Can I still make it?
Author
Hi, I''m kinda new to OGL and 3D programming in general. And after reading several posts about 11-14 year olds making all kind of cool stuff, I wonder if there is still a chance for me to ever become a game programmer? I''m 16 right now and have been coding C++ for about 1 year, and made it to the "Moving images in 3d" tutorial on NeHe.
Is there still a chance for me to make it or should i retire?
// Confused or jelous or just something in between
Of course you can do it. Sure there are exceptions, but I''d say most people wasn''t able to do any cool stuff when they were 11 years old. I did start programming(BASIC) when I was about 10-11, but I sure as hell couldn''t do any good/cool programs. When I was about 16 I learned C/C++. And I really didn''t have to much use of my previous programming skills.
I don''t understand why everybody believes that you have to start programming almost before you can walk to be a good programmer. If you enjoy doing it you can learn it. It''s not that hard.
-----------------------------
"problems have solutions
a lifetime of fucking things up fixed in one determined flash"
- The Downward Spiral, NIN
I don''t understand why everybody believes that you have to start programming almost before you can walk to be a good programmer. If you enjoy doing it you can learn it. It''s not that hard.
-----------------------------
"problems have solutions
a lifetime of fucking things up fixed in one determined flash"
- The Downward Spiral, NIN
Programming is only part of the story. You need to know about proper OO design methods and software engineering, which most (many!) people learn by taking a BS in CS.
i don't think that 11-14 year olds can make anything cool themselves. they just copy and paste and say they made it!
how many 11-14 year olds can do vector math? matrix? not many i think
Edited by - soreno on December 9, 2001 9:11:27 AM
how many 11-14 year olds can do vector math? matrix? not many i think
Edited by - soreno on December 9, 2001 9:11:27 AM
IF you want to learn how to be a good programmer.. then just practice. Informal practice (non instructional type) makes you think "out of the box", but the formal way will be more detailed and fills in the holes. I remember taking a QBasic (gag) class. I learned BASIC informally by myself (from old C64 and PC development). Once I took the class, I didn''t have to look at the book... but it helped me with developing stuff by the technique he was using. It was a structured step by step pseudo programming technique on paper.. the buzz word now is genetic programming (i guess it means the bottom up approach). OO design is a concept that the big bad industry wants .. and I don''t blame them.. there has to be a standard to follow.
I acutally like C better than C++. C++ is an OO oriented language. I''m sure if you ask everyone here.. you will get different opinions.
rock on!
I acutally like C better than C++. C++ is an OO oriented language. I''m sure if you ask everyone here.. you will get different opinions.
rock on!
16 is the best age to start programming, most of those 11 year old kids who are posting don''t know enough math to make 3D games. If you are working with OpenGL, and you aren''t quite sure you are ready for it, you should probably check out SDL.
SDL is mainly for 2D stuff, but it is really simple, and if you use it to make some small 2D games as practice, making 3D games will be alot easier.
Also, you may want to get the book "OpenGL Game Programming" if you plan on making 3D games in OpenGL. That book teaches just about everything.
For SDL, there is a featured tutorial on the main page of this site. There is also cone3d.gamedev.net, and www.libsdl.org.
Good luck. Don''t give up.
SDL is mainly for 2D stuff, but it is really simple, and if you use it to make some small 2D games as practice, making 3D games will be alot easier.
Also, you may want to get the book "OpenGL Game Programming" if you plan on making 3D games in OpenGL. That book teaches just about everything.
For SDL, there is a featured tutorial on the main page of this site. There is also cone3d.gamedev.net, and www.libsdl.org.
Good luck. Don''t give up.
(I sense some sarcasm in your post, but I''ll answer it seriously anyway...=P)
Game development is not only about manipulating graphics, or programming in any particular language...Being a guru in either (or both) of those areas may aid you, but is not the end of the story...In fact, many game projects employ only a handful of programmers...
As meZmo has mentioned, one of the most crucial aspects of successful game development is DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT, otherwise known as Software Engineering. Believe me, the whole design process requires a heck of a lot maturity and discipline (something that most 11-14 year olds seem to lack!)
I understand your point though; I''m 21 and in my final year of BSc CS, and I learnt how to use octrees (albeit crudely) from a 14 year old!...but I do not feel any shame in that...
Knowing how to use C++ and OpenGL is great, but mastering the general notion of programming will be better...
Game development is not only about manipulating graphics, or programming in any particular language...Being a guru in either (or both) of those areas may aid you, but is not the end of the story...In fact, many game projects employ only a handful of programmers...
As meZmo has mentioned, one of the most crucial aspects of successful game development is DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT, otherwise known as Software Engineering. Believe me, the whole design process requires a heck of a lot maturity and discipline (something that most 11-14 year olds seem to lack!)
I understand your point though; I''m 21 and in my final year of BSc CS, and I learnt how to use octrees (albeit crudely) from a 14 year old!...but I do not feel any shame in that...
Knowing how to use C++ and OpenGL is great, but mastering the general notion of programming will be better...
Author
Wow, thank u all for your "up-cheering" replys 
. I feel much better now... kinda had/have a bad day... but your replys made me feel better. So thanks alot again.
I''ll probably (99%) get the OpenGL Game Programming book for christmas, aswell as 1 or 2 other 3D or OpenGL based books.
And thanks for the tip about SDL, i''ll try that one out too.
// NeHe himself and the NeHe community should rule the world, then there surely would be no hell.
. I feel much better now... kinda had/have a bad day... but your replys made me feel better. So thanks alot again.I''ll probably (99%) get the OpenGL Game Programming book for christmas, aswell as 1 or 2 other 3D or OpenGL based books.
And thanks for the tip about SDL, i''ll try that one out too.
// NeHe himself and the NeHe community should rule the world, then there surely would be no hell.
I think there are some really young ones out there that are intelligent enough to do it... but they get bored after times.. It''s just too much simple work to them... There are only a few though parts in an engine... that''s what they solve.. they make a kewl renderer or something.. but never finish a complete game
just my 2 cents.
cya,
Phil
Visit Rarebyte!
and no!, there are NO kangaroos in Austria (I got this questions a few times over in the states
)
just my 2 cents.
cya,
Phil
Visit Rarebyte!
and no!, there are NO kangaroos in Austria (I got this questions a few times over in the states
)This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement
