Visual Studio 6.0 is really, really old. Over 10 years old, in fact.

A better way to get started on development is to pick up the newest, 'express' versions of visual studio for free from microsoft, see Here . If you're new to programming, I suggest you start off with Visual C#.

And to kind of add on with what Bob mentioned, if you are completely new to programming in general, it might be easier to start you off with Python, as some of the syntax with that language is fairly 'close to English'. C#...not so much so. The main benefit of learning C# over Python is its portability as well as the adaptation to C++ is far easier than what you would have learned using Python, but for an absolute beginner the learning curve is a tad bit steeper.

Good luck!

Uhh, don't jump into this thinking that you will be seeing the light of 3D or even 2D anytime soon. Even if you are using Python, it's probably going to take a while for you to really be 'ready (see next paragraph)' for you to be able to jump into a graphical environment.

Now to go a little deeper when I say 'ready', when you first learn to program, it is always better to stick with console applications (or applications that will run in a command prompt...no GUI whatsoever). Reason being, it will allow you to focus on what is going on with the program, rather than having to deal with why xWindow isn't resizing on yAxis properly, or whatever. Like everything else, you need to start small, and work your way up. Console applications are the best way to learn the syntax of your programming language as well as how to truly develop within that particular language. But when I say 'ready', don't use that as a stopping point. Anyone who waits until they are 'ready' will never get to their destination, they will sit there and overprepare themselves to infinity. What I am saying to you is to not rush your experiences with console applications and get discouraged by jumping into some advanced API and not understanding what you are even looking at.

Heh, c'mon... Even Microsoft would have a laugh at someone pirating VS6 at this point... Not only is it old, it's so broken that you can't even accomplish some fairly common (nowadays) techniques like partial template specialization.

Pirating VS6 is like a grown man stealing a tricycle that's short one wheel -- Even if its a crime its pretty pitiful and funny. Besides, as the OP has found out there are greatly updated, free compilers and IDEs, even from Microsoft.

Quote:Original post by Joshuad
Uhh, don't jump into this thinking that you will be seeing the light of 3D or even 2D anytime soon. Even if you are using Python, it's probably going to take a while for you to really be 'ready (see next paragraph)' for you to be able to jump into a graphical environment.

Now to go a little deeper when I say 'ready', when you first learn to program, it is always better to stick with console applications (or applications that will run in a command prompt...no GUI whatsoever). Reason being, it will allow you to focus on what is going on with the program, rather than having to deal with why xWindow isn't resizing on yAxis properly, or whatever. Like everything else, you need to start small, and work your way up. Console applications are the best way to learn the syntax of your programming language as well as how to truly develop within that particular language. But when I say 'ready', don't use that as a stopping point. Anyone who waits until they are 'ready' will never get to their destination, they will sit there and overprepare themselves to infinity. What I am saying to you is to not rush your experiences with console applications and get discouraged by jumping into some advanced API and not understanding what you are even looking at.

I strongly disagree.

With PyGame and a couple hours reading tutorials, it's possible to get really simple 2D stuff running even for a beginner in a matter of days, at the longest. In fact I'm walking a beginning programmer through that exact process at the moment, and he's doing a game for his first serious project. It'll be a really simple game, but it will involve graphics and input processing and a simulation and all the other good core elements of game software.

Yes, it's dangerous to get into really deep APIs and such too early - but PyGame isn't exactly a huge mysterious monster like, say, OpenGL or DirectX.

There is, however, absolutely no reason to live in fear of "stuff I'm not ready for yet." The best way to learn is to dive in and learn how to swim as you go.