I've just started programming. What are some good launguages and game engines to use?

Question

Write now I've been learning C and I find it easiest so far even above python.. I've only done a simple addition script were it asks for 2 numbers and it gives you the sum of them. When I learn c what can I use to make games with it or should I learn another script first for beginning to game program?

Answer 1

here's a FREE online book for game programming with Python and Pygame



Program Arcade Games With Python And Pygame

http://programarcadegames.com/



The book was written and is used by a professor for his Introduction to Programming class.

Since it is an introduction, it assumes no experience. So it starts off at the very beginning.



Python is a very powerful language

it is used by MIT in their first few programming courses

and Python is used by many companies

(read what some of them have to say about the language)

www.python.org/about/quotes/



here's a video of a game one of his student's made

/watch?v=S7eMdoM1MTc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7eMdoM1MTc



nothing too fancy, but pretty impressive for their first game



here's some more

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUjR0nhln8uZZjNv16i-v5Sgi_spcoWQS



the Python book is full of videos and code and tells you how to install and get started with Python



there is also 3 hour tutorial video on the pygame home page

/watch?v=bMt47wvK6u0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMt47wvK6u0



http://www.pygame.org/news.html



(but starting with the book is easier)



After you've worked through the book, and watched all the videos and made a few games then you can continue with Python and make more advanced games



or you can download the Unreal Engine

and program games in C++

https://www.unrealengine.com/

https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/



or download Unity 3D

and start programming with C#

here's some great tutorials

https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules



you'll find a couple of video playlist tutorials here on C++ and C#



https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0EE421AE8BCEBA4A



https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAE85DE8440AA6B83



the C++ videos tells you how to install a C++ compiler and program the C++ language

the C# videos tells you how to install a C# compiler and program the C# language



but I think starting with Python is easiest and quickest

Python is SO MUCH easier than C, C++ or C#



but that's up to you

definitely check out the Unity tutorials and the Python stuff



making videos games is not easy

even when you use game development engines like Unreal and Unity and CryEngine you still have to know and do a lot

Answer 2

C++ for gaming, I'd also take a look at the Unity game engine (it's free) as they have tons of tutorials. By following the tutorials you'll get to learn by doing :)

Answer 3

C is more suited to embedded systems and hardware-level programming. It allows the coder to access specific bits and do bit-wise operations very easily and efficiently.



For games you will want to look into other languages. C# is a good one start with, but any Object-Oriented language will do.

Answer 4

C ++ is supposed to be the easiest programming language to learn but its also good to learn PHP, CSS, and HTML too because C++ lets u use the website designs: PHP, CSS, & HTML

Answer 5

I can't imagine you've seen much of either language if you think C is easier than Python. The Python (2.x) code for your sample program is:



num1 = input("Enter a number: ")

num2 = input("Enter another number: ")

print "The sum is", num1+num2



The C version involves scanf/printf with % formats and program crashes when you forget the & on scanf arguments.



#include

int main() {

int num1, num1;

printf("Enter a number: ");

scanf("%d", &num1);

printf("Enter another number: ");

scanf("%d", &num2);

printf("The sum is %d\n", num1+num2);

return 0;

}



That's 9 "business" lines instead of 3, and lots of symbols. On an old compiler, you might get away with "void main()" and losing the "return 0;" statement, but the above is pretty close to a minimal Standard C program.



When you get beyond this, C also makes it harder to manage abstraction. Python is not the best at this, either, but it's to have objects than to not have them.



You mention game engines, so I guess you are interested in game programming. I suggest you pick a language like Python, Java or C# and work through a basic book or tutorial site until you know the basic data types (numbers, characters, strings), data structures (arrays, lists, structs, objects) and program structures (if/else, loops, functions, exceptions).



Then I suggest a book to learn the basics of game programming. This will reinforce the basics, plus you will learn new ideas about event-driven programming, graphics and sound. I don't recommend a deep, theoretical book to start. One author (not the only one, by any means) that does a pretty good job is Jonathan S. Harbour. I've seen two of his books on beginning game programming based on Java (better) and C++. He explains the basic ideas and takes you through the development of a complete, playable game...adding details as you learn new techniques.



Don't make Harbour your "virtual mentor" for coding style, though. He's a bit sloppy (but I've seen worse from coworkers over the years.)



If you're in a US high school and plan to take AP Computer Science, I suggest Python or perhaps C# as a language. AP-CS will cover Java and if you have already learned it, you will be bored rigid. If you're going to be in class for the credit, at least be learning something new.



The problem with C and C++ for learners is precisely the same reason that those languages (mostly C++) are often used to write game engines. They compile directly to machine code without inserting safety checks. The assumption is that the programmer knows what should be done. A program bug often shows up as a lockup or a "This program has stopped working." dialog, with little helpful information. Debugging is difficult, and beginning programming is almost all debugging. That said, you could also use C++ as a starter language. The full language is more complex than any of the others mentioned, but you can get by with a subset.

Answer 6

For .net development C# is good to know, in addition to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery.