What now?

Dec 14, 2011 at 2:09pm
I have learned all the basic c++ thing pretty much the whole tutorial on this site. I want to learn game programming with c++ and I don't know which skills it requires, what should I learn first?
Dec 14, 2011 at 2:29pm
You probably need to learn something like DirectX. I'm not sure if you can only work with directx using Visual Studio or not.
Dec 14, 2011 at 3:08pm
If you're going to learn Direct X I think you'll need to learn how to create a basic window using win32 programming first I believe.

It's probably much easier to learn a simple graphics library next like SFML in my opinion. So you can simply concentrate on the code for your game instead of trying to understand how the inner workings of direct x or opengl work behind the scenes. Here's a link to SFML:

http://www.sfml-dev.org/


You'd most likely try to learn Direct X or OpenGL later on if you really want to try creating a game engine of your own. But that is much too technical, and if you start with Direct X you may never even be able to apply it immediately to create a game.
Last edited on Dec 14, 2011 at 3:09pm
Dec 14, 2011 at 5:29pm
I agree with Dacster13.

I went through the SFML tutorials a few months ago and learned so much. It handles Win32 for you in addition to OpenGL and a few extras. This has three benefits:

1. Everything takes less effort to do (you can use a single SFML command to do something that would require 70 lines of code in Win32) so you learn faster.
2. It uses a C++ implementation on what would typically be C-code making code much more re-usable.
3. When you've got a handle on what you are doing, you can check out the open-source code and see exactly how it works, expanding on your own methods and relieving your dependency on that library.

Part of what I really like about this library is that it isn't just graphics, they have audio and networking libraries with simple tutorials as well which helped me to branch out a bit further and do some way more interesting stuff.

If you want to go straight to Win32 (which you CERTAINLY have to do before looking at DirectX or OpenGL), then try the following site for a good tutorial:
http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/
Dec 15, 2011 at 5:53pm
I mean what skills it requires to work on a game engine, I don't mean to make a new one.
Dec 15, 2011 at 6:27pm
What do you mean work on a game engine?

I would say that it takes the same amount of skill as creating one(if I understand you correctly).
Dec 15, 2011 at 6:43pm
I mean making a game using a game engine created by someone else.
Dec 15, 2011 at 6:47pm
Haha.

Well, if you read the tut's on this site, you should be equipped to take on game-programming. You should be good at classes, if and else statements, and making templates, as well as pointers.

Last edited on Dec 15, 2011 at 6:47pm
Dec 15, 2011 at 7:49pm
Do I have to know vc++?
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:08pm
No. You can do without it.

Just know the basics of C++ as I mentioned in my earlier post, and you'll be fine.



EDIT: You also need to be able to read documentation/reference well.
Last edited on Dec 15, 2011 at 10:10pm
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:00am
WHY DOES EVERY NEW C++ PROGRAMMER WANT TO BE A GAME PROGRAMMER????!!!
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:04am
because it seems fun, until you actually start doing it? xDDD
Dec 16, 2011 at 4:02pm
Hehe, I guess.
Dec 16, 2011 at 4:07pm
i agree with dacster thats why i started to and I only have two rooms done. and its only console
Dec 16, 2011 at 5:48pm
O.o Idk.
Dec 16, 2011 at 8:37pm
Well, it may seem a little bit more interesting/fun to make a game than a bank account program for example.
Dec 17, 2011 at 1:40am
oh yes more fun but more work than i first thought it would be
Dec 17, 2011 at 2:32am
I guess so, but there's plenty of other fun possibilities in programming that aren't bank account programs or games.
Dec 17, 2011 at 6:41am
never said there wasn't
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