[quote name='rubsnick' timestamp='1300746515' post='4788840']
Define "project".... last thing I did was some stupid text reader in assembler language about 6 months back.

When was the last time you worked on something game related?, You might have more fun programming a simple game than doing real world applications for your class =p
[/quote]

... I've never programmed anything gaming related.... hence my frustrations... the other day I got pong to work in freeglut (just the graphics) But nothing works. Just draws the 2 bars and a ball.... closest I've ever gotten to a game.

I generally feel like I get the most out of the things I fail horribly at multiple times. We've all been stuck and frustrated, but I daresay only a fraction of people understand the sheer joy one experiences after figuring out a bug six hours in .

Quitting at something you enjoy doing because it is challenging is, in my opinion, a very poor decision.

I've never programmed anything gaming related.... hence my frustrations... the other day I got pong to work in freeglut (just the graphics) But nothing works. Just draws the 2 bars and a ball.... closest I've ever gotten to a game.

I can't speak from personal experience, but I have heard that some of the programming techniques you learn from a straight computer science approach don't mesh well with game design. edit: (take that line with a grain of salt!)
I would hate to semiquote a kevin bacon movie, but it sounds to me like you have the BCD and you don't have the A of game programming.

the quote from hollowman: "Genius is the ability to go from A to D without having to go through B and C." Sebastian can do that, but for me, I gotta have the B and C.

[quote name='rubsnick' timestamp='1300746820' post='4788844']I've never programmed anything gaming related.... hence my frustrations... the other day I got pong to work in freeglut (just the graphics) But nothing works. Just draws the 2 bars and a ball.... closest I've ever gotten to a game.

I can't speak from personal experience, but I have heard that some of the programming techniques you learn from a straight computer science approach don't mesh well with game design.
I would hate to semiquote a kevin bacon movie, but it sounds to me like you have the BCD and you don't have the A of game programming.

the quote from hollowman: "Genius is the ability to go from A to D without having to go through B and C." Sebastian can do that, but for me, I gotta have the B and C.
[/quote]

I appreaciate the post... but I don't fully understand it.... with game programming my main problem is the graphics. I have no idea how to do the things taht need to be done. I know the desing but don't know how to do it.

I appreaciate the post... but I don't fully understand it.... with game programming my main problem is the graphics. I have no idea how to do the things taht need to be done. I know the desing but don't know how to do it.

Well ask away there are plenty of people here to help you, do you need information on getting your game loop setup?, how to draw your screen? the generic flow of a game?

[quote name='yewbie' timestamp='1300748001' post='4788855']
[quote name='rubsnick' timestamp='1300746820' post='4788844']I've never programmed anything gaming related.... hence my frustrations... the other day I got pong to work in freeglut (just the graphics) But nothing works. Just draws the 2 bars and a ball.... closest I've ever gotten to a game.

I can't speak from personal experience, but I have heard that some of the programming techniques you learn from a straight computer science approach don't mesh well with game design.
I would hate to semiquote a kevin bacon movie, but it sounds to me like you have the BCD and you don't have the A of game programming.

the quote from hollowman: "Genius is the ability to go from A to D without having to go through B and C." Sebastian can do that, but for me, I gotta have the B and C.
[/quote]

I appreaciate the post... but I don't fully understand it.... with game programming my main problem is the graphics. I have no idea how to do the things taht need to be done. I know the desing but don't know how to do it.
[/quote]

I've always liked this quote by (Well not confirmed he said it, but likely anyway) Thomas Edison, when someone asked Thomas about failing to create a lightbulb a 1000 times:
"I have not failed a 1000 times. I have successfully discovered 1000 ways to not make a light bulb"


Essentially this is the quote that keeps me going when I hit another brick wall in my learning process. For me the quote's like this:
"I have not failed a 1000 times. I have successfully discovered 1000 ways to not make a video game"

If Game Development is what you're passionate about, remember that quote, always pick yourself back up, and re-do it until you find the right way. If you've tried every way not to do it, there's only one way left!

Thanks for the advice... thing is I've wanted to Make video games since I was 3. That's been my dream.

Making games is very different from playing them.

Age 3 is awfully young to be deciding your adult career path.

Programming games requires a passion for making software. Games are just software. The work environment is a little different from other industries like banking or health care systems programming, but the principles of software engineering are unchanged. If you can't find work in the game industry you may need to fall back to regular business programming, so if you hate it you may be in trouble. It is also a stressful job.

Imagine what may happen if you finally get your dream programming job, and you discover that it is just a job. You will have difficult stressful deadlines, problems that you struggle with, and days that you really hate working. If you are passionate about programming and what you do then you can work through those bad days. If you aren't passionate about programming itself then you will be miserable.

While programming might be your future, make sure you've honestly evaluated your passions now that you're an adult.

I would like to tell everyone here thanks for the encouragement! Honestly I was in a slump but after I took a break and started programming with a clear head and what not. I was able to complete it in a cool 2 hours. XD I realized all my mistakes and my God it's pathetic. And I should be coming back here with my Pong code to learn collision detection. I once again thank everyone that helped me out here. ^^ Oh and yes I know what the work entails... and I find it exhilarating. I've just been on a personal and professional slump. I guess i'm not super human after all. XD