000 now. Considering how many people still frequent this site, I'd say we're looking at about a 99%-99.5% noob drop rate.
So I don't really know what makes the difference between those who're sticking it out and those who quit. I guess those who stick around actually enjoy making games, while the other 99.5% found out they actually only like playing games.
It's okay to only like playing games, but you won't make it long around here if you don't actually like making them.
So I don't really know what makes the difference between those who're sticking it out and those who quit. I guess those who stick around actually enjoy making games, while the other 99.5% found out they actually only like playing games.
It's okay to only like playing games, but you won't make it long around here if you don't actually like making them.
Author
Quote:Original post by Hodgman
When I was a coding newblet, making my first steps into the big world of C++, I found it was much easier, (and hence much more rewarding because I actually accomplished things) to make mods rather than trying to make games from scratch.
When making mods, there already lots of content creation tools, there's already a solid game framework to build on top of, there's already networking code in-place, theres lots of other people working on simmilar things to help you...
Modding is just easier than to make stuff from scratch.
Making your own game *is* much more rewarding than making a mod, but the chances of failure are higher. Failure can be a motivation killer, so you should keep your goals within reach. Starting small can be a motivation killer too, because you lose interest. That's why I recommend modding something like HL2 - coz with a small amount of effort, you can make something really cool that will inspire you.
My path from being a n00b to being semi-experienced:->Learn C++ basics ->make very very simple games ->make simple mod ->try and make better games from scratch ->feel the sting of failure ->make bigger mod ->try and make better games from scratch ->feel the sting of failure ->start make bigger mod with a team ->go to university ->make simple engine ->make simple games ->complete university ->finish making bigger mod with a team (that's right, a big mod can take 4 years!) ->use my modding experience to get a job ->use job to makie games with team ->use game-making experience to get a job making engines ->make engines ->get tired of making engines, want to make games again!
During that time I have always visited this site for help and info, but throughout my modding years I usually used other sites specific to the game I was modding. Perhaps that's where some of the newbs who disapear go?
I'd mod...but funny thing is I have no PC games. :| I'd like to find a team to work with as I go through college, I don't care what it is so long as it's not a MMO or a 3D FPS team. I'd try putting together a new team, but few take me seriously and even less would be dedicated enough unless they're way better than me and would get tired of having me on the team. (Or that's the low self-esteem that comes with being a nerd talking)
Yeah I dunno...thanks for the advice though!
Quote:Original post by XetahexQuote:Original post by Qitsune
The fact that video games are being made and that there are ppl who can answer the noobs question pretty much answers your question. These ppl weren't born programmers, designers or artists. The idea is to start small but stick to it. Programming video games is still programming and if you don't enjoy programming, I doubt you'd enjoy programming games.
I enjoy programming...I'm just not good at it. It's like, I find it fun to play with the logic, but the failure hurts my self-esteem. It's a love/hate thing I guess.
And I know there's always gonna be experts and there's always gonna be "n00bs" but the thing is I never see anyone in between. I see people who are like "Hi, I've been programming for 8 years now" and then I see "Hi, I don't know what a programming language is but...." (Not to insult the intelligence of anyone, I'm exaggerating) Is it that game programming is just a harder form of programming that requires years of experience first, or is it that no one bothers to talk unless they're totally new or an expert? Maybe it's just me...
Personally i had completed 5 games before i even bothered getting a gamedev account, i did lurk around and read alot though. (its amazing how much you can learn by using the search function :)), I would guess that there are 3 types of posters really.
Newbies who write introduction threads asking "Where do i start".
Reasonably new programmers posting specific questions including in but not limited to "For beginners".
"Experts" (who are they?)
as for how to avoid being an indefinite 'n00b' i wouldn't know, i've been a newbie for close to 13 years now. (The more you learn the more you understand how little you know). i made my first game before i learned any API though. (back in the DOS days when it was easy enough to go directly to the hardware).
Personally i think everyone wants to sit around and come up with cool ideas, and it sure would be nice if those ideas would become reality without any real work :)
The reality though is that i havn't completed a game in close to two years now. (and the last serious one is close to 5 years old now), i spend more time writing small tools, web-services and odd AI experiments that lead absolutely nowhere(its interesting though) than i spend writing games.
The main issue for me right now is that i've completed a bunch of simple games, and even a few simple games with advanced graphics, There is very little motivation for me to make yet another small game (unless i get a brilliant idea, though those are truly rare)
Quote:Original post by Julian90
Todo 2.0? i still use that :)
That, sir, just made my day. If you are interested, I have released a version 3.0 (still in beta) that offers a few significant improvements over version 2. (just see my signature).
I am somewhere between doing nothing and creating the MMOOORRGG. I am trying to make a few contacts on messenger of people messing around with XNA. Simple stuff.
I think I can tell by the help wanted post if its someone who knows what they are getting into or its one of the 'I can't really program but I wrote down some ideas and need to get some programmers do code it and not get paid' people.
I take people much more seriously if I see they have coded something on thier own.
I think I can tell by the help wanted post if its someone who knows what they are getting into or its one of the 'I can't really program but I wrote down some ideas and need to get some programmers do code it and not get paid' people.
I take people much more seriously if I see they have coded something on thier own.
I'm one of the middle people :)
I only learned my first Object Oriented language last year (Java, I HATE Java). I just built my first game in December, it was a BreakOut clone. Just a few weeks ago I rearranged the code to be less sloppy (what would normally be multiple game states and a 'MoveFrame' method were all in my Render method :( ).
After I figure out a peculuar error (the fixing of which this forum was no help >( , not ONE reply! ), I'm going to make a 2d space shooter.
The key, and i'm sure you've read this a thousand and one times on this forum, is small steps.
P.S. I love to program, but I hate doing most windows applications. To boring, not enough problem solving, not enough innovation. For me the only choice is to program games :) Good thing I love all three (games, programming, and programming games) ;)
I only learned my first Object Oriented language last year (Java, I HATE Java). I just built my first game in December, it was a BreakOut clone. Just a few weeks ago I rearranged the code to be less sloppy (what would normally be multiple game states and a 'MoveFrame' method were all in my Render method :( ).
After I figure out a peculuar error (the fixing of which this forum was no help >( , not ONE reply! ), I'm going to make a 2d space shooter.
The key, and i'm sure you've read this a thousand and one times on this forum, is small steps.
P.S. I love to program, but I hate doing most windows applications. To boring, not enough problem solving, not enough innovation. For me the only choice is to program games :) Good thing I love all three (games, programming, and programming games) ;)
Hey man I sort of know how you feel. Just keep working through though man. I'm sure most of these succesful people really had to just keep working through all this. Just keep going man it may take "forever" but finally you'll get the self disipline to do it.
I wish though there were more classes for game programming, that would make it easier. Or if there was a nice free online one. I myself do better in classes, keeps me on task, motivated and keeps me away from reaching beyond my grasp.
I wish though there were more classes for game programming, that would make it easier. Or if there was a nice free online one. I myself do better in classes, keeps me on task, motivated and keeps me away from reaching beyond my grasp.
I'm another in-between person.
Started learning lua a few years ago for a mod for ToME (an oldstyle roguelike :)). Got rather overambitious with the mod and somewhat disheartened with what I was doing and stopped.
But then I started learning C++ about a year ago, along with SDL, and I began messing with OpenGl about 3 weeks ago. I find it interesting, and while I doubt I'll ever be an expert, or anywhere near a professional, I don't see that as any reason not to carry on programming.
Started learning lua a few years ago for a mod for ToME (an oldstyle roguelike :)). Got rather overambitious with the mod and somewhat disheartened with what I was doing and stopped.
But then I started learning C++ about a year ago, along with SDL, and I began messing with OpenGl about 3 weeks ago. I find it interesting, and while I doubt I'll ever be an expert, or anywhere near a professional, I don't see that as any reason not to carry on programming.
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