Programming language
- Thread starter Centory
- Start date
thanks
Depends on what you want your game to be, and thus what platform you want it to run on and what engine you'll be using. That pretty much dictates what programming language you're going to use.
C++ as the grandfather of many scripting languages is handy, in the same sense as learning Latin is handy if you want to learn other languages like Italian, French, Spanish or even German later on, but if you knew what language you'd be using in your project you might as well just learn that and skip the Latin!
C++ as the grandfather of many scripting languages is handy, in the same sense as learning Latin is handy if you want to learn other languages like Italian, French, Spanish or even German later on, but if you knew what language you'd be using in your project you might as well just learn that and skip the Latin!
I'm learning Visual Basic in college at the moment, but I'm going to be headed over to C++ sometime, apparently. I learnt that the structure of programming remains largely the same in different programming languages, it's just what words are used, so I suppose it won't be too difficult to make the jump to another language. After C++, I'm looking to learn Unreal Script.
I think C++ is the most widely used language to program video games in, because of the tight integration with the hardware and APIs.
Games written in Java are few and far between, although I remember IL2 might have been written in Java, at least the error exceptions looked a lot like it.
But C++ is hard for starters, and I wouldn't recommend someone to learn it first, start with coding flash games, or learn to use dev kits like UDK, Unity etc.
Games written in Java are few and far between, although I remember IL2 might have been written in Java, at least the error exceptions looked a lot like it.
But C++ is hard for starters, and I wouldn't recommend someone to learn it first, start with coding flash games, or learn to use dev kits like UDK, Unity etc.
For beginners C++ isn't that good since you have to deal with 3rd party libraries to even get some kind of rendering done. Something like C# combined with XNA (or Java if you don't want to use C# and XNA) would be good imo.
Last edited:
All of the C derived languages look the same, C++, Java, C#, Unreal Script ETC. Java is a good starting place as it has built in memory managment, C++ leaves that ALL up to you. ( ok Auto Ptr's being the exception ).
C++ has a LOT more quirks, and no compiler really gives meaningfull error messages, where as java compilers ususally spit out what youve done wrong. Syntatical errors are usually something for very junior programmers, so while that doesnt necessarily effect someone who knows the battlefield, it would be a good idea for you to take the easier language to start with.
The downside of java is that it compiles into Byte code, this is then interpreted by a Java Virtual machine on the fly. This means that java can run on any platform, but also dings you for a ~30% overhead hit; that being the reason serious games are not made in java.
For actually making games, C++ is an industry standard ( mate of mine worked on Dead rising 2, which is a C++ Base with three different independent bits for each platform ). Of course there is also unreal for all UE based games.
If you want a very minimal and simplistic IDE for JAVA look up BlueJ, it comes with a handy built in visual debugger, and not a whole heck of a lot more.
edit: Oh buggery me, completely forgot about XNA, I havent ever touched that but it might be something to look into..
C++ has a LOT more quirks, and no compiler really gives meaningfull error messages, where as java compilers ususally spit out what youve done wrong. Syntatical errors are usually something for very junior programmers, so while that doesnt necessarily effect someone who knows the battlefield, it would be a good idea for you to take the easier language to start with.
The downside of java is that it compiles into Byte code, this is then interpreted by a Java Virtual machine on the fly. This means that java can run on any platform, but also dings you for a ~30% overhead hit; that being the reason serious games are not made in java.
For actually making games, C++ is an industry standard ( mate of mine worked on Dead rising 2, which is a C++ Base with three different independent bits for each platform ). Of course there is also unreal for all UE based games.
If you want a very minimal and simplistic IDE for JAVA look up BlueJ, it comes with a handy built in visual debugger, and not a whole heck of a lot more.
edit: Oh buggery me, completely forgot about XNA, I havent ever touched that but it might be something to look into..
I'm taking the plunge on C++. My dad was a big C programmer back in the 80s and I've grown up around computers and pseudo-code most of my life. I figured after playing games this long, it's time to start learning to create them.
But I feel pretty code stupid, even though I've gotten down interpreting coding languages. Math was never my strong suit, nor was logic, and so I grapple with even small statements. Not to mention trying to visualize the structure of a program.
The Latin analogy to me is funny. I took some Latin in college just for the sake of knowing. I'm worried about my ability to code partly based on my experiences with learning Spanish and Latin. I can read both pretty well, and understand parts when spoken. But speaking them myself? More than I was ever really able to accomplish.
But I got a big 'ol college-level text book on Coding C++ (by way of C) here in front of me so I figure when I'm done with that, 6 months of coding projects and things and I might actually have enough understanding to pursue a real project. I know they are easier languages to learn (and C# + XNA does sound mighty tempting....) but I figure C++ is foundational, it's the industry standard and it's a gateway to more meaningful programming if I choose to pursue it. The idea of using libraries that I don't understand what they're doing is kind of anti-thetical to how I approach things...which is why I want to start on a core language instead of a derivative.
But I feel pretty code stupid, even though I've gotten down interpreting coding languages. Math was never my strong suit, nor was logic, and so I grapple with even small statements. Not to mention trying to visualize the structure of a program.
The Latin analogy to me is funny. I took some Latin in college just for the sake of knowing. I'm worried about my ability to code partly based on my experiences with learning Spanish and Latin. I can read both pretty well, and understand parts when spoken. But speaking them myself? More than I was ever really able to accomplish.
But I got a big 'ol college-level text book on Coding C++ (by way of C) here in front of me so I figure when I'm done with that, 6 months of coding projects and things and I might actually have enough understanding to pursue a real project. I know they are easier languages to learn (and C# + XNA does sound mighty tempting....) but I figure C++ is foundational, it's the industry standard and it's a gateway to more meaningful programming if I choose to pursue it. The idea of using libraries that I don't understand what they're doing is kind of anti-thetical to how I approach things...which is why I want to start on a core language instead of a derivative.
Last edited:
You can go with C++ and do SDL, Allegro, OpenGL or DirectX. I did this but then i tried C# and XNA, and it's way easier, XNA is designed for indie developers and students to make games. It's great.
The ones i've mentioned are the only ones ive tried. But if you go with XNA you can have a game running in no time There are tonnes of pre-made games and tutorials and starter kits and microsoft have great online documentation. Plus C# is an easy language to use with tonnes of features, like JAVA.
I've made a few different games in college, a space invaders type game with SDL, a sort of FPS room walking around game with OpenGL, a little bit of DirectX and 2 of my final year projects with XNA, a sims like game and a 3D defqon type game.
There's tonnes more stuff i dont even know about like LUA, Ogre, Unity, but just thought id throw some of my experience out there.
The ones i've mentioned are the only ones ive tried. But if you go with XNA you can have a game running in no time There are tonnes of pre-made games and tutorials and starter kits and microsoft have great online documentation. Plus C# is an easy language to use with tonnes of features, like JAVA.
I've made a few different games in college, a space invaders type game with SDL, a sort of FPS room walking around game with OpenGL, a little bit of DirectX and 2 of my final year projects with XNA, a sims like game and a 3D defqon type game.
There's tonnes more stuff i dont even know about like LUA, Ogre, Unity, but just thought id throw some of my experience out there.
Yeah, games like Terraria were made like that in XNA, and they're both polished and excellent, yet not terribly complex under the hood. I've dabbled in LUA a little in the past, and so I have lots of little bits of scripting experience cobbled together over the last 5 to 10 years.
My issue isn't necessarily the production of a game, I suppose that's sort of just time invested when you have the right tools. My main hurdle is going to be in trying to write algorithms that do I what I want. (The biggest feature of my dream game is procedural isometric map generation, with z-levels.) The kind of stuff you can't import libraries and well-known algorithms like A* to handle.
For that, I feel like I'm going to need more knowledge and understanding than getting into the easiest language and a good engine. Maybe I'm wrong.
Either way I've already scouted out the FIFE engine as something I might want to use down the line. But that's going to be after I get a handle on a fairly deep procedural map generator...and that's the part that has me a little unnerved. I checked out Unity but for what I wanted to do, it was overkill. (Full 3d isn't in my goals right now.)
I dunno. I have this need to understand more than I probably need to know to make something functional, and it's bitten me several times in the *** when trying to get into coding. But I feel like if I can understand and produce something functional in C++....then I'm capable of doing something quicker and easier and maybe better in a different language.
Last edited: