Back to General and Gameplay Programming

why is C++ still being over-used?

DrewDough · 2008-10-20T09:17:21

Just a bit of a rant here... I've been out of the GD thing for a few years now, and (once again) getting the itch to get back into it. So I'm working on porting over (actually completely re building but that just makes me feel better that i didnt waste my time) my old C++ 2D MMO engine to XNA / .NET... One thing I still see rampant on these boards, is that everyone is still (over) using C++. I really don't see how C++ is at all the right language to use to do any kind of indy / amateur game development... and yet, I still see everyone on these forums using them. Newbie game programming asking low level C++ questions.... etc, etc.. and hardly ever do I see the answer being 'stop using C++!'... Why are we still using it so much? Why are we not reiterating the advantages of using higher level languages to these young and ambitious game dev newbies? For the years I have been here I can say we are probably the smartest group of developers I have ever seen on any community... we beat into newbies brains the fundamental programming concepts. Don't optimize first, use a profiler. Don't make an MMO first, make pong... etc etc (yes i know not the best examples but you get what i mean)... so why am I not seeing people beat into newbies brains they should be using .NET or some other higher level platform to do game development??? Think of how much more could be getting accomplished, how much more people will learn a bout (practical) concepts.... how many new API's we might have or even cool new games we could be playing... There's only one reason I can say to someone to use C++ for a game... that would be that your main goal in life is to become a professional game developer or otherwise professional C++ programmer. If that's not the case, stop wasting your time and start using the right tools for the job!!!!! It's 2008 guys!!! <end rant> sorry [grin]

General and Gameplay Programming Programming Unity

Started by graveyard filla October 03, 2008 04:50 PM

257 comments, last by jbadams 15 years, 6 months ago

all_names_taken

104

October 20, 2008 02:09 AM

Quote:Original post by Telastyn
Quote:
Remember that rewards for regretting a sin works better than just punishing without prior warning without forgiveness, in encouraging us to divert from sinful paths!

As if the C++ zealotry wasn't bad enough...

Then I see no reason to stop taking part in this thread, if I get downrated even after stopping to participate in it, it doesn't really matter whether I participate or not because once I've made a little error I'm doomed forever no matter what I do. As a result, I'll come back and reply to your posts in more detail later when I have time. Unless the downraters realize the stupidity of trying to discourage participation by downrating those who have stopped participating. Almost as counter-productive as the unsafe keyword ;)

spiralseven

132

October 20, 2008 03:51 AM

lets face it
C ++ and the other C languages have the most support from microsoft and its their main development platform. So any major commercial product is most likely going to be programmed in C or C++ assuming your playing a windows based game. Its gets you as close to the hardware as the windows API allows it and it gives you full program control (assuming you need it)
So until someone develops a language that gives just as much control as C but is geared towards game development then C will be the standard for anyone who wants to be taken seriously within the game development community.

xZekex

100

October 20, 2008 04:02 AM

Quote:Original post by spiralseven
lets face it
C ++ and the other C languages have the most support from microsoft and its their main development platform. So any major commercial product is most likely going to be programmed in C or C++ assuming your playing a windows based game. Its gets you as close to the hardware as the windows API allows it and it gives you full program control (assuming you need it)
So until someone develops a language that gives just as much control as C but is geared towards game development then C will be the standard for anyone who wants to be taken seriously within the game development community.

And C and C++ is still very big in the Linux system too. The day C++ dies is the day C dies too. Give it time. Years to come I bet there will be a better language than C#. The day I move to C# is the day hell freezes over. Oh and I don't believe in hell so that will be never happen rofl.

[removed chart outdated]

heres a better one.

Popularity based on many sources.

C++ is pretty much still in more popular than C# except in maybe 1 or 2 sources.

But be sure to read the very bottom of the page.

Buster2000

4,310

October 20, 2008 04:30 AM

Reminds me of Peter Molyneax speech at the XNA launch I attended, where he talked about having the piss taken out of him by David Braben because he wrote Populous in C instead of assembly. He was so embarressed that he coded his next two games in assembly language and they took twice as long to write.

In short use whichever language makes it easiest for you to get the job done. I find that at work I end up having to use C++, C#, Java and even PHP.
One of the games I worked on recently even had tools that were written in "Free Basic" because the lead programmer had been playing around with it at the time.

stimarco

1,071

October 20, 2008 06:10 AM

Quote:Original post by Buster2000
Reminds me of Peter Molyneax speech at the XNA launch I attended, where he talked about having the piss taken out of him by David Braben because he wrote Populous in C instead of assembly. He was so embarressed that he coded his next two games in assembly language and they took twice as long to write.

Now there are two guys who could bullshit for England. I wonder if they'll make it an official Olympic event for 2012.

Sean Timarco Baggaley (Est. 1971.)Warning: May contain bollocks.

MaulingMonkey

1,729

October 20, 2008 07:47 AM

Quote:Original post by all_names_taken
it doesn't really matter whether I participate or not because once I've made a little error I'm doomed forever no matter what I do.

More exaggerating -- you're nowhere near zero. I'm sure you can fix that if you really want to, though.

Given that the warning system is both low consequence and completely reversible -- anyone who rates you down can cancel their rating and then go on to rate you up if they so desire (something even I have done on occasion) -- people beginning to rate you down basically is your "warning", kind of like how kicking people in the #gamedev IRC channel is also considered a warning more than a punishment.

xZekex

100

October 20, 2008 08:01 AM

or maybe because the rating system is a joke.

mikeman

3,017

October 20, 2008 08:44 AM

This is getting boring.

Really boring.

Hyperdrive - Futuristic Combat Racing

jbadams

26,386

October 20, 2008 09:17 AM

Given that the discussion now seems to be about the rating system rather than the (already questionable) original topic, I'm closing this.

I suggest that next time the topic comes up some of you could get a real productivity boost and save yourselves some consternation at the same time by actually working towards getting something done rather than participating in a multi-page pointless rant.

- Jason Astle-Adams

why is C++ still being over-used?

This topic is closed to new replies.

Popular Topics

Recommended Tutorials

why is C++ still being over-used?

This topic is closed to new replies.

Popular Topics

Recommended Tutorials

Reticulating splines