28 replies to this topic

[Blaxill]

dega512 said:

Good, now that you know C learn C++ then come back to game programming.

You don't need to learn c++ to program games, granted most are programmed in c++ though...

@xanados - only a select few of those are programming languages, others are API's and programs, there are thousands of tutorials on the internet for each one of these.

[dega512]

Quote

You don't need to learn c++ to program games

True but if they already knows C it would probably be the easier route.

[kariem2k]

LEARN FIRST, Game programming is one of the most advanced topics in software world so you will not make a game from just knowing the basics and reading books only,The experiance is what matters it gives you the programmer's mind and the way of thinking,You must experiance programming in general first and then you can enter game programming world.

IMHO in general the programming language is not important in programming :) as long you don't know how to think in the design,The language is just a tool used to implement your design.

But C++ is the way to go not just for game programming it wil introduce you the both old effecient programming world and the modern RAD programming world it will harden you because not every thing in it comes easy :) specially for starters,And then you can go to modern language like c#, java.
thanks
bye

[pwned!]

kariem2k said:

But C++ is the way to go not just for game programming it wil introduce to you both the old efficient programming world, and the modern RAD programming world. It will harden you, because not every thing in it comes easy.

I agree. In much the same way that living as a poor college student makes one grow as a person and appreciate times when the money does come in, using a more "hands-on" dangerous language will make one appreciate the niceties offered by newer languages. I'd be a real pussy today if I hadn't had to endure the joys of pointer hell a few years ago.
Of course if you're not a programmer to begin with, and you only expect to code little games only as a hobby, you'll probably lose interest before you get to anything fun. I would think it would be very difficult to code any kind of game without having a decent background (maybe a year or more) in programming. I would guess that most people who try to learn programming by coding video games probably get discouraged quickly and move on to other hobbies.

-pwned

[Morgan360]

I speak from experience when I say you can get quite sophisticated results from Unity (C#, JavaScript, Boo/Python) without a hardcore programming background. I don't mean just tweaking all the included FPS and racing examples or using the built-in behaviors--I mean making custom functionality that goes off in your own direction.

That said, I didn't walk into Unity as a total programming beginner (which could be done, but you'll have to learn your language--no free lunch). I entered with years of "lightweight" programming/scripting experience: ActionScript and Lingo. But I'd never done any significant JavaScript work, and I opted for JS to do my Unity scripting--it wasn't a big problem, just a little syntax to learn.

I learned most of my programming with BASIC and Lingo. I could have done it with JavaScript and Unity and done OK. My first game would certainly take longer and hit more pitfalls if I had started THAT cold :) But I still would have gotten somewhere and learned a lot.

That's not denying that the programming fundamentals are important. They ARE! But I think making a game WOULD be a practical way to learn programming. Maybe even more fun than some ways :) And if doing that game programming is easier than it used to be... so be it :)

[xanados]

thx for the reply...btw is java based on C/C++?
sory im such a noob :blush:

[Morgan360]

To oversimplify, yes, Java syntax is largely based on C and C++ syntax (but can be simpler to work with). JavaScript (aka ECMAScript), C# and C++ also have some C ancestry. But they've all gone in different directions.

[BUnzaga]

Hey Im currently learning to program in C#. My plan was to learn something 'simple' then move to c++. I realize that in todays commercial market, c++ is arguably the 'only' real choice for development. Is there any downfall to doing this? Should I forget about C# for now and just jump to c++, or should I stay on my course and learn c# and then convert to c++ ?

Im mainly interested in game programming, but I also need to make money, so I figure I could learn to program and do it as a career and then make my games on the side as a hobby.

So... start with c++ then learn java/c# or else start with c# then move to c++/java/sql, etc ???

[Sturm]

There are prob about a gazillion threads on what is the better language, but I do think that most agree on that c/c++ is better suited for low level core development and c++/c# is better for high level (c++ can be used for both) I find c# a lot easier to use when I don't have to watch for clock cycles. But with regards to your question, I think the best answer is: learn a language first. If you chose c++ you have a excelent starting point, but it is also harder to learn.

If you are only interested in learning a language to write games, then you might be a lot better of learning something like UnrealScript or TorqueScript as these languages hides a lot of abstraction. Also these engines allow you to develop a game (fps or similar) much faster than doing it in c++/c#.