   C/C++ help
  Hi all,I want to learn C/C++ for making a simple 2D game.The only thing I have some experiance in is lightwave 3D and google sketchup and I often model things like: Vehicles, Buildings and Characters.Can you tell me where to start, what I should do, or have some tips? Post 'em here.thanks.   
  I wouldn't use C or C++. Learning the language in itself is a lot of work, and working with it even more. Unless you're fixed on C or C++ or just want to go the super-low-level route, I'd rather suggest something modern like C#, Java or Python + PyGame.   ;  if you really wanna make a game i would suggest finding some gameengine u like.something that came to my mind is Allegro( http://alleg.sourceforge.net/ , http://www.allegro.cc/ ) or PyGame( http://www.pygame.org/news.html) or ClanLib( http://www.clanlib.org/ ) or XNA( http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/aa937791.aspx , http://www.microsoft.com/germany/msdn/coding4fun/projekte/xna/default.mspx , http://creators.xna.com/en-US/ ) EDIT: there are many more but these are the only ones i know that give you a decent 2d engine. all the others i know are 3d.Since you don't know any programming language it doesn't really matter which ya choose. They are all using the same principles. When u can truly programm in one u can in any other(just learn the syntax).   ;  Well, for me everything changed when I got the hang of C++. Once you've learned a low-level language, its very easy to switch to a more high level one like Java or Python.The problem with C++ is that it takes time to see result, and you must be patient to get the hang of pointers, polymorphism etc. In my school, we actually started out creating a simple shoot-em-up in c++, which meant that while we still had to bang in some advanced functions in the language, we immediately could see some result and we got motivated to learn more.my suggestion is that you look up some good beginners book for C++ and check out event-based programming. Once you've managed to create your own event-based game (something easy like shoot-em-up or top-view racing game), you'll have the ability to build more advanced games and you'll feel that you're really advancing your programming skills.   ;  I agree with Konfusius, but if you still want to learn C++, try this free book (there are a couple more at the bottom of this post).   ;Quote:Original post by RicklI want to learn C/C++What exactly do you mean by that statement? Do you want to learn C? Do you want to learn C++? Do you want to learn the C part of C++? Do you want to learn first C, then C++?   ;  As first languages go, neither C or C++ are ideal choices. I would recommend Python. If you insist on C++, ask Google about "Thinking in C++" and "C++: A Dialog" and study those. Practice writing small, simple, text-based programs first to get a feel for the language and, more importantly, for the process of programming.It will be a while (probably days to weeks with Python, weeks to months with C++) before you have developed enough facility with the language to look into using 3rd party APIs to get windows and 2D graphics on the screen.If your focus is really to learn to program, Python would be the most optimal route for you; C or C++ much less so. If your focus is to get your game created, learning programming in any capacity may not be for you, and you may want to look into modding an existing game or using suite of game creation software like Game Maker, or perhaps Unity. It all depends on what is more important to you and how much time and effort you are willing to sink into learning the appropriate tools.   ;  okay guys, before I will talk about this subject I first want to say Thanks for giving me the information I was looking for.I think I will dowload Python and learn (hopefully) faster than C/C++,So if I improved my programming skills I will focus on learning C/C++ for more complex programming.I also will try to mod a game first before trying to make one, If you have any suggestions or tips what kind of game I should mod (3d,2d,shooter,racing or maybe even a name of an game)Thanks for all the information   ;  I personally would recommend Java if you want to program. I've only very recently started but when it comes to handling objects and classes, I've seen (and tried) to program this with both Java and C++, and I am simply going to put C++ on hold (I may dabble with the language once in a while). I think there is a reason why our city's university (which, by the way, is a very very reputable one) lets the programmers start with Java because it's easier to learn with C++. C++ has its own advantages, but once you learn Java, I believe switching to C++ won't be very hard. And you'll probably be more productive with Java.Alternatively, go with Python or C#. I have several programmer friends including one who works as a .NET programmer (and he's quite good at it). They all recommend Java over C++ as a starting language. C++ is a great language though, and I do want to use it in the future, but I don't see the point of making things harder for me.As for game modding, that is another great idea. I personally liked Warcraft 3's level editor a lot, and am very excited about Starcraft 2's level editor.   ;Quote:Original post by Ricklokay guys, before I will talk about this subject I first want to say Thanks for giving me the information I was looking for.I think I will dowload Python and learn (hopefully) faster than C/C++,So if I improved my programming skills I will focus on learning C/C++ for more complex programming.Python and C# are good languages to start with. They both have very large standard libraries that allow you to get up and running and LEARNING quickly. C++ not so much. Something you should know: If your goal is to learn to program, then learn to program, you'll eventually pick up many languages as you pursue that goal (functional ones, procedural ones, object oriented ones, and languages that support many paradigms). As has already been mentioned in many other posts like this one: C++ is a hard language to learn, and even worse as a first language. It has many many corner cases that new programmers stumble over unintentionally (despite the many good books out there), and that makes it hard to really get up and learning to program. Instead you get hung up on the language and learning "C++", not so much how to program.Quote:I also will try to mod a game first before trying to make one, If you have any suggestions or tips what kind of game I should mod (3d,2d,shooter,racing or maybe even a name of an game)Easy games to mod include ones like Unreal, for which you can use Unreal Ed and UnrealScript to quickly create your own mods and get a feel for what is needed.   