What Language Is Best For Game Programming? I need some help

ok I am trying to get into programming and then into games. So i was wondering if anyone knows a good language except c++. I have started to learn it but the problem is its not user friendly for a first time programmer. So I would appreciate it if you can maybe name some languages and there weak points and strong points i would aprreciate it.

Edited June 10, 2005 by microscopic^earthling (see edit history)

GML (GameMaker Language, the language of the game-creating program GameMaker) is very user friendly and it's pretty much similar to C++, it's like a stripped version of it. You will like it I think. You can download GM here.

A good choice...but an sort of expensive choice would be 3D Game studio. It has a level designer, model creater and it also has a stripped down version of C++. The *cheapest* version is $50 but you could spend up to $900. Check it out at http://www.conitec.net/a4info.htm. This is for 3D games, for 2D games I would go with GameMaker like warbird sugested.

I would suggest giving Java a try. It is very similar to C++ as far as syntax and what you can go with the language goes. However, I think it is a little bit easier for beginners to learn. If Java is still to much for you at first, then try either some form of basic or a language like what warbird suggested. They should be even easier to learn. I like Java (and C++) because of all the power and freedom you have. If you have enough expierence you can do pretty much anything you want. Unfortunately, all that power and freedom does make them kind of hard to learn.My best piece of advice for you is to not give up. Regardless of what language you chose it is going to take some time before you become good with it. And it will even longer before you master the art of making games. But if stick with it and don't give up then I think you will eventually succeed regardless of what language you chose.

I agree with you fearfullymade, but if you start you better should start with GML, it's the same, but C++ (and Java) just have some more options that you don't have in GML but you will not need them if you are a starter so that's why I say GML. Another "problem" with C++: because there are more then one compiler you can use, the result will change a bit sometimes, that's not a problem with GML, it just has one compiler: GameMaker.

I Downloaded GM I really liked it TY for the suggestion.

Well, I have never really liked GM because it didn't seem like you were really doing what you had to to make a game. It felt like there was a little person inside your computer slaving away writing the code for you while you just point-and-click away. So I perfer C++ because you are doing alot more and you get more of a sense of satisfaction.

If you don't like that, you have to use the script function and not the drop-drag thing, I don't like that either. You don't have any control of what you're doing.-=Jeroen=-

Hey!Well with Video Games, I know it's always a good idea to have a roughg idea of what your game does and how it works, before you jump right into making it with any language. If you make a quick prototype on another easy language or programming language it's always easy to look at it and test it for kinks before you bring it forth and really do the extra and minute details with the more advanced languages.Visual Basics is amazing for this. It allows you to do a lot of stuff simply which gives you a quick idea of what you want your game to generally look like, as well as how you want it to somewhat run. It's AWESOME for Adventure games and RPGs, you can make the scenarios and visuals and test run them in VB allowing you to do a consistant run-through with minimal game play just to let you see how your game flows and whether the graphics work with one another. Sometimes when using graphics it's tricky to really get them to mesh and flow with one another.I've found using VB first and then going back and forth between it allows you to have something like a story-board for your game and it's a lot of fun. It's also great to send to friends, and others people to get them to test your game and see if it even appeals. Then you advance on it and dive deeper into coding and all that jazz.Anyways, good luck!

VB also has to be great, I never tried it myself but a friend use it and he say it rocks, maybe I'm gonna try it too, can you give me some handy information SadElated? I would appreciate that.-=Jeroen=-

GameMaker Language is a good choice... the best on my opinion.

May want to consider Python. Take a look at BLender3D, which has an intergrated game engine to create 3d based games. Also blender can be used to export to the crystal space 3d engine. Seems like there are alot of game engines, at least in Opensource land, that are using Python more and more.

As a matter of fact, gaming is easier once u develop on top of a gaming engine. I gave try to 3D State engine and it rocks!!! Its available for many prog langs like VB, VC++, C# and Delphi etc.I tried with VB. You have to accept that VB relieves lot of pressure from the programmer's head. Its case insensitive, has the world's most advanced IDE! what else needed?Since finally everything is handled by the gaming engine, all you need to do is call the functions and program the world behaviour. Lets you focus more on actual gaming rather than having u wonder "what the heck is the problem with retained mode?"

May want to consider Python.  Take a look at BLender3D, which has an intergrated game engine to create 3d based games.  Also blender can be used to export to the crystal space 3d engine. 

 

Seems like there are alot of game engines, at least in Opensource land, that are using Python more and more.

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Totally agree. There are some amazingly good opensource 3D game engines incl Crystal Space, and a lot of other useful libs that use it (e.g. for animated character controls, etc). To me, this is the main benefit, since you can be up and running very quickly, yet all the source is there for you to tweak it once the basics are mastered.

 

If you're doing something in 2D, Java is fine. In 3D, I wrote some code ages ago using VRML2 with Java. And now there's Java3D. Both are very easy, and have a lot of programmability. I've seen some impressive 3D Java games, with racing game that looked like 1995's Screamer. The only downer is that performance isn't near C++, unless you're prepared to spend a lot of time tweaking, and in the end you'll probably only get to 1995's graphics standard. There's not been that much done in J3D for a while now, probably since most people use D3D/OGL instead. Also, there are books on performance optimisation for Java & C++, and there are some tools to compile down to binary .. which defeats the purpose of Java but saves time in trying to speed it up!

 

http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot/to?m=256

and

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

is a fairly recent discussion/article on python scripting for game engines. Some commercial engines even have Python scriptability .

 

I've also played around with UnrealScript in Unreal Engine v2. But I ran into a brick wall and decided to DIY something simpler yet customisable. If I get the change to start from scratch again I think I'd most likely go down the above route with Crystal Space 3D .

Kam.

If you don't like the GML (Game Maker Language) then use so called Dark Basic. It's easier than any other programming language. I'ts just made for making games but ofcource you can make some little programs.