How did you guys Learn to make video games. Encourage me

#1 Register at www.gameinstitute.com

#2 Is that how you learned all that you know??
I dont understand how this works.
Is this a school that i go to or do i take online courses to learn this stuff.
Or do i get video pakages which teaches me this stuff.
help me out here please

#3 If u go to their website all that is unclear, shall be made clear , of course u dont "have" to use them it was just a suggestion

#4 I am in the same boat with you (topic above yours). I have always wanted to program computer/video games. I have at least half a dozen in mind already! I have found that a game consists of more than programming. You need graphics artists, musicians, story board artists, and more as well. At my age, all of my friends in computers are already tied down with families. I am looking to form a team of younger people (just in or out of college) to help develop at least one of my games and enjoy the rewards ($) afterward. LOL!

#5 Okay im going to say something that most people wont like, well most of the younger subcribers anyway.

My advice?

Go away......

Find a college, class, school online traning venue or anything that will teach u programming,
preferably c++, but u could also do c#

When u have finished (and passed) that then come back

else you are just waisting your time!

Game development is not easy and if u do not even have the most basic of tools available, ie the
ability to program you will not get out of the starting block

All you are going to ever be able to do is make COSMETIC changes to the current engine

Dont read the books advertised here, they are meant for people who know what variables are and
how to declare a namespace etc etc etc

Besides if you cant program how do u know if you want to be a game programer?

Contrary to popular belief programming is not something ANYBODY can do, u actually have to have a specific
set of skills to think like a programer

Dons flak jacket, kevlar vest and digs a deeeeep hole

ooops forgot the steel helmet, puts that on quickly toooo

#6 Mark I think that is the best advice to give the younger members.

Most people come into game programming because they think it is easy. After all look at all the games that are made each and every year. It can't be that hard can it?

Well actually it is very hard if you are not skilled at programming. Being a person who does a lot of programming in various different areas, I can tell you that game programming is very different then other programming.

The best place to start is to go to college and takes classes on programming (C++, Java, .Net) and get in the mindset of a programmer. You might also want to look into getting books on C++. Not any of the game programming books, but plain old here-is-how-you-program in C++ books.

Hope this helps.

#7 Wow, you guys just discouraged me. But i dont plan on giving up.

#8 I have been interested in making games ever since I was thirteen, in the last five years I have learned:

To write HTML
To Program in C++ (for games and otherwise)
Some Java
2D art in Photo shop, Paint Shop, Microsoft Paint (haha)
3D art in Maya, Rhino, Milkshape, VRML 1&2 and Blender
Texturing
Sound mixing
Sound programming
Play guitar and piano (I want to learn violin), bass, panpipe, accordion, some flute, clarinet, mandolin, 12 string Guitar, congas, drums. All of which I adapt into sound tracks for my games.
Level design
Character Sketching
To develop story lines and scripts
Architecture
DVD design
Some menu and Ui programming
Movie editing
To persuade my talented siblings to do some of my voice acting.

But I still haven't developed a full game yet, but I feel that Im moving closer. If only I could get past some of Torques export bugs...

#9 Hmmm, the force is strong with this one

#10 But your right Mark, there is alot to making games, also people that first get into making games have amisconception that 1 person did it all. Odds are it was a team of 10-200 folks to complete a game, taking from 6 months to 5 years. These are not exaggerated number, 5 years may seem like a long time, but thats the truth. Also ao lot of folks want to play jack of all trade, which is fine. But usually a person will fit into certain venues, like a programmer, or a artist, or a Writer, or any number of specialized fields. there isnt one field. now true a person can learn a bit of each field. But i can almost gaurentee that a person will find a niche and specialize. Each person is different. Thats the truth about starting game development. People forget its a team effort, and very very seldom do we see a mass hit game made by a single person with no help.

Now as a indie, My best suggestion, read everything, i spent the first 3 months reading thousands of pages of programming, and game dev books. Yes thousands, my eyes hurt sometimes i read so much. But look at me now.

www.mydreamrpg.com/community/showthread.php?t=1594

Yes thats me as lead of my team. Edward Moyer. Check out some of my posts. in fact look around alot of the site. Now this doesnt mean one can just jump on a team and learn, youmight find a dev thats willing to take you under his wing. It happens. I tried twice, both persons thought they were better off making thier own game rather then trying to learn a assigned task. Wanna fly solo, you might find it tough in this business. Game developement is about skillsets being brought together in the end. To produce a game, and possible even have a bit of fun while doing it. thats my 2 cents.

#11 I think you need to come here with "eyes wide open". Mark's advise would probably be the most efficient way, especially if you want to be a one man show, but it is not the only way. I would also suggest leaving these forums for some time and go find a game out there that you really like. Then, Mod the hell out of it. Get use to all the various concepts (for most will translate to some degree to most other engines). Once, you have a very good (not somewhat) understanding of it, have learned other things such as max, blender, etc., have become proficient at texture creation, and at least have a working knowledge of C++, then come back.

Eyes wide open simply means, look around. There are some very talented people here, and most of them will never complete their projects to any real extent. You see, the less you come here with, the more the odds will be against you in doing anything beyond superficial stuff. This holds true for everyone. If their are so many people here that already know most the skill sets, and they have great difficulty completeing a project.. how much more will it be for you?

This is not meant as an attempt to discourage you, but you need to get your ducks in a row first. And last, if you need us to encourage you to make your project, then half the battle is already lost.

#12 I would use the Game Institute, because it teaches everything I learned in school and more. I'm actually taking some more classes to further advance myself from the Game Institute. I paid $70,000 for college and didn't learn half the stuff I will be learning from the Game Institute. Oh yeh the Game Institute is cheap.

#13 Dudes

Read Edwards Plan and his link to his game @ dreamgame

WEll DONE !


Man this is brilliant reading and it shows just how much work goes into

"making games"

ps dude im soooo jealous. I'd love to have been able to enter that competition!

Ah well next time ;)

#14

Quote:Read Edwards Plan and his link to his game @ dreamgame

Already seen it over there; They have some very interesting things in the works for sure.

#15 I read what you're reading, and not even following any tutorials. I just looked at the scripts, the explanations, and I eventually figured it out. Using resources from this site is helpful, but instead of just copy and pasting them, read the code, and figure out how it works, how everything is put together, and why. I'm also a young developer, and I'm willing to give you a hand at any time.

#16 I started when I was ... I think ... 12. And that was WAY TOO MANY FRIGGIN' YEARS AGO.

We had no Web. We had precious few books to use to learn. We had computers with as little as 1K of RAM (I upgraded to a Commodore 64 and thought I'd NEVER fill all 64K ... 48k Useable). We started small. I was typing in lines of code out of magazines and books.

Twelve years later, I was working at a videogame company, making games for the "new" Sony Playstation that most people hadn't yet heard of.

And now I'm doing the indie-game thing at night, while making games for current-gen consoles and PC as a day job.

What it takes is practice. Go find tutorials (there are SEVERAL for TGB right now) and go through them step-by-step. Following what the experienced guys have been doing is probably the best way to start. Then do your own thing, but keep it SMALL. Too many wannabe developers want to start making a World of Warcraft or a Twilight Princess or a Gears of War right off the bat. Try something simple, fun, and capable of being finished first. Learn what you need to learn. And then plan something bigger.

Jay Barnson
Tales of the Rampant Coyote
Rampant Games

#17 @Jay

prostrates himself of the floor

repeat after me everyone "we're not worthy, we're not worthy"

Dude,

You're living the dream

Kudos man

I just pray i also get there

#18 Living the dream iis making indie games at night --- which is a nightmare sometimes too. The day job is... well, it's fun sometimes, but work also. I've got nothing special. I was just explaining that it just starts with the simple, stupid stuff. Making Space Invaders clones and text adventures was where I learned what I needed to know to do more advanced stuff.

If you really wanna get there, you'll get there.

Jay Barnson
Tales of the Rampant Coyote
Rampant Games

#19 ...yet some of us still make text adventures as the advanced stuff!

#20 Hey, a really sweet parser would impress me. But what you are doing is something that would intimidate me!