I want to learn how to games.

[jmbossy]

I'm going to school early next year for some non-gaming stuff. But I desperately want to learn how to make games (my school don't have applicable courses). I've downloaded Unity, and have been following an instructional series on youtube, but am still completely lost in many aspects of the program. To those who understand this or any other similar softwares, how did you learn to program/develop? How would you suggest someone who has NO experience in these programs learn?

Any help is appreciated  

[juv3nal]

I don't do "proper" programming, but I do web dev. In my experience, the biggest motivator to figuring out how to use a new language (or api/library etc.) is needing to use it for a particular project. There tend to be a ton of nitty gritty implementation foibles that the baseline tutorials won't talk you through and until you're actually working with something and need it to do a specific thing, you're not even going to know the right question to post to stack overflow.

[Azumante]

I learned UDK, Unity, and Source, along with some programming through random online tutorials. On the Unity site there is tons of documentation on code and other features in Unity http://unity3d.com/learn/documentation. http://answers.unity3d.com is also a good place to look if you are having specific problems with a certain aspect of a project that you are working on. juv3nal is right about finding a specific project to work on, tutorials are a good place to start, but when you come up with an idea that you really want to create you will be more motivated to learn skills to complete the project. Hope that helps.

[BigJKO]

Unity also added loads if great video tutorials, http://video.unity3d.com/channel/1649856/tutorials

They're really good.

[UltimateHurl]

Yeah, Unity is pretty great, but in some cases can feel like overkill. It's got a 2D framework coming out soon and it'd be fun to try that, but for 2D I hear Game Maker recommended consistently, and it's a good way to start (one less dimension!). For my own learning I had in my head that I'd recreate some common games in Unity or similar to get a feel for the tools, which basically means I have about 30 years worth of gaming to pull from for project ideas

[jmbossy]

Thanks for the advice guys I tooled around with GM before, but as the two softwares used two different codes I wasn't sure where to start. I'll stick with it and watch the tutorials you guys suggested

[melmer]

If you are super super serious about it you should move away and attend a university that does a game development course

[Merus]

Or you could do a real degree!

 

Not to knock people who have Games Development degrees, but okay that's a lie I totally am. They're not taken especially seriously outside of the games industry compared to a more general IT degree, and the games industry is noted for not treating newcomers particularly respectfully. You are disposable. The strongest way to get into the games industry is to have a great body of work, and you can work on that while being paid what you deserve, outside of gaming. It's hard work, but you'll be able to work on something you love instead of a crappy mobile licensed game. (Although for some fields, like voice acting and composing, the situation is reversed: you'll be better respected as a newcomer and more likely to be paid what you deserve in the games industry than elsewhere.)

 

Also Game Maker counts as a legit platform to make games on, Spelunky and Hotline Miami were made in Game Maker.

[BigJKO]

 Spelunky.

 

The original, free Spelunky, that is. Spelunky HD was made in XNA (I think?)

[Merus]

Yeah, the original Spelunky. But there have been plenty of others: it's flexible enough to handle what you throw at it (in terms of 2D) while being simple enough that you can pick it up without a graphics background.

[jmbossy]

I do like the sprite system in GM. It really simplifies the animation system.

I was considering going to school for it, but my issue is that I don't have money and my parents would have to pay. They don't have a lot of money either, so I don't want them to struggle to buy a degree that may not get me where i want to go.

I love the idea of independence in creation, so for now (at least) i guess I'll just keep trying to learn the programs I have. Maybe I can make some small steps towards developing actual skills. Despite my lack of artistric and programming abilities of course. 

[Justin Leego]

.

[Reyturner]

I was considering going to school for it, but my issue is that I don't have money and my parents would have to pay. They don't have a lot of money either, so I don't want them to struggle to buy a degree that may not get me where i want to go.

Do not go to a games school. They are massively overpriced jokes.

If you want a programming job, go to a proper school and get a proper degree.

If you want to make games, there are tons of free resources and communities online; you'll literally get the same if not better info from them as you'd get from a game school and spare yourself $40k of debt. It'll also do as much (or as little) to make you employable.

[Twig]

If you want to make games, there are tons of free resources and communities online; you'll literally get the same if not better info from them as you'd get from a game school and spare yourself $40k of debt. It'll also do as much (or as little) to make you employable.

The same can be said about programming in general. One does not generally go to school for something like programming if they're already incredibly self-motivated.

 

Also, FWIW, DigiPen is very much a good school. I got my bachelor's at a regular school and my master's at DigiPen, and it was totally worth it. Not a joke at all. Definitely expensive, though.

[JonCole]

On a similar note, I've had friends that went to Full Sail and said it was totally worth it (I used to live in Orlando, right on Full Sail's doorstep). I can't say I knew what other people's/companies's opinion of them was, but they seemed to be quite competent at making games and one or two of them went on to work at EA Tiburon in Maitland.

[Reyturner]

Also, FWIW, DigiPen is very much a good school. I got my bachelor's at a regular school and my master's at DigiPen, and it was totally worth it. Not a joke at all. Definitely expensive, though.

I over generalize, DigiPen is legit. 

 

What you really need is either industry recognized certifications (which don't exist, though a degree from places like Full Sail or DigiPen are starting to gain traction), the ability to spit MAD game (90% of all technical interviews are just you talking about how you would solve problems with someone who's technically competent and they'll be able too sniff BS) or an outstanding portfolio. Too many game schools will take your money, give you a diploma and let you walk off campus with dick to show for it; no skills, no portfolio, just a HUGE debt and a head full of entitlement and high expectations. Unfortunately you probably won't know you're at a place like that until it is too late.

 

You're way better off going it on your own until you have a handle on specifically what you need to learn and then doing classes specifically for that (online or something). 

 

EDIT: I should note that I arrived at this conclusion several years ago (mid noughties) so things may have gotten a lot better, though I'd still be very wary of paying for a diploma in How to Games. 

[Twig]

There are definitely a lot of scam schools like what you're talking about. (Tighten up the graphics on level three!) It's important to research and learn about these things. Just thought I'd pitch in with one of the good examples.

[jmbossy]

I'd personally prefer to avoid any long term commitments (ie Schooling). I would much rather prefer some sort of class. I don't want a diploma, just the education.
 

[Joewintergreen]

Echoing "game dev courses are usually bullshit". I have quite a few friends who did a 3-year game dev course at RMIT in Melbourne and came out with less relevant skills/information than a week with Google could have taught them. You can find decent free tutorials around for basically everything now.

 

I know Source/theolderenginesit'sderivedfrom, and Unreal (2/3/etc). I learned 'em by starting out with level design, because that's the most accessible area when you're getting started with an established engine like that. I often recommend LD to people who want to make games but don't know exactly in what area they want to work (programming's not for everybody). Level design ties everything else together but is relatively undaunting in itself so you tend to pick up at least some understanding of how everything else works just by screwing around making a house or whatever. This is less relevant if you're looking at 2D games or writing your own engine etc.

 

Whatever you're doing, don't pay anybody for your education. Maybe just make hit up the basic-level Unity tutorials and set aside time in your day to "go to class" and watch a bunch of them at a time. (Unity's tutes are mega good).

[Twig]

Whatever you're doing, don't pay anybody for your education.

That's really bad advice. I'm no huge fan of academia or anything, but some people need that structure to really push them along before they find their own place.

[Gormongous]

That's really bad advice. I'm no huge fan of academia or anything, but some people need that structure to really push them along before they find their own place.

 

Yeah, I don't know jack about making computer games, but if it's anything like anything else, I'd at least phrase it more like, "Don't expect to be able to buy your education."

[Joewintergreen]

It's kind of not much like everything else in this regard. Vidjagames Education is dodgy as fuck more often than not. I've heard/seen consistently bad things about just about everywhere but Digipen (which I'm impressed with on the regular). I don't mean education in general. Going and learning programming (or one of a bunch of other specific disciplines) at uni, with or without a view to applying that to games, is not a bad idea at all.

[Twig]

Okay I misunderstood you. That, I find more agreeable.

[Joewintergreen]

Yeah that was pretty easily misunderstood in hindsight, my bad

[jmbossy]

Side note.

I absolutely love this forum ^.^ with my experiences on other sites I fully expected that comment to lead to a flame war.

Isn't maturity so much fun