I know this is a very common question, but where do I begin? I've no knowledge of any programming languages, besides a little RGSS. I'd like to make RPGs at first, although I'm not sure if that helps. I'm sick of wishing I could make a game, I want to make my thoughts a reality. Not for money, or renown, but simply because I want a medium to weave words, stories, and entertainment upon. I'm 15, so why not start now? I've already made a few games in RPG maker VX that were quite nice, and took a small one semester class last year in my technology class for game maker. Sorry if I'm trailing off, but I have all this ambition, and the need to spill thoughts upon something, for others to see. Basically, all I'm asking for is a little point in the direction I need to go, I've looked up about C++, and I'm interested, or maybe Java? I will never get any formal education for this so to prove everyone and my family that doesn't believe I can do this, wrong, I'll need a little bit of help from you guys. I'd appreciate it if someone could help me out.

Just curious, but if it's a common question, why didn't you just go with one of the common answers?

Anyways, read this, it was written to answer exactly your question.


Your motives are a little dumbfounding, is your family actively saying you aren't capable of programming? Or are they saying you are wasting your time?

I am a bit confused too why at 15 you already state you wont get any formal education either; although frankly, you can still create a game without an education. Getting an industry job though, without a degree... not a good probability there.

Whatever, that's not what I meant, I shouldn't whine about things on the internet, They say both. I know that I wont get any formal education for game development, so I have to learn independently, I should have explained better. I've accepted I wont get a degree, my grades are terrible, I hate public school in general, the entire enviroment.

[quote name='Serapth' timestamp='1326327767' post='4901829']
Just curious, but if it's a common question, why didn't you just go with one of the common answers?

Anyways, read this, it was written to answer exactly your question.


Your motives are a little dumbfounding, is your family actively saying you aren't capable of programming? Or are they saying you are wasting your time?

I am a bit confused too why at 15 you already state you wont get any formal education either; although frankly, you can still create a game without an education. Getting an industry job though, without a degree... not a good probability there.

Whatever, that's not what I meant, I shouldn't whine about things on the internet, They say both. I know that I wont get any formal education for game development, so I have to learn independently, I should have explained better. I've accepted I wont get a degree, my grades are terrible, I hate public school in general, the entire enviroment.
[/quote]

Don't shortchange yourself. It doesn't matter how "smart" you are, only how driven you are. I don't consider myself particularly brilliant--i.e., sometimes I'm a bit slow, but I'm driven and I work hard. Doing something to prove yourself is not a particularly good motive. If you stumble and fall you'll just end up doubting yourself and getting discouraged. A better motive is to pick a goal or something you want to achieve and then stay focused on that goal. If you look at all the successful and ambitious people in History, you'll see what I mean.

Like Serapth said, high school is quite a different environment from college. People go to high school because they have to. More often than not, people go to college because they want to. As a result, your peers tend to be more motivated (especially if they are paying for it themselves!). A bit of advice? You probably will not succeed in your dream unless you can train yourself to work hard in the midst of the crappy situation you're in right now. Game development is fun, but it's also really hard, and more often than not it requires some serious willpower to stay focused.

I got made fun of somewhat when I was starting, so I understand your desire to prove yourself. Ultimately though, this is about you, not what others think about you. You need to decide that you'll respect yourself enough to work hard in your studies before you can expect others to respect you. You're not "too far gone" in your education. One of my favorite films that shows this is October Sky. Homer Hickam is your average high school student with low grades and no drive in life. That all changes when he sees Sputnik flying across the sky. It's a great movie; you should watch it. It's one of my favorites because it encouraged me that if you work hard, anything is possible.

Hope that helps!