A tip -- Get a student licensce for autodesk. You can make everything up, and just say you're a "mentor". They don't check the applications and it gives you free access to all their future applications. As long as this game isn't for profit, you can use all the latest AUTOCAD, MAYA, and 3DS MAX software you like. I personally prefer blender because 3dsmax is way for resource intensive, but if you have a good enough computer I'm pretty sure 3ds max is great, especailly for in 3d-Editor testing.

Hi, GeoFruck

Some similarities exist around your viewpoint and mine in early August. It had been a long time since I studied some languages, I wanted something easier within my newbie abilities, and I am a graphics artist ( Though I am semi-professional after more than two years putting content in games.).

The best this newbie found for my goals came to C# and Python, though there are a few other commonly used languages which are a bit on the easier side to learn as well. I am a Blender user, so that must stay. For large, complex models I do the 3D and usually their textures with Wings 3D. Given these, I know how to get a model with its file format into a game - directly, by exporter, or by converter, most of them free.

The natural question is this: How can a newbie who wants to focus on the art aspects for the time being make a very nice game? Blender is actually a suite of applications which is quite powerful, flexible, and down the road is also programmable, including the game engine which you know. Moving on, the C# based games are popular and have technical support, so good for learners and professionals alike. The C++ games are numerous and much support there, too. Several other languages are not uncommon. There are game systems which help the game designer or game developer (there is a distinction in the two) with official and third party plug-ins, tools, software development kits (SDK), and even integrated development environments (IDE), a bunch mentioned in this thread.

I decided to focus on C#, keep Blender, and look for low cost or free alternatives like you are doing. My focus is on Axiom 3D render engine - a C# port from Ogre 3D, so you could look into it for the sake of one stone turned in your search.

Another possibility: The Ogre 3D and MOgre popular engines have very active community, wonderful collection of plugins such as sound, physics, and so forth, and you can use any of the major 3D model programs via an exporter to bring 3D and 2D content into your game. Ogre 3D website has a section for exporters to use Blender, Milkshake 3D, and so on to import 3D models into Ogre 3D, including animations. The render engine has the extensibility to whatever you want, little or much programming, so the experience levels supported suit most people. Take a look!

If you do not settle on a specific render engine, game engine, or kit, then you need ability to make games more generally, example such as C# and XNA or C++ and a game engine with software development kit (SDK). Unity 3D is a C# based one with tools and much support in other ways.

Integrated Development Environments (IDE) are some things to examin, such as Blender (if not an IDE, close to being one), MonoDevelop, and Visual Studio. I would recommend for most beginners to start with one Framework (such as .NET or Tao), one lower level API (OpenGL, DirectX, or other). There are a lot of higher level graphics APIs like JMonkey(Java), Irrlicht(C++ - already mentioned), and Ogre(C++). Some of the engines handle most if not all of the API and memory management issues for the developer, which sounds like an important consideration for you, like many beginners.

Some of the games, game engines, render engines, and kits will offer both preferred technologies and a lot of alternatives to any of the above mentioned.

Conclusion:
1) Choose a system for game design or game development with flexibility and community.
2) Keep it simple for your first few games.
3) Begin learning your language to support your plan right away! Books are best for most people, going page by page through the exercises and information.
4) Any of the more common and well supported languages will do just fine, but the system around it might be more important such as game engine, SDK, IDE, and community support.
5) Pick a journey which will have you seeing continual learning progress and visible achievements in making games.
6) Keep having fun!

Clinton

Well, no offended, but I don't reccomend the ogre3d route. It has a lot of problems with rendering -> It was essentially written by some people who tried to fix everything from directs / opengl, and although they fixed some of that stuff, pretty much everything else is just really badly coded or doesn't exist at all. It's you're choice, though if you don't know much programming and you're looking for an engine, you can really only use open-source, thus, I recommend Blended for your engine. (Although you can do whatever you want.)

I recommend Autodesk Maya over 3DS. Maya is, imho, superior software. It's much more intuitive and has much better designed interfaces. You can do complex things in Maya at astounding speed. I'm not that great of a 3D modeler but I have a friend who is a true expert; he learned it over several years of college courses. He can spit out complex models with outlandish speed and accuracy. The same operation in 3DS Max can be slow and clunky at best. The movie industry is way ahead of the game industry in that regard, as they embraced Maya years ago. For some reason, many game dev studios are still clutching to 3DS Max because it's the "traditional" thing and they teach Max in a lot of game dev courses for artists in colleges. The first time you open up Maya it can be daunting. There are hundreds and hundreds of buttons and gizmos. But over time you will learn what each of them are and what they do. And when you get to that point you will really appreciate how great and intuitive the software is. It's just layed out in a way that is conducive to high quality work at high speeds, with less fumbling around with menus and UI elements. And there's simply no comparing Blender to Maya.

Well, no offended, but I don't reccomend the ogre3d route. It has a lot of problems with rendering -> It was essentially written by some people who tried to fix everything from directs / opengl, and although they fixed some of that stuff, pretty much everything else is just really badly coded or doesn't exist at all. It's you're choice, though if you don't know much programming and you're looking for an engine, you can really only use open-source, thus, I recommend Blended for your engine. (Although you can do whatever you want.)

That's okay. I rarely see anybody write that Ogre3D is badly coded, though that might be true. There has been some nice games made with it. Most of the community over there enjoy it, no doubt having a lot to do with the plug-ins and add-ons which solve much of the coding issues.

We agree with the Blender recommendation, since GeoFruck wants to take advantage of his artistic head start and maybe slip gradually into scripting.

Thanks for the opposite viewpoint, superman.


Clinton