Need Some Programming Help.

Hey, I know I\'ve seen a couple of you write about how your programmers or like to program.  Anyways, I\'ve been trying how to learn video game programming but I\'m having trouble finding a good place to start. I\'ve got some beginning programing books, but they had nothing to do w/ games so it didn\'t mention how programming is applied in relation to games.  I\'ve just started w/ a c/c++ book, but still can\'t find much that video game specific. Can anyone help me out?

Well you could write some text adventure games in C, if thats your thing. If you want to take it to graphics, You should probably do bitmaps. And it won\'t work for you if you are stupid... You need to write different commands for bits on the bid map. If you want to do polygons and textures I suggest getting lessons at http://www.digipen.com or, take a local class at a community college. Thats what I did even outside of Harvard.

Thanks animal-mother.

Originally posted by animal_mother1
You should probably do bitmaps. And it won\'t work for you if you are stupid...

LOL - a guidance councellor that tells it like it is.  

That\'s what I went to college for, dbv23, but unfortunately, no one will hire you as a game programmer w/out experience.  Just be willing to accept some intro-level jobs first.

Hey! i\'m in college right now!! in computer programming!

the college I go to take the "teach programming logic and they can do whatever they want" instead of the "only teach C++ and let them be on their way" philosophy. the cool thing is I\'m gonna take a dip in a lot of things! we do C++, RPG, COBOL, Java, ASP, VB, some Oracle, were even working on an AS/400. It\'s a shame Assembly was recently removed from the course tho

I also got a MS Visual studio, DirectX 8 SDK, Genesis 3D and shadow realm on my PC.

I\'ve got DirectX8 SDK
It is pretty cool I guess. I\'ll put up a website with my projects (even my secret) when the HDD comes out

Kaji, stay away from COBOL and RPG unless you have some special interest in them.  Not much demand for COBOL programmers unless it\'s conversion work.  AS/400 ppl can make a little $$.

The money is in UNIX.  C, XML, Javascript, Assembly are all good.  So is JAVA.  My company uses C/C++ in Unix, Oracle and JAVA.

I had a year of COBOL and all it got me was a headache.  If you know assembly you can get a real good job.  UNIX knoweledge can get secure a job for you after graduation.

I am in my third programming class at my high school.  I\'m making the coolest game right now.  It should be done in a few months.

[Living-In-Clip]

http://www.gamedev.net
Learn C++ and some ASM. Also, get used to multi-user OS, such as OpenBSD , UNIX.

I would imagine you are going to start out doing Win based games right? So you\'ll want to learn the Win API and maybe MFC (Micrsoft Foundation Class). Less your going to make DOS games. Either way, it should be a simple game to start off with, but you\'ll need to know that stuff. Then, you\'ll need to know the ASM, if you plan on doing console development.

I should also mention, that if you want to start out easier. Try VB, you can make some good text adventure games and such with VB. You can also, if you get good at it, using API make better games. Just be sure , to realize that all VB projects require support files, (i.e, OCX/VB DLL runtime files). And can get rather large really fast. But, its a good way to start and get a handle on things. If you do that, I recommend  "Visual Basic 6 from Ground Up" by Cornell. Course, your not going to get a job developing VB games more and likely. It would be a simple hobby, nothing else.



[Edited by Living-In-Clip on 12-12-2000 at 08:39 PM]

Thanks everyone for the great replies.  Has anyone taken a look at the book "Game Programming Gems"? If so, is it any good? I\'m thinking about getting it, but it\'s $70. Also I\'ve probably got a ways to go before I could really get much out of it (since I\'m just starting c/c++).  I usually tend to move to fast in tying to learn things and end up learning them backwards. Hey animal-mother, Is there somewhere we could check some stuff you\'ve done so far? (Or anybody else that been programming.)  

I know E.N.G.L.I.S.H. it\'s a pretty basic language but it\'s used often. I went to primary school and then high school to learn it.

Sorry...erm....I took a Java course in first year University!

emperor, it\'s all in the demographics: up here (Quebec) it\'s still pretty much COBOL. ya know, governement offices yadayadayada.

but that\'s what cool about my school, we see those languages, but they teach us programming logic, so then it\'s only a question of writing it in the desired language.

Of course, I\'ll spend some free time checking on assembly and others,but hey! atleast I\'ll have done a bit if everything!

dbv23, don\'t try to program a game until you know the language good.  Wait until after you know the language before you start to program a game or you will run into a lot of trouble.  
And the best video game programmers book out there right now is "Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus," written by Andre LaMothe.  Ask anyone at Gamedev and they will tell you the same thing.  I wouldn\'t suggest getting it until you know C++ well though.  
And, if it\'s possible, I suggest that you take a programming class instead of trying to learn out of a book.  It is a million times easier if you take a class instead of trying to learn it on your own by reading.

I\'m learning JAVA right now. Next year I\'ll be learning C++. JAVA is actually a pretty good language - it\'s clever designed and without many silly limitations. It\'s not good for advanced games though.