   Where to start?
  Hi guys Im a 29 guy finishing my BA in Computer Science. I have taken various programming classes to include C++, which I have knowledge on inheritance, polymorphism and such. I still got a lot to go but I would like to start somewhere in game programing. I have a lot of classes that involve C++ like Data Structures 1 and 2 and windows programing. I was wondering if some1 could point me to the right direction. Thanks   
  Learn about engines.My personal favourites:Ogre3D (Graphics Engine)PhysX (Physics Engine)Also, if you don't have models already and need to create your own, I recommend 3D Studio Max.You'll need a sound engine etc too. But focus on learning those two engines first.   ;  so a game engine would be next, I was thinking on Direct X... any thoughts   ;  Direct3D isn't a game engine. It's a layer of software that sits between your code and your computer's graphics device. It'll help you draw pretty pictures on the screen, but it won't help you turn those pretty pictures into a game.   ;Quote:Original post by Blak422so a game engine would be next, I was thinking on Direct X... any thoughtsIf you are interested in game programming, your best bet is to learn to use an existing engine, and work backwards from there.If you want to learn graphics programming, DirectX is as good a place to start as any - but the likelihood that you complete a finished game is vastly lower than in the first option [smile]   ;  so how should I approach it then?   ;Quote:Original post by Blak422so how should I approach it then?Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Do you want to bang out something functional ASAP? Use an engine. Do you want to learn how those engines work under the hood? Read up on Direct3D.   ;  well I want to eventually manipulate the engine to suit needs and maybe write my own...   ;Quote:Original post by Blak422well I want to eventually manipulate the engine to suit needs and maybe write my own...There are a great many open-source engines out there, so you can do whatever you like with them once you have the requisite experience. On the flip side, the key idea of an engine is that you *don't have to* rewrite basic functionality, and can instead concentrate on adding gameplay, etc. in the user code.   