Curious beginner.
I would like to start this topic off with saying that there is maybe thousands of topics that go " I want to make video games where do I start! " and I have researched and read most of them, but each of those topics have mixed answers and they brought up lots questions that I can't answer myself. So I came here hopefully to get them answered.
I think it would be better to start off with my experience and what I can currently do because I will be asking lots questions that will variant on what I have done or have to do. I started off with messing around with html5 and than moved onto learning css and I can currently make fluid designs with it or at least I think they are. I have tried to learn c++ from thenewboston and than from this website itself, but I always stop half way through asking to many questions and worrying that this isn't where I should start.
My goal is to make all kinds of games, but eventually being able to make an mmo. I know that is far away and probably a bad thing to be ambitious for, but it's where I want to get eventually. I also would like to start off with 2d graphics as I tried 3d modeling before and its super complicated and takes lots practice. I would like to get to 3d games, but that is also far away and little to ambitious.
So this brings lots concerns up for me and I'm going to ask them now. ("Finally" your probably thinking)
1. I would like to know if what I was doing (Learning basics of c++) is a good place to start for what I want to do in future?
2. If learning the basics of c++ is a good place to start than what do I do after that?
3. I have read that you will have to use a library to make a game, but how does that limit someone and do you actually have to use one?
4. Do some famous 2d mmorpgs use libarys (For example Maplestory, Latale, Ragnarok)
5. How long will it take me to get where I want to on basic because I know it depends on the person, but how long exactly would you think it will take?
6. Is starting with c++ a bad idea because I started off with learning c++, but I got bored and than went to html5 and it really opened up lots new information for me and how programming actually works?
7. I have seen people saying it all matters for what kind of game you want to make (Not sure what they meant by that) but can someone explain that to me?
8. I have seen some games that people can use cheat engine to get items with ect, but that really concerns me of how that can happen and how can you secure yourself from that happening when developing (I know this isn't something I should be asking at this stage, but I'm super curious.)
Sorry for the super long topic and thank you if you read it all.
I think it would be better to start off with my experience and what I can currently do because I will be asking lots questions that will variant on what I have done or have to do. I started off with messing around with html5 and than moved onto learning css and I can currently make fluid designs with it or at least I think they are. I have tried to learn c++ from thenewboston and than from this website itself, but I always stop half way through asking to many questions and worrying that this isn't where I should start.
My goal is to make all kinds of games, but eventually being able to make an mmo. I know that is far away and probably a bad thing to be ambitious for, but it's where I want to get eventually. I also would like to start off with 2d graphics as I tried 3d modeling before and its super complicated and takes lots practice. I would like to get to 3d games, but that is also far away and little to ambitious.
So this brings lots concerns up for me and I'm going to ask them now. ("Finally" your probably thinking)
1. I would like to know if what I was doing (Learning basics of c++) is a good place to start for what I want to do in future?
2. If learning the basics of c++ is a good place to start than what do I do after that?
3. I have read that you will have to use a library to make a game, but how does that limit someone and do you actually have to use one?
4. Do some famous 2d mmorpgs use libarys (For example Maplestory, Latale, Ragnarok)
5. How long will it take me to get where I want to on basic because I know it depends on the person, but how long exactly would you think it will take?
6. Is starting with c++ a bad idea because I started off with learning c++, but I got bored and than went to html5 and it really opened up lots new information for me and how programming actually works?
7. I have seen people saying it all matters for what kind of game you want to make (Not sure what they meant by that) but can someone explain that to me?
8. I have seen some games that people can use cheat engine to get items with ect, but that really concerns me of how that can happen and how can you secure yourself from that happening when developing (I know this isn't something I should be asking at this stage, but I'm super curious.)
Sorry for the super long topic and thank you if you read it all.
Hiya. I'm assuming that when you talk about game development, you mean developing games without a significant team that you'd have to really manage. You'll be more likely to get a game developed if you can get yourself a team and coordinate it properly. Recommended watching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQvWMdWhFCc
1. It's a good place to start for developing half of a game. What I mean by this is that a game both a piece of visual/auditory art (hopefully) and a piece of complex code. Learning C++ will get you one half, but not the other, and you cannot have a game with one but not the other.
2. Learn C++ until you can create some basic prototype games with really crappy art, then find someone who can help you with the artsy half.
3. That depends on what libraries you're talking about.
4. 2D MMOs use Flash, typically, not C++.
5. That's an impossible question. We don't know how fast you learn or how determined you will be in the future. In general, though... expect that it will take a very long time. A basic knowledge will not be enough.
6. That depends on the types of games and how willing you are to stay determined even when things get hard. C++ is one of the harder languages to learn.
7. If you want to make an online browser game, the path you'll take to make it will vary greatly from if you wanted to make a 3D game that runs on a console. For example.
8. The way cheat engine works is that it lets the user see the variables that the game has stored in memory, but not necessarily what each variable is. Basically, one just needs to be clever with what one stores in memory, and/or maintain checksums to ensure that the data remains sane/unchanged. If you're working on a game that mostly communicates with a server (like an MMO) or a singleplayer game with no online achievements/statistics/hiscores/rankings, you generally don't need to worry as much about the cheat engine as in the former case most of the gameplay is run where the cheat engine will have limited access, and in the latter if anyone cheats then it hurts nobody but them.
Sorry if I was a bit blunt.
-Albatross
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQvWMdWhFCc
1. It's a good place to start for developing half of a game. What I mean by this is that a game both a piece of visual/auditory art (hopefully) and a piece of complex code. Learning C++ will get you one half, but not the other, and you cannot have a game with one but not the other.
2. Learn C++ until you can create some basic prototype games with really crappy art, then find someone who can help you with the artsy half.
3. That depends on what libraries you're talking about.
4. 2D MMOs use Flash, typically, not C++.
5. That's an impossible question. We don't know how fast you learn or how determined you will be in the future. In general, though... expect that it will take a very long time. A basic knowledge will not be enough.
6. That depends on the types of games and how willing you are to stay determined even when things get hard. C++ is one of the harder languages to learn.
7. If you want to make an online browser game, the path you'll take to make it will vary greatly from if you wanted to make a 3D game that runs on a console. For example.
8. The way cheat engine works is that it lets the user see the variables that the game has stored in memory, but not necessarily what each variable is. Basically, one just needs to be clever with what one stores in memory, and/or maintain checksums to ensure that the data remains sane/unchanged. If you're working on a game that mostly communicates with a server (like an MMO) or a singleplayer game with no online achievements/statistics/hiscores/rankings, you generally don't need to worry as much about the cheat engine as in the former case most of the gameplay is run where the cheat engine will have limited access, and in the latter if anyone cheats then it hurts nobody but them.
Sorry if I was a bit blunt.
-Albatross
Starting with C++ is generally never a good idea, you should start with something simpler like python.
As of right now, you should forget about the concept of making 3D games and focus more on 2D games.
You use an API library when writing games
here take a glance here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_programming
Assuming you're a quick learner then it should take you couple of months to learn the language (you find learning C++ a lot easier if you already know python and vise versa if you don't) making video games also requires some mathematical skills (algebra, trigonometry & calculus) so just keep that in mind, but really it just depends on the game you're making.
As of right now, you should forget about the concept of making 3D games and focus more on 2D games.
You use an API library when writing games
here take a glance here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_programming
Assuming you're a quick learner then it should take you couple of months to learn the language (you find learning C++ a lot easier if you already know python and vise versa if you don't) making video games also requires some mathematical skills (algebra, trigonometry & calculus) so just keep that in mind, but really it just depends on the game you're making.
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Thenewboston is a horrible teacher. I learned from AntiRTFM on Youtube. He goes nice and slow and makes the info seep into your brain. Start with him and then move onto other things
http://www.youtube.com/user/antiRTFM
It is a 60 lesson tutorial that goes through the basics of C++ from start to finish. After that i would suggest learning SDL as it is a good graphics library. thecplusplusguy has LOTS of tutorials on SDL, OpenGL and the basic C++ as well.
http://www.youtube.com/user/thecplusplusguy
Hopefully you will learn how to do lots of basic C++ things as well as graphics and sound. C++ may not be the easiest language to start with, but its not a bad place to start.
http://www.youtube.com/user/antiRTFM
It is a 60 lesson tutorial that goes through the basics of C++ from start to finish. After that i would suggest learning SDL as it is a good graphics library. thecplusplusguy has LOTS of tutorials on SDL, OpenGL and the basic C++ as well.
http://www.youtube.com/user/thecplusplusguy
Hopefully you will learn how to do lots of basic C++ things as well as graphics and sound. C++ may not be the easiest language to start with, but its not a bad place to start.
Thanks for the responding guys I really appreciate it. I will most definitely switch to antiRTFM and than goto thecplusplusguy to learn sdl.
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| Thenewboston is a horrible teacher |
ah come on... bucky's not a 'horrible' teacher, he does skip a lot he only teach you 50% of each lesson but still, he's not a horrible teacher! :p
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Colbyn, try out this book if you decide to jump right into C++ and game development (this book got me started)
Free PDF: http://ebooks.z0ro.com/ebooks/C_and_C%2B%2B/C%2B%2B_Through_Game_Programming.pdf
Free PDF: http://ebooks.z0ro.com/ebooks/C_and_C%2B%2B/C%2B%2B_Through_Game_Programming.pdf
@Uk Marine
Thank you for suggesting a book! I will most likely start with the antiRTFM tutorials and thecplusplusguy tutorials than read it because I bet there is so much content that hasn't been said in those tutorials are in it and plus I will have a background to it before jumping into the book so it will be much easier to read/understand.
I just have one last question to ask! Is it a smart idea to make a game in one language or in two or even three? Or is that even possible? I know in html5 you can use so much other languages to make your website better. Like php, css, javascript ect.
Thank you for suggesting a book! I will most likely start with the antiRTFM tutorials and thecplusplusguy tutorials than read it because I bet there is so much content that hasn't been said in those tutorials are in it and plus I will have a background to it before jumping into the book so it will be much easier to read/understand.
I just have one last question to ask! Is it a smart idea to make a game in one language or in two or even three? Or is that even possible? I know in html5 you can use so much other languages to make your website better. Like php, css, javascript ect.
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