Hi to you all who use this site.

Firstly my name is Kevin and am glad to have finaly signed up to a game dev comunity. I have been wanting to get into game dev as I feel I have some decent ideas. Maybe great ones maybe not, who knows and right now who cares. They are ideas I do believe would be fun. First problem is while I have the ideas, I have no way of fleshing them out into something playable. Second problem, how do I flesh them out into something playable.

Yes I have seen some posts asking the same thing. But nothing realy answering the questions I have. Sorry for the irritation of spiting it all out again, but my greatest thanks go out to anybodie who remembers how daunting it was when they started and are willing to lend a hand.

So here wo go.

1) What langauge to learn. It apears C++ is the way to go. And I guess that's what I will pick up as I don't think I could handle learning something on the easier side to just have to pick C++ up at a latter stage. I am willing to put in the time needed to learn the language. As its just a hobbie right now I'm in no rush.

2) What would be a good book to start with. I have seen some around writen from the point of game dev. Has anybodie read any like this or do you all prety much go the route of a straight forward C++ everything you need to know book.

3) Now that I have a language to focus on and a book or 2 to work through. What programs would I need to get going. I hate to think about having to work my way through 2D before going onto 3D, but as I don't want to take on something so big that I hate the task and give up all together, I understand 2D is the place to start. So whatever is necesary to start up there please. Like what program do I use to program with. What is good for making sound effects. And something for sprites of objects, and to animate them too. And on a side note, I don't want to make my own resources just yet, so is there any place you guys recomend to get them free.

And finaly, for now.
4) When learning something new we all know its best to break it down and focus on smaller areas. So is there a "traditional" sort of route through game dev. Like start with this type of game, then move onto this and finaly this. And presto. You have lernt all the baisics in a sneaky manner without knowing by picking up how to make a charecta move from one game, and decent collision detection from another and now can make a simple game that isn't just a straight clone of Mario or Tetris.

Is there any sort of structered lessons on this forum for beginners looking to jump strait in and begin learning.

I'm sure there's plenty more I should be asking. But I just don't know enough of what I want to do to know that I don't know what is necesary to do what it is that I want to do to be asking what it is I should be asking. Or some such.

Thanks for the help.