Skills for Animation/Game Programming.?

Question

I'm really interested in graphics and stuff related to that like animation or game programming. A while ago I found a list of things that are useful for animating like learning Python. I already knew about Python but there were other things that I forgot about and I forgot the website to. Can you list all the skills useful/needed for animating, game programming, and if you can special effects like super human powers in Heroes.
By the way I'm in High School if that helps anything but there's a lot to learn and its not bad to learn them early.

Answer 1

instead of answering the question of listing the skills needed for game programming i would answer that game programming would need 3 element :



1. Programming element

2. Designing element

3. Human element



let me explain it a bit

1. programming element : in order to do game programming you would need at the very least person with programming ability that involved the field of :



a. Graphics Programming ( knowledge of Graphics API such as DirectX or OPENGL or even GDI+)

b. Artificial intelligence. ( knowledge of how to make computer do things as human would do )

c. advance algorithm and advance programming skill. ( games required many optimization and many of which will required you to know advance programming n algorithm)

d. Basic Calculus and Physics (needed to do graphics programming)



all of this skills are of course could be learn in college if you took computer science (just like me :D )



2. Design elements : game required a very extensive designing works. either it is 2D or 3D game generally every game designer should worry about :



a. User interface design (where is that play button ?)

b. level design ( why is there a card reader in front of that medieval gothic door ?)

c. Character design n animation (no need for example i guess)

d. Advertising design ( trailer and such)

e. Game design (story and such)



3. Human element : developing a game would require many human skills such as :



a. Team Work (you don't think that blizzard stands for a person right ?)

b. Motivation n will( you need a lot motivation to develop a game )

c. Patience (it is a virtue, games don't just pop out in a single night)

d. Clear Vision (you need to know what your game will be like, is it good enough, and all that sort)



i don't know much bout phyton so i really can't say a thing, but i'm currently studying XNA game studio, an API from Microsoft along with C# that could create a game for the XboX console. if you are interested you could google it up. ( i may not know much bout other graphics API but i guess that when it comes to 3D nothing beats DirectX (i learned MDX , Dx, OPENGL) , and XNA is built from DirectX and it is simpler).



well i hope i helped you :D

Answer 2

Python is a good language to start out with game programming in. If you don't have any programming experience, then start with the basics. Learn the language and the fundamentals of programming. You can start making games in a program called Game Maker if you don't want to worry about doing actual coding. It's free and available online. If you're serious about game programming, study up now while you're in high school. Find a good college to go to for game programming, and live the dream.

Answer 3

If you're truly serious about being a game developer, learn all you can now in high school, and then find a college curriculum in game programming. There is such a beast, and if you want to do it well, you need to learn it well. Find the school, find the curriculum, and learn whatever you can in high school classes.



And that will mean you have to take the hard classes now, like physics, and maybe even calculus.

Answer 4

Add my msn if you have it, I'm 14 from scotland and i used one called blender i wanna see which one is better add me plz [e-mail]