you can use monogame don´t use xna becouse the xna is not be support

i recommend you use monogame

If i wanted to make a 2D game with no prior programming experience I'd give GameMaker a try. A lot of high quality 2D indie games have been made with it (http://www.yoyogames.com/showcase) and it's mature, well documented and has a large community.

Why does nobody ever recommended the Unreal Engine?

It has a while to go yet to compete with all the plugins and other support of Unity but the editor is totally cracking....

I actually was considering recommending it (especially me being a hardcore C++ extremist, I mean, it's a great engine), but it's really overkill for what he's trying to do.

Why is it overkill, explain?

I have never seen a 2D game made with Unreal Engine.

I think I will go with Monogame and learn C# and XNA, anyone has links to some kind of pdf books to start learning?(I don't have the money to buy them.)

https://forums.unrealengine.com/showthread.php?814-newbie-question-i-can-do-create-2d-games-with-unreal-engine

Why does nobody ever recommended the Unreal Engine?

It has a while to go yet to compete with all the plugins and other support of Unity but the editor is totally cracking....

I actually was considering recommending it (especially me being a hardcore C++ extremist, I mean, it's a great engine), but it's really overkill for what he's trying to do.

Why is it overkill, explain?

I agree that Unreal Engine is a little overkill. Based on what the OP want to do and what he said about his experience, I would not recommend this engine. Make no mistake, I really like this engine, and it is possible to do a top down with it. But I don't think this is the best choice.

The Unreal Engine is an "heavy engine". And for a first experience in video game development I would recommend a more friendly engine. The main reason are, in my opinion :

- Not always friendly user
- The C++ is not the easiest of the language
- You'll have to "plug" yourself to existing code (from the engine)
- Except if you have a badass computer, the compilation time + having to relaunch the editor between each change can be annoying.
- Not traditionnaly used for 2D top down rpg

But, I guess that is should be possible to create a top down 2dyou want only using the blueprint system.But once again I would recommend more friendly tools.

RPG Maker, or GameMaker, as many people said are good choices for starter, and when you have the basics, you could switch to other language/engine.
The combo html/javascript is also nice, due to its relatively easy learning curve.

Or, if you want to do true code () go with C\C++ and SDL\SFML

as most games nowdays are leaning towards browser gaming,

I also request some source for this affirmation

Edit : because learngin

Why does nobody ever recommended the Unreal Engine?

I didn't suggest it because I've never seen a 2D RPG game with the "Powered by UNREAL ENGINE 4" logo.

Right tool for the job kinda thing.

Also, if you read the OP, he wants to work on this with what's left of summer holiday. Debating the pros and cons of 3D engines ain't gonna get the project made in that timeframe.

RPG Maker, or GameMaker, as many people said are good choices for starter, and when you have the basics, you could switch to other language/engine.
The combo html/javascript is also nice, due to its relatively easy learngin curve.

Seriously, Cozzmy -- just give this a try. Summer's wastin'! You can always revisit those ideas in any number of 3D engines when you again have free time. Make something fun!

as most games nowdays are leaning towards browser gaming,

I also request some source for this affirmation

Didn't thing you guys would disagree with this, so don't really have any "sources". I more or less meant to hint at the fact that most companies are hiring people with experience in web-centered games, using javascript, c#, html etc. It's just something I found as a new graduate In the futile process of looking for a CS job (poor me lol). I kind of wish I didn't specialize in C++/graphics from the get-go and went into html and javascript instead, as now I have to learn it and it's booring as fudge after learning a very low level language. Just my h.o feel free to disagree.

...snip...

Maybe I am underestimating a bit the time required,on another note art creation is my thing so that wouldn't be that hard.I will take your advice and learn Flash.

even with unity, unreal engine, rpgmaker, flash actionscript, etc. everything you've talked about is years worth of knowledge you'd have to gain to make something you are envisioning. however if you are very good with art, it might be better to find someone who can program, while you do the artwork. this can be a ton of work, as usually a programmer can approach an artist more easily than an artist can approach a programmer, but it's something that can be done with a good bit of effort.

start making out the concept art of what you want to do, and building the details on what you want to do, with this in tow, you might be able to find someone willing to share your vision. but to do it yourself is going to require ALOT of learning, that far exceeds anything you'll accomplish in a single summer.

...snip...

Maybe I am underestimating a bit the time required,on another note art creation is my thing so that wouldn't be that hard.I will take your advice and learn Flash.

even with unity, unreal engine, rpgmaker, flash actionscript, etc. everything you've talked about is years worth of knowledge you'd have to gain to make something you are envisioning. however if you are very good with art, it might be better to find someone who can program, while you do the artwork. this can be a ton of work, as usually a programmer can approach an artist more easily than an artist can approach a programmer, but it's something that can be done with a good bit of effort.

start making out the concept art of what you want to do, and building the details on what you want to do, with this in tow, you might be able to find someone willing to share your vision. but to do it yourself is going to require ALOT of learning, that far exceeds anything you'll accomplish in a single summer.

That's a little bit of an exhaduration, with so many easy platforms to start off with with, a basic prototype rpg can be created in a matter of hours. Everything he mentioned except for multiplayer is entirely do-able. Take for instance PyGame, you can create the code for your game really fast, but the art still has to be dealt with, and it's not exactly very fast or portable.

I recommended Flash because it's an extremely useful tool for intro game design. OP can dive right into it especially if he's more oriented, Ability to draw your object right on the canvas, animate it and put it in the background without even touching code. But when that time comes code is _extremely_ simple and you will understand what's going on without any prior knowledge. And lastly the ability to publish right away, which is an incentive on it's own as it kind of boosts your interests if you are potentially offered number one spot on newgrounds, which could bring a programmer from a nobody to a celebrity in a matter of days, is in itself worth it.

I guess I made my choice, I will learn C#(I already started) and in the meantime I will make the artwork for my game.

I must thank you all, because without your help, I would still be sitting in front of the computer thinking of what to do :P

That's a little bit of an exhaduration, with so many easy platforms to start off with with, a basic prototype rpg can be created in a matter of hours. Everything he mentioned except for multiplayer is entirely do-able. Take for instance PyGame, you can create the code for your game really fast, but the art still has to be dealt with, and it's not exactly very fast or portable.

do you even remember what it was like when you first started? i mean, the very first days you began programming? how long did it take you to make something that was even kinda a game? the only tool he might be able to use to make this is rpg maker, any programming language he uses is going to require him to learn how to program to do any of the things he wants to do. and i know it took me a long time before i was even able to make a semi-decent game, yet alone a full on rpg.

I recommended Flash because it's an extremely useful tool for intro game design. OP can dive right into it especially if he's more oriented, Ability to draw your object right on the canvas, animate it and put it in the background without even touching code. But when that time comes code is _extremely_ simple and you will understand what's going on without any prior knowledge.

flash is a great tool(and was the language i personally first started out in), but it's also a massive potential pitfall because of the fact that you can draw/put stuff right on the screen, this means it's very very easy to do things in an inefficient manner, and give yourself major headaches down the road when you rely on things being placed in the world, instead of spawned via code.