I want to start programming games, how should I start?

[rippy4500]

This is something ive wanted to do for a long time, but never got around to it. I know pretty much nothing about this so how should I start?

 

Im mostly am interested in what software I should use. and what I should use to learn how to code, like tutorials and stuff.

I want to design it to run on pc first, it seems like it would be the easiest platform to design games for, I could be wrong but idk.

Ideally I would like for the software to be cheap, (or free if possible, but paid software is probably better) And also have tons of capabilites but also be easy to learn.

 

I will be on my own for this, so I will have to deal with sounds, textures, etc, all on my own.

 

System:

amd r5 5600x

16gb 2x8 trident z rgb 3600 c18

evga gtx 970

windows 10 home 64 bit

(im upgrading in the future, mostly for gaming but I feel like it would benefit this as well. I will have r5 7600x, 32gb ddr5, and rtx 4090.)

[GorujoCY]

what Engine do you wanna use for your first game?

 

If for example you are getting started with Unity, I say start learning C#, then start slowly learning from Unity documentation, maybe a few tutorials and also learning from Unity store assets...

 

 

Again, THIS ASSUMES you are getting started with Unity

 

If you are doing another engine let us know...

[rippy4500]

Just now, GorujoCY said:

what Engine do you wanna use for your first game?

 

If for example you are getting started with Unity, I say start learning C#, then start slowly learning from Unity documentation, maybe a few tutorials and also learning from Unity store assets...

 

 

Again, THIS ASSUMES you are getting started with Unity

 

If you are doing another engine let us know...

Unity is probably fine for now, but I want to know if theres anything else that may be better or different. (Im ok with paying money for it)

 

Is C# easy to learn? I mostly want to make a basic 2d rhythm or platformer game to start with, I want to make it work with basic mechanics, and then add on to it as I learn more and more.

 

One more thing is that idk if my gpu is powerful enough, I think it may have trouble with more demanding stuff.

[GorujoCY]

13 minutes ago, rippy4500 said:

Unity is probably fine for now, but I want to know if theres anything else that may be better or different. (Im ok with paying money for it)

 

Is C# easy to learn? I mostly want to make a basic 2d rhythm or platformer game to start with, I want to make it work with basic mechanics, and then add on to it as I learn more and more.

 

One more thing is that idk if my gpu is powerful enough, I think it may have trouble with more demanding stuff.

Other engines you could license and that I'm aware of are Epic's Unreal Engine and some infamous ones like Crytek's, but those engines are especially made for experienced Game developers in mind as far as I know. I'm not sure what other options are there other than those 3

 

for beginners/rookies Unity can be a great starting point especially good enough for 2D Games

 

As the difficulty for C#, haven't personally got deep into learning it but if you understand/learned Java, it's similar/easier

[DreamCat04]

11 minutes ago, rippy4500 said:

One more thing is that idk if my gpu is powerful enough, I think it may have trouble with more demanding stuff.

For coding a basic 2d game even a 970 is enough but good looking 3d games might not run that smoothly...

[GorujoCY]

2 minutes ago, DreamCat04 said:

For coding a basic 2d game even a 970 is enough but good looking 3d games might not run that smoothly...

Heck when I used Unity and Blender to import 3D models for VRChat on my laptop GTX 1050, I didn't have any major performance issues doing so....

 

and I'm planning to come back to importing 3d models now that Bonelab is there....

[rippy4500]

Just now, GorujoCY said:

Heck when I used Unity and Blender to import models for VRChat, I didn't have any major performance issues doing so....

Im gonna use unity, is there any extra tips you have? For optimizing performance or making coding easier?

[GorujoCY]

4 minutes ago, rippy4500 said:

Im gonna use unity, is there any extra tips you have? For optimizing performance or making coding easier?

for optimization and stuff like that, I'm not a game developer nor a VRC Creator for example and since we are talking unity, That would be the Community who are experienced in Unity and know how to optimize but since it's a 2d Game i wouldn't worry on optimization 

 

If I had to give a critical tip though,  that would be to Just don't code like how YandereDev did it! If you get it you get it

[rippy4500]

Just now, GorujoCY said:

Just don't code like how YandereDev did it! If you get it you get it

1 minute ago, GorujoCY said:

for optimization and stuff like that, I'm not a game developer nor a VRC Creator for example and since we are talking unity, That would be the Community who are experienced in Unity and know how to optimize but since it's a 2d Game i wouldn't worry on optimization 

I know some 2d games that are actually pretty heavy on cpu, but if my game is basic then I guess I shouldnt worry, for now anyways.

[Sauron]

39 minutes ago, rippy4500 said:

I know pretty much nothing about this so how should I start?

You should learn how programming works in general before you even consider attempting a videogame, unless you're looking to use one of those simplified game maker programs (which are quite limited).

41 minutes ago, rippy4500 said:

I want to design it to run on pc first, it seems like it would be the easiest platform to design games for, I could be wrong but idk.

Ideally I would like for the software to be cheap, (or free if possible, but paid software is probably better) And also have tons of capabilites but also be easy to learn.

 

I will be on my own for this, so I will have to deal with sounds, textures, etc, all on my own.

Don't bother with any of this until you have learned some programming and have an actual idea of what you're getting into.

 

As for tutorials, there are plenty of courses for absolute beginners on youtube. Don't expect to get good at it in a few days or even a few months though.

 

[rippy4500]

6 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Don't expect to get good at it in a few days or even a few months though.

Thats a bummer

7 minutes ago, Sauron said:

You should learn how programming works in general before you even consider attempting a videogame

Are you sure its that difficult? My first goal for gaming would probably be to make a square that moves around or something incredibly simple like that.

[GorujoCY]

13 minutes ago, GorujoCY said:

for optimization and stuff like that, I'm not a game developer nor a VRC Creator for example and since we are talking unity, That would be the Community who are experienced in Unity and know how to optimize but since it's a 2d Game i wouldn't worry on optimization 

 

If I had to give a critical tip though,  that would be to Just don't code like how YandereDev did it! If you get it you get it

that's true but those may be utilizing 3d like Graphics maybe, at least from what I know I've seen no Indie 2D games that have been heavy on CPU so that was my assumption... I say as another tip to just be careful how you utilize Start() and Update() functions so that the cpu isn't being the burden because your game is constantly using the update function for example

[Sauron]

1 minute ago, rippy4500 said:

Are you sure its that difficult? My first goal for gaming would probably be to make a square that moves around or something incredibly simple like that.

For something that simple no, it wouldn't be very difficult and you can use any hardware. I saw a lot of answers that seem to assume you're about to drop GTA 7 so I wanted to steer the conversation to something more realistic... you should definitely not be looking at Unity or Unreal if you want to make pong. Take a look at pygame https://www.pygame.org/wiki/GettingStarted

[rippy4500]

5 minutes ago, Sauron said:

I saw a lot of answers that seem to assume you're about to drop GTA 7 so I wanted to steer the conversation to something more realistic

No lol, just want to make a dead simple game and work on it from there.

[Guest]

On 9/30/2022 at 7:34 AM, rippy4500 said:

This is something ive wanted to do for a long time, but never got around to it. I know pretty much nothing about this so how should I start?

Decide what kinds of games you want to make.

On 9/30/2022 at 7:34 AM, rippy4500 said:

Im mostly am interested in what software I should use. and what I should use to learn how to code, like tutorials and stuff.

Depends.

If you have zero programming experience either:
1. Use Scratch

2. Use Construct

3. Learn how to program. I like the free Java course on CodeCademy. The skills are transferable to the other "C" languages. Otherwise, take a class at a local college.

On 9/30/2022 at 7:34 AM, rippy4500 said:

I want to design it to run on pc first, it seems like it would be the easiest platform to design games for, I could be wrong but idk.

Ideally I would like for the software to be cheap, (or free if possible, but paid software is probably better) And also have tons of capabilites but also be easy to learn.

Some technoloies you can use are

 

Engines that have you write code and can do 3D:

1. Unity (as stated) (also does 2D) Has asset store -Popular game? Tarkov

2. Unreal Engine. (Gives away free AAA graphics all the time) has asset store -Popular game? Fortnite

3. Godot Engine. (Gaining popularity) (also does 2D) Buy the Miziziziz Udemy courses on how to make PS1 graphics and you can make art there.  -Popular game? Wrought Flesh is one

 

Engines with less code writing 2D only really)

4. Construct (unknown about asset store) - Popular game? I think Goodgis on youtube made some MMOs with it

5. Game maker (Has sprite editor and built in animation maker.) -popular game? Undertale

6. Scratch (idk much about this)

7. RPG Maker (basically used to make Pokemon style RPG games. Fun and easy to use) MV and VX Ace are the 2 newest ones iirc. They have a ton of assets and you can make custom character super easily. -Popular game? Markiplier played a game called to the moon iirc.

 

Low level tech. If you like coding or want a job in games PROGRAMMING, check these:

8. Open GL 3.3 or DirectX 11

9. SDL or SFML (2D graphics & windowing libraries

10. Monogame - Popular game? Stardew Valley

11. Ogre 3D -Popular game? Magika iirc

 

On 9/30/2022 at 7:34 AM, rippy4500 said:

I will be on my own for this, so I will have to deal with sounds, textures, etc, all on my own.

 

Tools to go with:

1. Asperite for 2d graphics. Often used for "pixel art." only $20.

2. Gimp for 2d graphics. Photoshop alternative. Free and open source

3. Blender for 3d graphics. Free and open source

4. BFXR for bitcrush sounds like Nintendo original.

5. Audacity for free sound recording to make your own sounds.

7. One Note for writing ideas down and organizing them.

8. Pencil and paper for drawing things out like UML.

9. Web browser. Used to find things you dont want to make/don't know how to make./

 

On 9/30/2022 at 7:34 AM, rippy4500 said:

System:

amd r5 5600x

16gb 2x8 trident z rgb 3600 c18

evga gtx 970

windows 10 home 64 bit

(im upgrading in the future, mostly for gaming but I feel like it would benefit this as well. I will have r5 7600x, 32gb ddr5, and rtx 4090.)

Overkill but good.

I worked on a top selling 3D steam game with good graphics. We were using i5 processors and 1050s. You're plenty fine.

Right now I'm on a Ryzen 2400G using the integrated graphics (equal to like a 750) making a realistic graphics game in UE4.

You're fine.

 

Unless you really mess something up, or somehow take full advantage of your computer which I find extraordinarily unlikely, you'll have a breeze of a time.

Game programming was a whole lot harder to run in the early 2000s, but even then, people found a way to make it accessible on widely owned PCs, so... yeah.

 

An SSD or an HDD dedicated to your game development stuff sure wouldn't hurt.

 

 

If you learn C#, I recommend this book:

It's like 5~15 dollars and is small and is plenty for you to do plenty.

The hard stuff in game development is finding the fun, the attention to detail, and most certainly the math/logic.

[Franck]

I would honestly start with Game Maker Studio. It is a very simple first step before getting into the big engines. You don't have to invest a lot of time and you will know quickly if you like it or not.

[Elijah Kamski]

On 9/30/2022 at 10:16 PM, GorujoCY said:

Just don't code like how YandereDev did it! If you get it you get it

I know what Yandere sim is and what a Yandere is, but never heard what a Yandere dev was...

searched it up XD

Was not disappointing XD

[Omni-Owl]

On 9/30/2022 at 1:34 PM, rippy4500 said:

This is something ive wanted to do for a long time, but never got around to it. I know pretty much nothing about this so how should I start?

 

Im mostly am interested in what software I should use. and what I should use to learn how to code, like tutorials and stuff.

I want to design it to run on pc first, it seems like it would be the easiest platform to design games for, I could be wrong but idk.

Ideally I would like for the software to be cheap, (or free if possible, but paid software is probably better) And also have tons of capabilites but also be easy to learn.

 

I will be on my own for this, so I will have to deal with sounds, textures, etc, all on my own.

 

System:

amd r5 5600x

16gb 2x8 trident z rgb 3600 c18

evga gtx 970

windows 10 home 64 bit

(im upgrading in the future, mostly for gaming but I feel like it would benefit this as well. I will have r5 7600x, 32gb ddr5, and rtx 4090.)

Game Developer here!

So you want to get into programming? That's neat! Programming can be a lot of fun once you start getting pretty decent at it. It's like constant problem solving and then feeling that rush after you solve the problem

(Then the following dread as you realise you could have done it better and then you obsess over it, but that's a future you problem!)

 

From someone who has a bachelor's degree in computer science, I'd say, with all sincerity; Start by learning some basic programming concepts. A good programmer is not one who knows all the syntax and such. A good programmer is a good problem solver first and foremost. You can learn decent programming in about 4-6 months from scratch (maybe make that a year or so since you are completely on your own) and then you are done, more or less. The rest of the time will be spent improving that foundation, software design and arhictecture.

 

Problem Solving.

 

Making games is really hard. It's easier than ever, yes, but it's not easy. Especially not when you have zero experience programming.

I'd start by not making games at all. At least not games that require software suites like Unity, Unreal or even Game Maker. I'd learn the basics:

• Variables
• Built-in Types
• Scope
• Functions
• Flow Control
• Structure

These are somewhat in order, but you will be touching them all as you go.

To start with, pick up something with a low barrier for entry like JavaScript, Java or Python (some might tell you C# but don't start there. It'll spoil you when learning other languages. Pick it up later.). You could learn by using something like https://www.khanacademy.org/ or by picking up a book, setup and go (probably the best way to go). A lot of YouTubers are terrible teachers, but might be excellent programmers. You have to wade through a lot before you find the good ones.

 

Once you can write some simple programs, understand the very basics...then you might start to consider working on something using GameMaker, RPG Maker or Unity. They are all pretty accessible (RPG Maker can be quite pricey though).

 

Trust me, your venture into game making will be so much less painless if you do it this way.

I cannot tell you how many people I see *every day* on game making discords, sub-reddits and forums asking such basic questions and even junior programmers getting increasingly frustrated by it because most of it is...so so basic.

 

Try and search "Object not set to an instance of an object; null" and see the literally millions of search results...it's a very simple error, but most people who never learned programming formally has no clue what it means.

 

If you already have knowledge here then a simple way to start is; Pick *a topic* and get into it. Then get into another topic later. Game Making is inherently cross disiplinary across many different fields in graphics, sounds and programming. You cannot possibly learn to master them all, but you can find the ones you have the best affinity for and find others to fill the gaps.

 

Good luck!

[Omni-Owl]

20 minutes ago, that_dude said:

https://www.lazarus-ide.org/

Agree. Computer science has nothing incommon with computers/PCs. All you need is pen, paper and coffee.

 

For programming? No C++, no phyton, no java and not what ever is the new big thing.  They are all one way or another cancer/easy to memorize stupid programming pattern or hard to understand error messages.

Start out with a language like object pascal ("delphi ") and once you are done with the basics switch to C++.

I guess I should elaborate that my Computer Science degree was much more practical than theoretical ^^

[VirusDumb]

I had started learning unity from brackeys but the thing is he dropped the tutorial back in 2016 since then a lot has changed like some code being "obsolete" which unity won't run, things which are supposed to be in the menu are in random icons all over your screen (I spent 5 days figuring out where snap gridding was), there were like 10 videos in the tutorial, I completed the first 5 on one day then from 6th video I slowed down because we'll my school studies started again, and right now I've completely stopped, I'm trying to prepare for literally what is considered the hardest exam in the world (JEE advance) like there's 2 years left of time until I give the exam and I already don't have enough free time, any free time I just don't feel like progressing instead I just relax flying around and shooting up NPCs on GTA 

[VirusDumb]

23 hours ago, Omni-Owl said:

Start by learning some basic programming concepts.

I've been a bit interested towards programming, learnt some QBasic, visual basic (upto loops and lists), a lil bit of c++ and Java (just till if else stuff) back in 8th grade, I'm currently learning python(they're teaching me to print patterns of pyramids, diamonds and hourglasses, it's annoying and giving me sophophobia towards it for the first time) because it's in my syllabus(up to lists and arrays and stuff). Will that count or should I go for more?

[VirusDumb]

23 hours ago, Omni-Owl said:

(some might tell you C# but don't start there. It'll spoil you when learning other languages. Pick it up later.).

I've started a bit through brackeys unity tutorials, but I'm already learning python right now, are there any good free tutorials where I can learn the basics of unity with python instead of c# like in brackeys?

[Omni-Owl]

1 hour ago, VirusDumb said:

I've started a bit through brackeys unity tutorials, but I'm already learning python right now, are there any good free tutorials where I can learn the basics of unity with python instead of c# like in brackeys?

Forget about Unity for now. Learn the basics of programming first. No matter what C-based language you pick (like Python) you can learn the basics of programming through that.

Not to badmouth Brackey's here, I'll just say it's not really a good learning resource. It's a nice set of tutorials for doing various simple things, but it's not really a good resource to learn how to program. There are other better resources for that.

[VirusDumb]

5 hours ago, Omni-Owl said:

Forget about Unity for now. Learn the basics of programming first. No matter what C-based language you pick (like Python) you can learn the basics of programming through that.

Not to badmouth Brackey's here, I'll just say it's not really a good learning resource. It's a nice set of tutorials for doing various simple things, but it's not really a good resource to learn how to program. There are other better resources for that.

I've already learnt the basics of programming and just learning a bit more, but I want to start learning to make games on an engine right now.

[Omni-Owl]

9 hours ago, VirusDumb said:

I've already learnt the basics of programming and just learning a bit more, but I want to start learning to make games on an engine right now.

If you feel you've learned the basics of programming and is comfortable with that, then start reading Unity documentation.

https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/UnityOverview.html