How to be a game programmer and developer?

[GüntherJung]

Hello :) .I am new in this forum and i am really interested in programming.I really want to learn to program with Cuda, C++ you know. I want to make my own game engines and 3D games with stunning grafiks. I saw really interesting things in the Nvidia developer zone like Nvidia PhysX SDK, OpenGL, OpenCL, DirectX and many other stuff. I want to learn how to program with them and for what and how can i use it? What i must learn first? From what i must start? What book's i must read of i am new to software and game programming? I am really confused. Thank's :D .

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

And i know my code is horrible, but i am happy with it

Sweet lord!

As for insulting you. I genuinely don't mean to insult you, and no insult was intended. But also I 100% don't care if you take insult. If you cannot take harsh criticism of your sloppy code, you can either:

1) Not be a coder

2) Write better code

Now seeing as you claim that you are "happy" with your "horrible" code, I'd suggest the former, because your arrogance seems to prohibit the latter!

[Microsoft_Bob]

If you want to become a real developer and start developing games quickly I suggest you grab a copy of GCC (Mingw on Windows), and free glut. Then begin with a simple bare bones program with a main rendering loop and input event handlers. Then create your own opengl interface elements - windows, menus, etc. Delegate drawing in the main render loop to the UI elements, whilst maintaining a program state machine, that is, keeping track of where you are, be it the first menu, second, tutorial, in game play etc.

[GüntherJung]

Ok. 1st: I am not arrogant. 2nd: I haven't read a usefull answer exept 1 or 2. Can you please post usefull things in this topic. And i am saing for 3th or 4th time to everyone: I have learned C++ for a few days and updated my knowledge with some tutorials in the internet.

Ok lets make it in that way.I am the student and you, the users of neowin, will be my teachers. You will give me stuff to learn, advice me and give me homeworks. Deal?

[~Johnny]

It's maybe not the best programming language, but if you want an easy way to grasp a lot of basic programming concepts and don't mind hopping off c for a bit, try Microsoft SmallBasic.

http://smallbasic.com/

And just follow their tutorial here - http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/0/6/90616372-C4BF-4628-BC82-BD709635220D/Introducing%20Small%20Basic.pdf

It'll cover concepts all the way from printing a line to drawing geometry. It's a good place to start, although the syntax is different the core concepts are generally the same for most Object Oriented languages. I've actually seen 10 year olds learn quite successfully with SmallBasic, and really you do need to start from a good general programming base before you jump into games programming.

[Microsoft_Bob]

I have learned C++

That's your problem right there. C++ is a horrible language and overly complicated. If you want that level of control, go with plain C. It's far simpler, better performing, and it makes it easier to interface with other libraries, most of which are written in C, so it eliminates the need to use language bindings.

If you want OO features, you're far better off with Python or Java. Both are much easier to use.

Personally, I'd start off with freeglut (opengl helper library) because it takes care of all the details of interfacing with the OS's windowing system and input events.

[GüntherJung]

Wow i see some new in the topic i thing and they haven't read the topic.

Ok microsoft bob. I don't thing C++ is a horrible language. And what the hell you are talking about. SMAL BASIC!? DO I LOOK LIKE A 1 YEAR OLD BABY THAT CAN'T GO TO THE TOILET!? Sorry for caps, but i hate small Basic. And how could you compare me with a 10 year old kid!?

[Microsoft_Bob]

Ok microsoft bob. I don't thing C++ is a horrible language.

Clearly you haven't been using it very long :p Try and write some stl code, then come back xD

[~Johnny]

Wow i see some new in the topic i thing and they haven't read the topic.

Ok microsoft bob. I don't thing C++ is a horrible language. And what the hell you are talking about. SMAL BASIC!? DO I LOOK LIKE A 1 YEAR OLD BABY THAT CAN'T GO TO THE TOILET!? Sorry for caps, but i hate small Basic. And how could you compare me with a 10 year old kid!?

There's nothing wrong with small basic. It's not a programming language for "babies". It's just a very easy language for learning programming concepts with a helpful coding GUI. Easy enough that anyone can learn. And having read through this thread, I get the impression that actually just doing it would be more helpful than struggling along with C++ or Objective C.

Excuse me for suggesting a genuinely useful tool :p

[aclarke_31]

I'm not sure if anyone's with me on this, but I think an Forum Admin needs to take control of this topic at its spiraling. (Apologies to Admin's if you feel its not the case)

EmilXP: At the end of the day we're here to try and help. We can only point you in the right direction. I have no idea how to code software at all, but I do know there's good practices to follow for coding software and bad practices. I think at the end of the day, the users on Neowin are just trying to help you to avoid the wrong ways of coding to try and help you to be a better programmer. We all make mistakes with things, we're only human. Please try to take on board what the users of Neowin are trying to do, as all they are trying to do is help.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

I am not arrogant

May I quote:

And what the hell you are talking about. SMAL BASIC!? DO I LOOK LIKE A 1 YEAR OLD BABY THAT CAN'T GO TO THE TOILET!?

Works perfectly

...

[Jan Veteran]

Wow i see some new in the topic i thing and they haven't read the topic.

Ok microsoft bob. I don't thing C++ is a horrible language. And what the hell you are talking about. SMAL BASIC!? DO I LOOK LIKE A 1 YEAR OLD BABY THAT CAN'T GO TO THE TOILET!? Sorry for caps, but i hate small Basic. And how could you compare me with a 10 year old kid!?

You're 13, that's not far off, stop pretending to be some uber amazing developer, listen to what Neowin tells you.

[MFH]

Clearly you haven't been using it very long :p Try and write some stl code, then come back xD

I have been using C++ for years and I still don't consider it to be a horrible language^^ Seems like you just can't handle it's beauty :)

[GüntherJung]

I have suggested something. Are you with me or not. And please i know the fundamental stuff. If you try to help me then first read the topic. Oh come on i am so tired of this topic. I am reading stuff that won't help me at all. Yes this topic needs help from a admin. And i need help from the neowin users(i mean good help. help that will be usefull to me. If you want to write usefull help just read the full topic. If you don't want to help then why are you reading this?)

I have been using C++ for years and I still don't consider it to be a horrible language^^ Seems like you just can't handle it's beauty :)

I totaly agree :) .

[RealFduch]

XNA requires that you use C#

It's no longer the case.

[Eric Veteran]

@EVERYONE: Please try to stick on the topic.

@emilxp: One of the first things you should learn as a programmer is coding standards. Everything you write should be readable as if your were going to give it all to someone else to maintain when you're done as that's what usually happens in the real world.

First: If you're not using an IDE, I'd use one at least at first. It will help you with keeping your code formatted. Visual C++ Express is very handy and free.

Second: I would try what others suggested and start out on C# or Visual Basic (there are also free Express versions of these) instead of C++. You'll be running into things like pointers and references soon that will cause even more confusion.

My suggestion for this thread? Reformat your game code and repost it. Then start looking into replacing the static variables with arrays.

There are lots of people here that can and will help you get on your feet, but you have to approach that from a structured view, too. :)

All of Microsoft's Express development environments can be found here.

[GüntherJung]

Thank you for your answer GreyWolf :) . I use Visual C++ for an IDE. Reformating my source code will be hard, because of my horrible C++. What do you suggest for a good book for C# or Visual BASIC?

PS: I will reformat my code as soon as i have a good programming style.

[Rudy]

Thank you for your answer GreyWolf :) . I use Visual C++ for an IDE. Reformating my source code will be hard, because of my horrible C++. What do you suggest for a good book for C# of Visual BASIC?

PS: I will reformat my code as soon as i have a good programming style.

C# and Visual Basic are 2 different languages

[GüntherJung]

I know that. Man do you really thing i am so stupid?

[Eric Veteran]

Thank you for your answer GreyWolf :) . I use Visual C++ for an IDE. Reformating my source code will be hard, because of my horrible C++. What do you suggest for a good book for C# of Visual BASIC?

PS: I will reformat my code as soon as i have a good programming style.

Formatting is part of style. It will get more difficult to remember what your program is doing if you don't get used to indenting it consistenly and use the same line break strategy throughout your application.

I wouldn't get a book on C# or VB until you know what kind of extra information you will need. Just start with Microsoft's language tutorials.

C#: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vcsharp/aa336766.aspx

VB: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vbasic/ms789086

You could start on C# by porting your Tic-tac-toe game. You should only have to make a few changes to get it to work.

[iKenndac]

Ok lets make it in that way.I am the student and you, the users of neowin, will be my teachers. You will give me stuff to learn, advice me and give me homeworks. Deal?

No. Education costs money for a reason. Forums are superb for finding people to help with specific problems you're having, but "I want to be taught programming" isn't one of them, beyond getting recommendations for books and courses and so on.

If you want to be taught programming, you need a teacher. A good teacher. A bunch of people on a forum, no matter how skilled they are, is no substitute for a singe, "proper" teacher.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

And please i know the fundamental stuff

HERE IS THE PROBLEM!

Stop believing this, because it is simply not true. You DON'T know the fundamentals at all. You have referenced array's in really weird ways, you didn't know what a FOR loop was for, you have shown that you 100% DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE FUNDAMENTALS!

PLEASE, I am begging you, stop believing this, stop asking if people think you are 10, stop asking if we "thing" you are stupid.

Assume yourself that you are a noob, assume that you know nothing, assume that you still need to learn the fundamentals. You will only ever be a better developer for doing so!

[iKenndac]

Assume yourself that you are a noob, assume that you know nothing, assume that you still need to learn the fundamentals. You will only ever be a better developer for doing so!

This. 100x this. I still take every opportunity I can to learn from others around me and read books. Never stop learning.

[GüntherJung]

Ok, GreyWolf, i will check out the links that you posted.

And now the next freaking special answer for njlouch: Look stop with this. I haven't talked to anyone so insulting stuff. I want to tell you many things, but i will not. I am not a horrible person like you. You aren't here to help. You are here show yourself how good you are in programming and telling the users that i am a noob. Ok thing eveything what you want. Why you tell these things? Because you want to unsult anyone, tell the internet how big you are(i mean in programming) or change them? Tell me. Do you want to change these things you said. If you want then go. Make it. Change it. If you don't want to change it and you are for different reasons telling these things then why are you still posting. Yes because to insult me, tell how big in programming you are or/and something other. I don't want to turn this topic in a drama. Sorry.

[Microsoft_Bob]

emilxp, I think you need to learn a language and stick with it first of all. Perhaps a book like The C Programming Language Second Edition, or The C++ Programming Language Third Edition will help. Read it all the way through, and while you are reading it, try out the exercises, and experiment with the techniques used in the book.

[GüntherJung]

In The C++ Programming Language they tell you the fundamentals, but they asume that you know them, because they wiil not go in detail in them. There is another book for the fundamentals for C++ by the same author. Ok one person says i must learn BASIC, another that i must stick with a language like C++, another s insulting me. What i must do!?