Hi,

I'll try to keep my yammering on about what I think I would be good at to a minimum.

I currently have books on programming, which are:

• Sams Teach Yourself C++ in One Hour a Day
• Effective C++ Third Edition
• Beginning Game Programming a gamedev.net collection
• Mathematics and Physics for Programmers Second Edition
• AI Game Engine Programming Second Edition

I am interested in using openGL for it's portability.

I've read-through most of the Teach Yourself C++ book the first time, and can actually answer a lot of the questions and exercises so far.

I'd definitely like to run through that book 3 times total, then move on to Effective C++ and possibly Thinking in C++.

I know a lot of people say, to the effect, "I'm going to do this, this and this." and it sometimes may not be activities that actually produce results.

I would love to look at AI Game Engine Programming, but obviously, I would need to be competent in openGL first, right? (A copy of Beginning openGL is on it's way to me soon)

I've read in other "How to Start?" threads, that Math and Physics, or 3D programming, is the next logical step.

My main point of interest is whether or not, in your opinion, I may be on the right track?

In my opinion would be.

1) Learn the basics of the desired language.

a) logic

b) if/else

c) loops

d) data types

e) basic algorithms

2) Begin a basic contact with some Graphic Library (OpenGL or DirectX)

- Not too deep.

- Enough to have a simple flow:

Initialize();

Loop()

{

Update();

Draw();

}

Destroy();

3) Eat, Breath, See, Hear Math

- Algebra.

- Physics.

- Matrices.

- Linear Algebra.

- Combinatorics.

- All stuff from 2D to 3D.

- This is forever.

4) Now you know some Math and have the basic game loop.

- Start with 2D rendering stuff.

- Re-create basic games. (Turn-based ones are easy to control each step).

- Re-create medium level games (Little physics like that game where two cannons need to hit each other).

5) For learning sake try to re-invent the wheel some times. Learn by failing to make something good.

6) Pile up experience and try new things. Return to the starting point and refine with harder things.

1) Programming - Go to Threads, Network, AI, Templates<T>, Good OO ...

2) Graphics - Shaders, More complex Game Engine (you can split the callbacks in lots of categories for Input, Multi-Thread-Render, different layers of render, input detection, and so on.

3) Math - THIS IS FOREVER

4) Re-Create more difficult stuff with the new knowledge the steps 1-2-3 gave to you.

7) When more confident. Get a job in this area or start a real-life project.

8) Repeat forever.