Thread: newbie to game programming....:)

hello,
I ve been programming c++ a year now , and I ve good experience in VB .
Now, I like to begin Game Programming. While my knowlege about this branch is equal to my knowlodge about drive a space rocket...(NOTHING).....
whats your advices? i need it, so pls reply to this post. links and resources online ll be great too .......
and heres my first question about game programming :
what should I learn to make a game ???????
and why most of the posts here about OpenGL or DirectX?

thanks in advance . pls dont forget to reply

>whats your advices?

read and work your ass off.

start small.
don't expect to make game of the year the first time.

>what should I learn to make a game ???????

C/C++? Platform specific API's? maybe ASM?

::edit:: at least Algebra some Trig and Geometry. probably some Calculus, eventually.

learn everything you can, the more the better.

> links and resources online ll be great too .......

OpenGL:
http://www.opengl.org

Direct-X:
http://www.microsoft.com/Direct-X

Allegro:
http://www.allegro.cc

General game developement:
http://www.gamedev.net
http://www.gametutorials.com

Slightly more advanced:
http://www.flipcode.com

a bunch more i can't think of now,
search here theres a good bit of info and links on these forums.

>and why most of the posts here about OpenGL or DirectX?

to prevent a flame war i'll keep it simple,

these are the two major Graphics API's(Application Programming Interface), the large majority of games use one or the other or both.

thank you no-one very much for your smart reply, which i find real help for me.......hope i get more and more from others too

>>no-one is declared as my first teacher in game programming class<<

thanks !!!

just wondering how come ASM may be usefull to game programming.....and could we use ASM within another language(C for example) coding the same program???

>>>no-one is declared as my first teacher in game programming class<<

im honored, but there are many, more informed than i at this subject.

>just wondering how come ASM may be usefull to game programming

its not so much used anymore, but in time critical areas it could be helpful...

>
and could we use ASM within another language(C for example) coding the same program???
<

this depends on the compiler, most suport "inline assembly" which is assembly in c code,
it usually starts with a keyword telling the compiler its asm such as,

asm
_asm
__asm

or a block of assembly code.

asm
{
;code...
}

unfortunatly my asmembly skills are very little, im working on it in my spare time.

thank you friends very much, im sure ur advices will worth so much for me. still hoping to get more and more from others .......


thanks in advance

just wondering how come ASM may be usefull to game programming

ASM is definetly useful in Game Programming - not 100% nessisary but definatly a good idea to learn some. I have heard of people who have been refused jobs in the games programming area because they dont know ASM. It is ideal for tightly looped sections of code. And yes you can use ASM within other languages such as C, most compilers allow some form of inline assembly i.e. assembly which is inserted between special tags and is simply added at that point in the function. Also it is possible to link the object files of a C and an ASM program so that they work together.