Where to start?

Hi everybody.

I have a broad question that can be easy and difficult to answer.
Personally, I prefer a clear answer for my problem / Question.
An apology if it is in the wrong place.

The problem / question is as follows:
Since the turn of the year I have been planning to develop my own PC game for real together with a friend of mine.
However, we both have no experience in developing games, but we know what we want to make.
(This is obviously a rough idea and not worked out in great detail)

(Dont misunderstand i am planning to do this for serveral years but never had the time to make the ideas turn to reality because of work.)

I can go into this, of course, but what I'm looking for is basic tutorials that I can find my way into without any experience.
However, I do not have a great "Laptop" to run heavy software to develop things so I have limitations with that.
Here I can also give more information about if necessary.

Question 1:
So as follows Software advice? (unity?)
Programming language advice? (C /  c++ or somthing else?)

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I understand it when people think: There we have someone who wants to make a game out of nowhere without any experience.
And so understand that my support from other / You is limited and I must row with the belts that are given to me.
Since the new year I have been given a lot of time by private circumstances and want to spend my time useful
in something that seems to me very nice to do.

Question 2:
Crucial Tips?

Crucial tutorials for the recommended awnsers question 1?

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I have already found several tutorials about programming.
Found a large series of books that I am willing to read but what is a convenient place to start?
(116 books around 700 pages each)
But is it really necessary to read all books etc.
Or are there better ways to reach my goal.

Question 3:
Read or practice a lot?
Or make it a combination of both.

And what should i read?

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Well that was it.
I could be that i am asking the wrong questions but i cant read al the different information i want on the forums

but i would be happy if someone could help me around all the smokescreens of bad information.

Yours sincerely,

-Twelve.

Download Unity, Unreal or GameMaker. GameMaker is really only relevant if you're making 2D games, I believe, while both Unity and Unreal will work for either 2D or 3D games.

Check out some of the official tutorials.

See what you like best, or what works for you on your PC.

Once you've got a bit of experience with the various engines, you'll know a lot more about what direction to go next.

well I recommend c++ as a programming language it has a steep learning curve but it is used by a lot of developers. I also have found that in order to get good at programming one must read and practice a lot.

I'm assuming from the question that you dont know how to program in any language?  If so, then the first step is to learn some language and do some small projects with that until you know it decently well.  After that you can start to work on a game with an engine.  I'd recommend you learn C#  because it should be easier to handle than something like C++, and then you can start with Unity (if you're making a 3D game).  

2 hours ago, Lactose said:

Download Unity, Unreal or GameMaker. GameMaker is really only relevant if you're making 2D games, I believe, while both Unity and Unreal will work for either 2D or 3D games.

Check out some of the official tutorials.

See what you like best, or what works for you on your PC.

Once you've got a bit of experience with the various engines, you'll know a lot more about what direction to go next.

I tried to work a little with unity (just messing arround) But it gave a couple of errors i fixed them but it was a while back.
Shall i use like the newer version of Unity or can u reccomend some versions?

Also their tutorials are kinda vague or i looked wrong that is obviously aswel.
I will recheck Unity a little but i gues i will have a shot @ Game maker aswel do they interfear with each other or can i have them both?

Thank your for the information.

2 hours ago, phil67rpg said:

well I recommend c++ as a programming language it has a steep learning curve but it is used by a lot of developers. I also have found that in order to get good at programming one must read and practice a lot.

I figured that i should read and practice alot because it is not somthing to take light.
But then is the question what shall i read or practice the most.
Because it could be a problem to try and learn everything.

Curently i am reading this book: TCPL 2nd edition 1988 to understand more of the basics of C before i head on to C++
My next book will be C++ primar 5th edition 2012 to understand more before diving in the real work (practicing) because i need to understand more then the basics before beginning because i dont really have anyone that can guide with mistakes i need to know more to solve more in this 2 person crew  . 

But u recommend C++ can u explain more wy?
Because someone else said C# would be the way to go.
I cant dive in things blindly so i ask for some more information about wy i should start on C++ instead of C#.

So if u can explain it a little more i will be very thankfull

-Twelve

1 hour ago, 0r0d said:

I'm assuming from the question that you dont know how to program in any language?  If so, then the first step is to learn some language and do some small projects with that until you know it decently well.  After that you can start to work on a game with an engine.  I'd recommend you learn C#  because it should be easier to handle than something like C++, and then you can start with Unity (if you're making a 3D game).  

First of all thank you for the information

Well no i dont have any major knowledge about programming.
I have done a bit of research over time.  ( Mostly Java/PhP )
But that was before i was really busy with my work so it got side tracked.

i personally think that small projects are the wrong way to go.
I can prob still focus on my main work to reach it but divide it in smaller tasks so i dont mess anything up later on when i am practicing.
I always can merge al the parts to one when i got enough knowledge in time.

Its not that i have big trouble with learning or anything i just need to find a road to walk on if u understand what i mean.
I can spend my time reading hundreds of books but that doesnt seem really right to me in this case.

So if u look @ long term based is it better to learn C++ or C#
I will do some search about C# / C++ about what the differences are and what my chances are with both. (tomorow)
But if u can clarify it more, my decision would be much easyer ^^

-Twelve

7 hours ago, TwelveDays said:

i personally think that small projects are the wrong way to go.
I can prob still focus on my main work to reach it but divide it in smaller tasks so i dont mess anything up later on when i am practicing.
I always can merge al the parts to one when i got enough knowledge in time.

By "small projects" I didnt mean small games, I meant small coding projects to learn the language.  Right now you dont know a programming language, so trying to make a game is like trying to build a wooden house when you dont know any carpentry.  You need to first learn the tools of the job and practice using them before you tackle something like a game.

Its not that i have big trouble with learning or anything i just need to find a road to walk on if u understand what i mean.
I can spend my time reading hundreds of books but that doesnt seem really right to me in this case.
 

Reading books will help, but only if you practice by applying what you're learning.  But if you try to practice by immediately trying to build an entire game, you will likely just get frustrated and overwhelmed.

So if u look @ long term based is it better to learn C++ or C#
I will do some search about C# / C++ about what the differences are and what my chances are with both. (tomorow)
But if u can clarify it more, my decision would be much easyer ^^
 

C# will be easier to learn and you can apply what you're learning if you're using something like Unity.  Playing around with Unity and building scripts would be a good way to learn how to build a game, as long as you take it a small step at a time.

C++ is the industry standard in the games industry, but it's also a very complicated and powerful language.  It's not impossible to start off with C++, but it will just be more difficult.   Also, you can start with C# and a lot of what you learn can later be applied if you then learn C++.  The general programming and problem solving principles will be the same.

7 hours ago, TwelveDays said:

 

Curently i am reading this book: TCPL 2nd edition 1988 to understand more of the basics of C before i head on to C++
My next book will be C++ primar 5th edition 2012 to understand more before diving in the real work (practicing) because i need to understand more then the basics before beginning because i dont really have anyone that can guide with mistakes i need to know more to solve more in this 2 person crew  . 

If you did decide to learn C++, then trying to learn C now thinking that you need to do so before moving to C++ is a bad idea.  Just learn C++ and forget C.   If you go that route, I'd recommend getting a good book on modern C++ (C++11).  It will be easier to learn because modern C++ has a lot of great stuff to make your life easier.

16 hours ago, TwelveDays said:

I tried to work a little with unity (just messing arround) But it gave a couple of errors i fixed them but it was a while back.
Shall i use like the newer version of Unity or can u reccomend some versions?

Also their tutorials are kinda vague or i looked wrong that is obviously aswel.
I will recheck Unity a little but i gues i will have a shot @ Game maker aswel do they interfear with each other or can i have them both?

 

Thank your for the information.

Just grab the latest version of Unity. There's no reason to start with older versions.

You can have both Unity and GameMaker at the same time.

i will you what i know and you can choose 
you can learn C# (i don't if it easy , i tried but failed to learn it )
and use it with Unity 3D

Unity 3D pros :
1 - good for Beginners
2 - good for old pc's (not most old pc's)

Cons : 
1 - need a lot of coding to do basic things (moving camera , moving players ,etc )

that's what i know about Unity 3D.

or you can learn C++ (i found it easier than C#)
and use Unreal engine 4

Pros :
1 - require less coding (you will use visual blueprints system)
2 - have a lot of visual editors (for materials , editing meshes , etc)

Cons : 
1 - need  a powerful pc 
2 - Beginners will find it hard