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I've been itching to get into games development for years, ever since I wrote my first BASIC programs on the ZX81 back in the early '80s. (OK, so I typed 9999 line program listings from Sinclair magazine then wondered why they didn't work).
25 years later and I've decided to finally stop pfaffing around with silly things like 'careers', 'family' and other non-essential things, and taken my first steps into becoming a 'game developer'.
My first port of call was here: http://www.gamedev.net/reference/start_here/
Basically a website devoted to everything you need to know about getting started, what tools you need, and how to go about it. I've never been good at learning from home, so decided to take a more structured route.
So I'm doing the following:
a) Access to Computing course, 1 year, 16 hours a week, enough to get me into University.
b) BSc in either Software Engineering or Computer Science OR something else computer releated, there's loads of degreees now so I'm still deciding which one is the best to go for if I want to go on and develop games in later years.
c) Learn a programming language.
Step c) is the fun one :) I've decided to go ahead and learn C, as it's a good basis from which to later learn C++ and Java which will probably come along in whichever degree course I finally end up on.
So I went and bought Microsoft's Visual C++ .NET 2003 edition, and after several hours of configuring and installing finally produced my first ever C progam. And yes, it was helloworld.c (ok, it was helloworld.cpp but that's a technicality).
For anyone thinking of learning to program, Microsoft's Visual C++ .NET 2003 seems to have everything you'll ever need, and probably a great deal of stuff you'll never use as well. The only drawback I can see (apart from the whopping 3 Gigs it takes up on my hard-drive), is that it does everything the Windows way. But I figure as long as I remember it's 'just a compiler' for now, I won't get too brainwashed.
Today: "Hello, World!"
Tomorrow: Something a bit more useful, hopefully...
More, as it happens, later.
25 years later and I've decided to finally stop pfaffing around with silly things like 'careers', 'family' and other non-essential things, and taken my first steps into becoming a 'game developer'.
My first port of call was here: http://www.gamedev.net/reference/start_here/
Basically a website devoted to everything you need to know about getting started, what tools you need, and how to go about it. I've never been good at learning from home, so decided to take a more structured route.
So I'm doing the following:
a) Access to Computing course, 1 year, 16 hours a week, enough to get me into University.
b) BSc in either Software Engineering or Computer Science OR something else computer releated, there's loads of degreees now so I'm still deciding which one is the best to go for if I want to go on and develop games in later years.
c) Learn a programming language.
Step c) is the fun one :) I've decided to go ahead and learn C, as it's a good basis from which to later learn C++ and Java which will probably come along in whichever degree course I finally end up on.
So I went and bought Microsoft's Visual C++ .NET 2003 edition, and after several hours of configuring and installing finally produced my first ever C progam. And yes, it was helloworld.c (ok, it was helloworld.cpp but that's a technicality).
For anyone thinking of learning to program, Microsoft's Visual C++ .NET 2003 seems to have everything you'll ever need, and probably a great deal of stuff you'll never use as well. The only drawback I can see (apart from the whopping 3 Gigs it takes up on my hard-drive), is that it does everything the Windows way. But I figure as long as I remember it's 'just a compiler' for now, I won't get too brainwashed.
Today: "Hello, World!"
Tomorrow: Something a bit more useful, hopefully...
More, as it happens, later.
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ajg wrote:
> monkey_man wrote:
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
>
> BASIC?? C++?? chalk and cheese. no resemblance what so ever. oh, you
> need a pc for both i guess, but...
Simple things like printing from variables and scanning variables are quite similar. I'd like to get more into C++ actually - anyone know any good websites for it?
> monkey_man wrote:
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
>
> BASIC?? C++?? chalk and cheese. no resemblance what so ever. oh, you
> need a pc for both i guess, but...
Simple things like printing from variables and scanning variables are quite similar. I'd like to get more into C++ actually - anyone know any good websites for it?
monkey_man wrote:
> Hey, nothing wrong with stroking your geek bone every now and again.
> C++ is pretty easy, but I'm having trouble with ASP of all things!
I just wrote a company customer feedback form in ASP.
It rocks and even submits the data into an SQL database
True story
> Hey, nothing wrong with stroking your geek bone every now and again.
> C++ is pretty easy, but I'm having trouble with ASP of all things!
I just wrote a company customer feedback form in ASP.
It rocks and even submits the data into an SQL database
True story
monkey_man wrote:
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
BASIC?? C++?? chalk and cheese. no resemblance what so ever. oh, you need a pc for both i guess, but...
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
BASIC?? C++?? chalk and cheese. no resemblance what so ever. oh, you need a pc for both i guess, but...
Hey, nothing wrong with stroking your geek bone every now and again. C++ is pretty easy, but I'm having trouble with ASP of all things!
monkey_man wrote:
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
Oh please...
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
Oh please...
monkey_man wrote:
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
Chortle
> I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience
> with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally.
Chortle
Miserableman wrote:
> Books help as well, my C++ books are okay but they're not brilliant,
> I would take UKs advice if he's so sure his book is a winner.
The Steve Heller book is now called C++: A Dialogue, and uses the standard library which the last edition didn't. It starts from a very basic level but ends up explaining polymorphism and the like in a thorough and understable way. I don't want to say that it's suitable for idiots, but it sort of is. I knew a fair bit of C++ when I bought it but I kept reading sections and thinking 'NOW I get it!', even though I thought I already had it.
Best not to read his website, though, because he sounds like a bit of a twit:
"Would you like to discuss interesting topics with intelligent people? If so, you might be interested in Colloquy, the world's first internet-based high-IQ society. I'm one of the Regents of this society, and am responsible for the email list and for membership applications. Application instructions are available here."
Riiiight.
> Books help as well, my C++ books are okay but they're not brilliant,
> I would take UKs advice if he's so sure his book is a winner.
The Steve Heller book is now called C++: A Dialogue, and uses the standard library which the last edition didn't. It starts from a very basic level but ends up explaining polymorphism and the like in a thorough and understable way. I don't want to say that it's suitable for idiots, but it sort of is. I knew a fair bit of C++ when I bought it but I kept reading sections and thinking 'NOW I get it!', even though I thought I already had it.
Best not to read his website, though, because he sounds like a bit of a twit:
"Would you like to discuss interesting topics with intelligent people? If so, you might be interested in Colloquy, the world's first internet-based high-IQ society. I'm one of the Regents of this society, and am responsible for the email list and for membership applications. Application instructions are available here."
Riiiight.
I'm doing a degree in Audio and Music Technology at the moment and I'd like to use it to work in the video games/film industry, recording and coding audio. The course lets you do all the normal things of messing about with studios and software, but we also get to do C++. I've already got a strong background in web coding, and experience with older languages, such as BASIC, so C++ came quite naturally. I tried using that YABASIC that comes with the PS2, but I don't think that lets you construct an audio engine somehow...
FantasyMeister wrote:
> Today: "Hello, World!"
Heh, When I made my first program(Helloworld aswell) It turned into a password program which it would only work if you gave it a knock knock joke.That turned into a huge program that me dad had to help me with.
My java helloworled has turned itno a login program where I am still debugging.
Hint:
Don't do the exact thing that it tells you to do 1.It will drive you mad 2. You probaly won't learn anything. Unless it is the best book out that is.
:-)
> Today: "Hello, World!"
Heh, When I made my first program(Helloworld aswell) It turned into a password program which it would only work if you gave it a knock knock joke.That turned into a huge program that me dad had to help me with.
My java helloworled has turned itno a login program where I am still debugging.
Hint:
Don't do the exact thing that it tells you to do 1.It will drive you mad 2. You probaly won't learn anything. Unless it is the best book out that is.
:-)
Also, think of some projects for yourself. Small little things, perhaps tiny Windows apps. Programming is a lot more fun if you're aiming for something.
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