Why can't I do what I want? D:

Hello, been quite awhile since last time ;)

Anyways, I want to learn DirectX. I mean it's API and not using some DirectX engine. Now all the professionals I know kill me, as they deny me to do what I'd love, and that is to learn the DirectX API, but why? I know very well that I'm not a very experienced C++ programmer, but I hate it when these peeps go all crazy at me just 'cause I want to learn something! Infact it makes me pretty ........ed, and makes me deny seeking help from others >.>

Anyways, what do you peeps say? I should just forget learning the DirectX API, or should I go for it? You have no idea how much I want to learn it, but having professionals say I suck to much to learn it, ain't exactly motivating D:

But I'm very stubborn to the fact that nothing is impossible and that I can do everything as long as I am dedicated enough/love it enough, so I will most likely learn it no matter what, but still, I want you peep's oppinions.

Thanks in advance!

Do what you want. For a job you may be forced to learn something other than just DirectX but it never hurts to know the API backwards and forwards.

I get suspicious of the people who try to force you into one way of doing this or that be it in an engine or anything else in code. The 'exclusive' crowd usually is exclusive to the newest greatest thing which under the hood is not all that new, not all that great, and certainly not as revolutionary as they claim.

I rarely listen to people who are convinced that just because 10 people are doing something one way it means that the whole world should follow suit.

Never turn down the opportunity to learn something you enjoy, because it doesn't come along often and never degrades you.

Whether other people think you are good enough is kind of irrelevent, unless you are asking them for help. In that case, you will probably never get much useful advice from such a person anyway. I have no doubt that a half wit could get a degree and accumulate years of programming experience (such that they become "good at it"), but still remain a half wit. I am POSITIVE there are actually lots of them -- people who possess knowledge but who's ability to think well or even coherently is very questionable. A worst case scenario is to get one as a teacher...EVERYONE is familiar with that.

Anyway, there is such thing as objective reality, whereby it might be true that you do suck, Akkernight ;) That does not mean that you cannot improve. I'm sure Tony Hawk looked like a total loser when he was six years old and cried like a baby when he smacked his little head off the concrete.

If you are having too much trouble with the API because your C++ skills are not up to it, then the sensible thing to do would be to set the API aside, and find something (perhaps: not game related**) to do with C++. Eventually (it could take weeks or months!) you will come back to DirectX and be loving it.

Time is also real*. I have come to the conclusion that it would be impossible for me to compare to Tony Hawk no matter how hard I practice, because there are simply not enough years left in my life where my body will be in the condition to do that. The point being, you can "wannabe" a game programmer, but it won't happen tomorrow, or next week, or probably even this year.

*it gets invented in the future by super computers.
**I think you should learn the winsock API and make a chat server/client. Do it on a LAN at home if there is more than one computer, and then you might eventually be able to get it hosted on your server (if it is windows too). That will take some time, but it will be a lot easier than a 3D (or 2D) game, give you some experience programming and working with an API. Etc. You are going to have to love progamming -- anything -- as much as you love games. But it hard to love something for it's own sake if you suck ;) -- or maybe that's wrong: it would suck to suck at something unless you love it for it's own sake. Wear a helmet.

I believe the OP's intention was not to say they are having difficulty with the API but rather people who are telling him it is a waste of time to learn it since there are engines out there that do it for you.

I say those who know the nuts and bolts of DirectX or OpenGL are far more valuable than those who only know how to use it in the context of a specific engine. If for instance the Unreal 3 engine hides all the Direct3D from you but then does not provide every bit of functionality you need for your particular game you will be lost. No matter what engine you use you will still have to be very adept at the API it wraps in order to implement the exact features your game will need.

AFAIK there isn't a single engine out there that will make your entire game for you. That is not what an engine is for.

Well, one thing was that I had completely forgotten my Game Institute class, since I took a break from C++, so that I'm gonna finish first ;)

Then I'm thinking about making it possible to script for Mount&Blade using C++ (You've gotta try mount&blade! It managed to be awesome without fancy graphics and it started with DirectX7 ( I believe ) ;) you can choose DirectX 9 now tho...), but I'm not sure if I should go for the DirectX API first ( Both are things I REALLY want to do ) as the API learning would be nice to do within Game Institute but it costs money, which I don't have yet...

Game Institute = Game Programming, Video Game Design, Video Game Programming

There is so much crazy tish to do programming computers it's almost insane -- lol

I learned C/C++ through game programming. I used the Allegro game library instead of DirectX however. I would recommend you use this library as it's cross-platform, very easy to learn, and some people would argue it's faster. Your choice though. ;)

If you want to learn DirectX then learn DirectX. It's not a big deal. I'm dong a game engine from scratch in DirectX because I need full control ever every detail to do my project. Learning stuff like that is never wasted. You will learn a lot of concepts and get a lot of ideas that you can use later even if you move away from DirectX at some point. In my case I'm writing my own graphics layer interface so I can port things to OpenGL later. It's almost always a good idea to obfuscate things a bit for portability.

I've been programming for over 25 years and there is always someone with an opinion on what you don't need to know. If you really want to learn something just ignore them. The best way to learn how to program is to work on something you WANT to do. You will probably make a lot of mistakes and end up rewriting things a lot but you WILL learn a lot in the process.

Since you are keen on doing it, just sit down and start. I recommend one of Frank D Luna's books.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SyntaxError

It's almost always a good idea to obfuscate things a bit for portability.

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Oh that rocks!

+ looks like Frank D Luna instructs that course Akkernight took. Not that I will take responsibility for promoting the man, I don't even know who the hell he is.