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Ask HN: Programming to Game Programming?
I'm a programmer with moderate experience. I believe I have the skills necessary to become a game programmer, but I don't know where to start. I've searched around. Just finished Andy Gavin's "So you want to be a video game programmer?" series, and I still don't know where to start.
I've looked into various javascript game libraries. I've run through the demos and tutorials. I even took a 3D modeling and animation class in high school, where I proceeded to make 3Ds Max my bitch, but now I'm out of high school and can't afford 3Ds Max. Now I mess around with Blender occasionally.
So here's my question. Where do I really start? Have I started? If so, where do I go from here?
- Zolomon 15y agohttp://gamedev.stackexchange.com http://gamedev.stackexchange.com - this website is great for finding answers to question you haven't asked yet! http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions?sort=votes http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions?sort=votes - here is a collection of awesome questions to begin with getting solutions for. http://gamedev.net http://gamedev.net - here is another great website with everything you can ever need, check out the forums and article archive! http://gamasutra.com http://gamasutra.com - professionals hang out here. http://www.gpwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page http://www.gpwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page - here is another great wiki filled with good use. You're in for a joy ride. Prepare to devour information like never before. By the way, you'll learn best by just doing, so join in on http://www.ludumdare.com http://www.ludumdare.com and other indie gamedev competitions! Use Google, it's your greatest resource. I can recommend XNA with C# if you're on Windows, or PyGame if you're using Python (there are equally good platforms for any language you pick, don't worry about it - the same methodologies apply to them all (more or less)). Start simple and then go on to the harder stuff once you really feel like you've grasped the fundamentals. I love this question: http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/854/what-are-good-games-to-earn-your-wings-with http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/854/what-are-good... Remember, the biggest thing you can do wrong right now is trying to write the next-gen MMORPG. Scale after you've got something working. And while building your game, you will have your engine (common question, common pitfall). Good luck!
- acron0 15y ago+1 for PyGame or XNA. Start small, don't over-stretch.
- stonemetal 15y agowhere do I go from here? This question is unanswerable without a destination in mind. So where do you want to go? What kind of games do you want to make, AAA vs indie, puzzle, action, RPGs? If you want to go AAA pick one thing and do it really, really well. If you want to make indie games you will do a lot of everything learn it all. Web games pretty much require HTML, CSS, JS and something server side. Non web games not so much, unless you are making the game's website as well. Probably the easiest place to get started would be desktop based 2d puzzle games.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- guillaume_a 15y ago>Where do I really start? Make a game.
- meric 15y agoLook at http://love2d.org/ http://love2d.org/.