Nice to meet you!

If it''s not too much trouble, learn the use of paragraphs in your posts. That was like viewing an image in binary

Honestly no offense! It''ll just help others to better read and understand you.

Welcome to the forums!

____________________________________________________

"Two wrongs do not make a right; it usually takes 3 or more."

Book: "Teach Yourself C in 24 hours" (really cool book)
Book: "Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus" (tough but it''s the coolest)
Website: "http://nehe.gamedev.net" (3d coding)
Website: "http://www.flipcode.com" (more coding)
Book: "Advanced 3D Game Programming Using DirectX 7.0"
Book: "Game Programming Gems" (this book totally rocks, but it''s way advanced)

Hey GamingKnight,
I know i already posted this but send me your story at

psychonaught_69@hotmail.com

I am coding a text engine to learn c better, you can traverse through test maps at this point by typing in simple commands, It prints a description and gives you a menu of what to do at each location, its basically an old school text based rpg. Then if we finish that on to episode 2. Here we can put in simple graphics and sounds in direct x and implement Npc''s with classes
Then part 3, we head for 3d town and make the ultimate game

I would really like to do this with you as a team and you can design and do some programming but I could lead program cause I know my c

this could be really cool
P.S I can web master and make a site for our team cause I know flash and html really well, actually have a job in web design in my spare time

Cheers, Armed.

Seriously, that''s got to be the first non-annoying "newbie" post I have ever seen....Congrats; there must be some kind of award for that =o)

Good luck on your path to game programming, and don''t let yourself get discouraged by anything... that''s how you learn.

Hope to see you out at the forums!


(o= erydo =o)

First, you should definately do an RPG. That was such a dramatic and well-told story that it sounded like it would be in a game^^

The way I came into the game programming world started a long tmie ago. I knew I wanted to make games back when I was about 10 or so (I''m going on 18 in 5 months (seems like everybody here''s 17...)), but hadn''t really designed any yet. Then when I got my N64, started planning some 3D games. I came up with a racing game, a Mario64-type adventure, and a battle game where you run around like in Mario64, and can pick up pretty much anything you can find and build things like catapults and forts (to hide in and throw stuff at other people). I didn''t get a computer until 2 or so years later though. Then when I was 15 I took my first programming class. After that, I still had no idea how to make a game, so I took another one, which I didn''t do as good in, but learned a lot more from. After a few months, I started studying the DirectX sample programs on MSDN, and a few more months later, started coding a game engine. Of course, I was still learning most of it as I went, but it seems to be faster to learn by doing instead of just reading. Once I got pretty far into that, I started using D3D for my blitting, so I could use hardware rotation/alpha-blending. Then DirectX8 came out, so I decided to convert my engine to use that, which didn''t really work, and I thought I accidentally covered my DX7 version with a copy of the 8 one (I had one folder for the DX7 version, one backup of DX8, and one DX8 to work on), but I actually just had the DX7 and DX8 folders switched. Of course, I didn''t notice until I already gave up on making DX8 work and had a new non-DirectX engine well underway. That''s what I''m currently working on, and having a lot of fun (but slow progress) doing.

Hope that story wasn''t too long and boring. I wasn''t planning on it being that big^^
Anyway, never give up on your dream. I can tell you from personal experience that it''s possible, even if you have no idea what you''re doing for the first year or so^^ The hard part is sticking with it that long.

---

-Deku-chan

DK Art (my site, which has little programming-related stuff on it, but you should go anyway^_^)

Hi Gaming Knight..
I don''t have much to say that others haven''t already said, but.. The main thing is, you''ve got a long hard road ahead of you, but don''t let it discourage you. There''s alot to learn. But at least I found all (well, most anyway) of the learning quite enjoyable. (But then, I''m a weirdo who reads books on physics and abstract mathematics for fun). Take everything new thing you learn as a challenge, and something that you''ll be better off for having done in the long term. Keep your eyes on your goal of the kind of game you want to make, but don''t worry about how every little thing you learn is going to help you make that game. Software Engineering is thoroughly boring, and extremely helpful.

Hopefully that all made some sense...
Here''s some books that helped me:
The Indispsensible Guide to C (may have spelled that wrong)
C++ How to Program
Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus
You may want to use VisualBasic, though, it''s really just a matter of opinion. I highly recommend getting comfortable with whatever language you decide to use before attempting graphics and stuff like the Win32 API. It''s possible to learn it all at the same time I suppose, but I''d think it''d be much more difficult, and you probably wouldn''t have as good of an understanding of it all.
(by the way, I''m actually not 17.. I''m 21.. I feel old.....)

Oh, and by the way, a for tips for Gamedev..

The most important: Think for yourself, and use common sense. If you need help on something, pick a good topic name, not "PLEASE HELP!!!!!".. Try finding info yourself before you post a question (on search engines, here on GDNet, etc)

Also, if you''re ever looking for form a group, for heaven''s sake, just be honest.. no BS about id offering you millions for the game or anything..

Be patient waiting for replies. There are plenty of good people here who want to help, and they usually get to any given thread pretty quickly.

And finally, ignore the jerks. There are plenty of great people here, and some assholes who like to flame everyone to make themselves feel better. Just ignore the assholes..

=======================================
Matt Welch

"What sounds to you like a big bloat of trashy old noise
is in fact the brilliant music of a genius--myself" ~ Iggy Pop

Welcome, Knight, and congratulations in introducing yourself as pleasantly and endearingly as possible.

Many people have asked themselves the same question(s) and chosen the same path as you have, myself included. There will be many challenges in your way, and naysayers as well (though not as many as when I started out - 8 years ago at the age of 13). Whatever else you do, believe in yourself and know that there are others like you.

These are the steps I took and I heartily recommend them to you:
1) Find out what it takes to make a game (programming, art, sound, etc).
2) Find out how to acquire those skills (books, the web, etc)
3) Acquire those skills, incrementally implementing something that you find interesting - little puzzle games or short acion/sports titles. The key here is incremental growth, graudally increasing your expectations as your skills improve. Don''t try to create a blockbuster 3D title off the bat - take it slow and it will come.

Above all, buck the norm! Have fun, be creative and inventive and don''t let anyone tell you it wont work.

Good luck.

---
Those who can do nothing criticize; those who can, critique.

jesus christ, gamer knight, get a life. a simple "hey, i'm new to the board!" would have sufficed, if even needed.

"a boy growing into a man.". ohh..uh..yes, making computer games, the timeless right-of-passage all young boys must suffer through to become men. . want to become a man? go out and do some hard labor to earn money, make mistakes and learn from them, and get laid.

btw, you don't need to speak like a literary major. this isn't some holy habitat that the most superior minds on the planet flock to... its a casual learning center.



Edited by - stashi on May 21, 2001 10:51:21 PM

STORY!? I thought it was a stereograph!

Magmai Kai Holmlor
- The disgruntled & disillusioned

It may sound repetitive now, but great intro.

It is definitely a long road. But, getting started is the hard part. Once you get past learning your language, it get''s a lot better since you can start on the fun stuff.

Everyone seems to be mentioning VB and the like, and it''s a good start. But I''d like to plug Python. You can get all you need to start programming in it for free. It''s object oriented. It''s simple. And dare I say it, fun too. I started with it about a month ago and it''s helped me a lot with OOP in C++.

You will need to learn C++ eventually though. You''ll want a book and a compiler. You can find free books and tutorials for C++ almost every where on the net, but for me it helps to have a bound book to flip through. I''m using "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days." It''s gonna'' take more than 21 days though. Believe me. I''m on day 93 and am just starting to feel comfortable with the language.

On to compilers. If you''re going to college soon, set aside $100 and get a copy of MSVC++ Professional. You want this. You''re going to need it. And academic pricing kicks ass. For right now go to www.bloodshed.net. Download Dev-C++. It''s great for the price(FREE!) and will get you started.

All you need outside of the above is desire, drive, dedication, and hard work. You don''t seem like you''ll have any trouble with that.

Best of luck to ya'' man.