Thread: What is the best language to use???

If anyone ever played final fantasy tactics then you know what a great game it is. I am trying to program something like it in VB6. Is this a good idea or should i be using C, C++, combinations and what are the ups and downs of all the languages? I'm really new to programming but i love it.

What i am looking for is someone that has a knowledge across all platforms of programming with an unbiased opinion.

I been using VB for 4 times as long as I've been using C++ and I use VB more at work, so I can tell you VB is not a good choice for writing games of that calibre. Most hardcore "VB can do anything C++ can do" believers choose VB for it's ease of use. The thing they fail to understand is that to get the same kind of power out of VB you have to do so much extra work that you're better off using C++.

As far as games are concerned I use VB sometimes for quick, simple tools (ie: a utility to read through all of my C++ source and count total lines of code minus comments and empty spaces) to aid in the development of a C++ game. But to write an entire game (of that stature) in VB isn't worth the headaches.

C++!! in an rpg, you may need tools for developing the game (data, maps, items, what not), so VB may be of some use.

Thanks guys. Yeah i understand the last comment about an rpg using a database. I thought of that to that's why i thought VB might be good for that. My only question now is should i use Visual C or just C++??

I think you should concider making a smaller project m8!

Originally posted by jcsuperfi
My only question now is should i use Visual C or just C++??

Visual C++ is not a language, it's an IDE. Just the same as Borland C++ is, etc.

I also think that you should try doing a smaller project 'coz you're so new to programming.

I've been programming for about 5 years, but turned to games programming just recently, still I don't think now that doing a big project myself is a good idea.

I was also thinking about writing a full-fledged 3D-game engine (Duke-3D style) as my first game. I kept trying and I kept failing...

Now, I am working on smaller projects for practice...They take less time and offer a lot of first-hand experience.

The current one is PACMAN 3D...I think I can write it in a week or so...lets see

Maybe I get back to the bigger project in a month or so...same advice to you

Well here is what I think. C++ can bog down a program if you use pretty much any of the ANSI C++ classes. Likewise if you aren't careful when using your own classes you may inadvertantly create more overhead than necessary. If you use C then you can virtually eliminate that problem.

For pc programming I use a lot of cpp for development tools, for games I'll use C. For GBA programming (Game boy advance) I use C and ASM. If all else fails use whichever gives you the best results.

jcsuperfi, please consider Zeeshan's suggestion. I, like many others wanted to make an RPG for my first game. You know what? I kept doing it for five years or so until I figured out that that was just too much of an overkill. Now that I've read through many C++ books and other object-oriented design theory I am practicing on building an object-oriented pong-like game.

I can tell you that you'll be surprised at how much you'll learn by starting simple.

As for your original question, that's entirely your decision. I decided to use C++ mainly because I consider building large games in the future (and C++ has such advantages over C), but consider using C and the SDL library (http://www.libsdl.org/)for graphics, sound etc.

Hope this helps.

Hmm... yours are broad questions that need broad answers, but unfortunately I don't have time to reply a thorough thing (I'll be away for a week).

If you try to use a simple graphical library like SDL (see the previous link) or Allegro http://alleg.sourceforge.net/index.html
you can get your hands on graphics as soon as you grasp the programming language.

Well, even simple graphics require (besides drawing some graphics in a graphics program) some programming and fortunately the libraries above can make this job very easy. You'll find tutorials on the lib's sites. Also be sure to visit http://www.gamedev.net/ for general game programming info. The site is very informative (especially the articles)!

Now I gotta go. Good luck to you!

Thanks for the help everyone. I am starting up at cleveland state in the fall but i won't be touching any languages until my second year. I have been trying to learn a little right now so that i'm ahead of the game, lol no pun intended. I have been thinking of switching directions and going with a streets of rage type of game. It sounds a little bit easier to program.