SE4 development tools

Will · #1 August 25th, 2001, 05:27 AM

Ok, for me VB is the Devil incarnate (AKA, EVIL)

Pretty much, it is far to linear for me. I started with C, and quickly learned not to do stuff like use "goto". From what I know of VB, it's just about impossible to *not* use goto and labels everywhere. I never touched it much myself, besides the BASIC clone on my graphing calculator, but I know some people who were writing somewhat large programs in VB for the "computer camp" I went to. At the end, all hated VB, especially the people working with any kind of data structure (there was small business software; a battleship clone w/ underwater, surface, and air sections; a database of participating students... just to name a few things

).

BASIC is ok for someone to be introduced to programming, but I would say get on Pascal/C/C++/Java quick. Those are really the only other [higher level] Languages I know much about, except for Perl, which you don't really want to use for anything other than simple scripting

For SE4 I would have used C++ simply because I'm most familiar with it, and I know how to plan out the classes ahead of time (if I didn't, I would probably have the same opinion as LCC). Do not use C++ if you're just diving in without any planning at all, because you will fail, that's a guarantee

If you don't know how to program yet, don't start with a 4X game. Spend a year or so learning first, three options for that, in order of least motivation to most:
1. Sign up for a course at your school/college/university.
2. Find someone who knows how to program to teach you.
3. Buy a book and teach yourself.
For most people, 1 or 2 are the only ways that they will learn how to program. I did 3 myself, and it was a %#$*& teaching myself and I gave up multiple times (and came back later, obviously

). You have to be really devoted to teach yourself. Anyway, after you learn the basics, work your way up in complexity of programs. Simple text editor, program that plays tic-tac-toe, program that plays poker, checkers, tetris, etc.

#2 August 25th, 2001, 05:48 AM

C was about the 10th language I learned. Other Languages paved the way, and C was actually an improvement and easier to learn than some. I can see where C would be tricky for the newbie. LOL

Lemmy · #3 August 25th, 2001, 10:21 AM

quote:
1. Sign up for a course at your school/college/university.
2. Find someone who knows how to program to teach you.
3. Buy a book and teach yourself.

that's exactly the order i followed

2 years ago when i went to college i started learning java, half a year later, i also learned about C++, then six months ago a friend of mine who knows a lot about C and C++ teached me a lot about C++ that i didn't learn at school.
Right know i'm making 2 games, one in java and alone, and one in C++ with my friend and some other people who don't know how to program and are just there for ideas. The one in Java is going pretty well, i find it much easier to program, but the performance of a Java program is not as good as a C++ program so there is a limit on what i can do with the game.
The one in C++ is more dificult, especially because you really have to plan the complete structure of the game before you start programming.

If you want to learn how to program, don't just learn a language, but also learn a modelling language like UML and a bit about Object Oriented programming, it can really help if you're making complicated games like 4x