Starting programming

#1 Hi Morgan,

First off, never apologize for being professional. If you hadn't said you were 16, none of us would have ever realized it, so kudos to you.

As I don't know basic I can't really attest to whether it's worth the time or not. Personally I would say get yourself a really good C/C++ book and jump right into the basics. C++ was the first language I learned, which was when I was a senior in high school, plus most game development tends to be done in the C languages.

I don't really know anything about RGSS, so I can't offer any advice there.

#2 Hello Scott,

Thanks for the advice. That's what I was planning on doing. I was looking into going to Full Sail for the game design degree. It seems to focus mainly on programming in C++ with a few classes on general game design. Do you know of any good books for starting C++ in general or for games?

Thank you for the compliment. I try to be professional. I'm a geek and I love it.

#3 Awesome! Another young one who doesn't sound crazy! I was in your shoes 3 years ago (well, I got a one year headstart ;). Here's the basic summary of what led me to be interning here at GG (except I'll update it for nowadays): got a C++ compiler (you can get MS Visual Studio Express for free now!), did tutorials on nehe.gamedev.net and built multiple games with C++ and OpenGL - got internships making games at first in that and then did Flash/actionscript.

Then I found GG ;) If you want to learn from my mistakes (which may or may not be a good thing - I value learning on my own a lot), I'd recommend two things:

>Get TGB with source
>Get a C++ book

That's a great way, right there to learn programming and games at the same time. Start with TGB, learn a lot - but at the same time, work through the C++ book. When you think you've gotten a lot of C++ understanding, look at the TGB source. You'll be scared to death. That's important. It'll make you value game engines a lot more ;) Then, I'd go over to nehe.gamedev.net and start through the tutorials. You'll feel pretty cool (and lame at the same time) when you get your first triangle showing up (especially if you've been playing with TGB!) - but those are the sorts of lessons that need to be learned.

And, throughout this, make small games. Start ridiculously small. No, smaller than that. Nope, even smaller. Then each time you mkae another one, learn from the previous one. You'll get better. You'll learn game design and the usefulness of a game engine and tools from TGB - and you'll learn a lot about graphics and programming from OpenGL.

That should get you on your way ;)

Edit: Saw the Full Sail thing - in my opinion, a traditional background in computer science will be more beneficial in the long term. I wrote some about that here - though, it might just be my personality suggesting that - I like to learn things as deeply as I can and I like making things harder for myself ;)

Good luck!

#4 If you want to learn C++, Steve Heller wrote a great book using the C++ standard library. You can buy the book from amazon.com, or download it free from his site. The book comes with the boreland compiler (gagme) and a few other little goodies, but it's a great resource.

#5 @Morgan

I actually graduated from Full Sail so I can tell you a bit about the school. I'll get the big one out of the way first, it's expensive. Try to get any and every scholarship, grant and free money you can. When I went through the program it was actually less expensive for me at Full Sail than it was for me to continue my Music Ed degree at MTSU.

Also be prepared to work, a lot. The school runs on an accelerated schedule, so you have a lot to learn in a shorter amount of time. It can be a little intimidating, but it's entirely doable. The schedule for me was a plus as it forced me to succeed, unlike the two years I spent at MTSU gaining only some experience and great stories.

The main focus of most of the classes is tech, but there is a pretty good balance between the tech and design classes. I haven't felt like I was under prepared for anything I've come across yet in my career, which is only going on 1 1/2 years old, but there have been some things that I've had to learn on the job. How to write a .dll was one, which surprisingly wasn't hard at all. I'm sure you'll find other threads on here were I've talked about Full Sail in the past.

Hope that helps.

edit:
Forgot to mention some books. I don't remember which ones I have off the top of my head, but when I get home tomorrow I'll check the names and let you know.

@Tom
If you like making things harder for yourself then I would think you'd enjoy Full Sail.

#6

Quote:@Tom
If you like making things harder for yourself then I would think you'd enjoy Full Sail.

Haha - yeah, I've heard many different things about Full Sail. Some developers I know suggest a traditional CS background and some suggest that game-dev specific programs will make you more useful. I really have no idea - but I do know that Dartmouth hasn't been easy either ;) I guess different people will be motivated by different teaching styles anyway.

#7 @All

Thanks everyone. I think I am going to find some basic lessons on the internet until I can get a hold of book. (Christmas is coming!) I am going to start with C++ and go from there. I have the Bloodshed Dev-C++ to play around with now. I will try to get TGB with the source if I get some extra money. Full Sail sounds good to me. I like a challenge, as long as it is something I am interested in. I have all the hardest classes I can at school but that is mainly to prepare for something like Full Sail. Thanks again. "Hello World" here I come!!

#8 A Great C++ book that takes you from beginner to intermediate is - Professional C++ by Solter and Kleper. Any book written by Herbert Schilt would be a good bet also. Check out Amazon.