i want to make my own game but im not sure where to start. and i feel as if my only resource is youtube tutorials but i still feel lost. i would love to make a game like pokemon gen 1-5 or digimon world (i love pixel sprites) not necessarily focused on combat but more on the collecting and raising. wouldnt mind making it a browser game i just want to hoard little monsters with like minded people
how to get into programming?
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imo this barely tells me anything. what is the right programming language for me or what game im aiming to make? what should i be looking for on youtube? what kind of textbook and where can i find them?
Let see Pokemon Gen1+2 are written in assembly. Gen 3 was in C, gen 4 a mix of C and C++, and as of gen 6 it's C++ all over. In term of learning C/C++ and Assembly you can look for books online, either via PDF or buy them, learning C++ would probably be the best way to get into programming.
Step one: Pick a language. People often recommend Python as a good starter language. Though if you're going with object-oriented, Java and C# are also good options, while C and Assembly are more for low-level stuff. Some programs will also use Javascript or Python as companion languages. A large part of what you want to learn will depend on what you you intend to use programming for. For example, Python perfect for scripts, while full-scale applications are more commonly made with object-oriented languages.
Step two: Read/watch/look for some learning resources (books, YouTube videos, etc). There's plenty of free content on the internet available that can help you get your feet in the water.
Step three: Get a compiler and start coding.
Step four: Code often to practice and retain your knowledge, and work on ways to refine your code and methodology. Learn what you can from your more advanced peers, and never be afraid to ask questions in your community when you're in a rut - as long as you're not annoying about it.
Ultimately, there is hardly a perfect guide or one-size-fits-all method of learning programming. Find a way that best suits your own learning methods and your schedule. I.e. whatever way is most effective for you. Everybody learns a little differently.
Step two: Read/watch/look for some learning resources (books, YouTube videos, etc). There's plenty of free content on the internet available that can help you get your feet in the water.
Step three: Get a compiler and start coding.
Step four: Code often to practice and retain your knowledge, and work on ways to refine your code and methodology. Learn what you can from your more advanced peers, and never be afraid to ask questions in your community when you're in a rut - as long as you're not annoying about it.
Ultimately, there is hardly a perfect guide or one-size-fits-all method of learning programming. Find a way that best suits your own learning methods and your schedule. I.e. whatever way is most effective for you. Everybody learns a little differently.
The main game making languages are C++ (Unreal Engine) and C# (Unity Engine). This depends on whatever game engine (Unreal Engine, Unity Engine, etc) and platform (PC, PS1, Game Boy, etc) you're working with. Some may use C++ like Unreal Engine, some others may use Python like PyGame, or Java, like Minecraft.
Or if you want to go on the most difficult route, make your own engine in whatever language you're working with. There is no exact answer.
Generally however, using scripting languages (Javascript, Python, Lua) to make games is not recommended, although you can use them if you really want to.
Some may say "assembly", but "assembly" is a vague term. Assembly is a language layer higher than bytecode (0s and 1s), meaning it is highly dependent of the platform's CPU. For example, "assembly" for the Game Boy would be Z80 assembly. (However this is technically not true, since the Game Boy's CPU is custom and has extra functions than the Z80.) For the PS1, it would be MIPS assembly. This also depends on the CPU's variant since assembly instructions can change between generations.
Chances are, you won't be dealing with "assembly" unless you're making a game for anything older than the PS1.
Books are an okay source, but in my personal opinion, only for the C languages. Any books for other than the C languages is just a bad idea, since not many authors may understand the programming language themselves, or it becomes outdated info in a year.
Videos tutorials... I don't really recommend them unless you have to.
tl;dr Pick a language for the platform you're targeting and run with it.
Or if you want to go on the most difficult route, make your own engine in whatever language you're working with. There is no exact answer.
Generally however, using scripting languages (Javascript, Python, Lua) to make games is not recommended, although you can use them if you really want to.
Some may say "assembly", but "assembly" is a vague term. Assembly is a language layer higher than bytecode (0s and 1s), meaning it is highly dependent of the platform's CPU. For example, "assembly" for the Game Boy would be Z80 assembly. (However this is technically not true, since the Game Boy's CPU is custom and has extra functions than the Z80.) For the PS1, it would be MIPS assembly. This also depends on the CPU's variant since assembly instructions can change between generations.
Chances are, you won't be dealing with "assembly" unless you're making a game for anything older than the PS1.
Books are an okay source, but in my personal opinion, only for the C languages. Any books for other than the C languages is just a bad idea, since not many authors may understand the programming language themselves, or it becomes outdated info in a year.
Videos tutorials... I don't really recommend them unless you have to.
tl;dr Pick a language for the platform you're targeting and run with it.
Ooooo-kaaay, lot of people saying you absolutely have to learn complex programming languages and work from the ground up to start making games, which is not true. It doesn't hurt, but it's not a requirement. There is a whole bunch of literally drag and drop game development tools, that let you assemble your own game from ready made functions, scripts and objects that you just insert where required. I'm pretty sure "Pokemon Gen1-5 clone" is already a template in the software, along with "Metroidvania" and a few other classics. You just import your character sprites.
Most of those tools also let you get inside the blocs of code and make tweaks, and have a scripting language for more advanced work.
They are not as powerful or versatile as coding in a programming language, and you will never make an AAA game in them, but they are more than enough to make a simple pixel art game.
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw has a series on YouTube called "Game Dev Diaries" where he talks about game development. Last year he tried (and arguably succeeded) to create and release 12 games in 12 months, and had weekly videos talking about the dev process. The games were different genres and mechanics - shooters, adventures, idle games, all kinds of things.
And the reason I'm saying this is that he made them all in a drag-and-drop game making software GameMaker. So if you watch the videos you'll see what you can do and make with such a tool, get an idea of the work flow, what the interface is like, where the scripting comes in, and so on.
The parts of the videos where he brainstorms story ideas and game mechanics and so on may not be as useful since you already have those laid out, but it's a decent watch overall.
Anyway, my point is, I won't dismiss what others have said, but something like this is not a bad place to start either.
Most of those tools also let you get inside the blocs of code and make tweaks, and have a scripting language for more advanced work.
They are not as powerful or versatile as coding in a programming language, and you will never make an AAA game in them, but they are more than enough to make a simple pixel art game.
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw has a series on YouTube called "Game Dev Diaries" where he talks about game development. Last year he tried (and arguably succeeded) to create and release 12 games in 12 months, and had weekly videos talking about the dev process. The games were different genres and mechanics - shooters, adventures, idle games, all kinds of things.
And the reason I'm saying this is that he made them all in a drag-and-drop game making software GameMaker. So if you watch the videos you'll see what you can do and make with such a tool, get an idea of the work flow, what the interface is like, where the scripting comes in, and so on.
The parts of the videos where he brainstorms story ideas and game mechanics and so on may not be as useful since you already have those laid out, but it's a decent watch overall.
Anyway, my point is, I won't dismiss what others have said, but something like this is not a bad place to start either.
Hello, I am currently learning programming through various courses, including lessons on YouTube. It would be nice to find a programming teacher and spend a few months working with him, because there are a lot of advantages in live communication. The teacher can answer your question directly to your code. I sometimes search for information on various forums on the Internet but it takes much time to analyze somebody else's code because very few people write descriptions.
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I've learned a little Lotus [basically spreadsheet] and Qbasic waaay back when. 
It was a part of Business class then.
It was a part of Business class then.
A start point:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/so-you-want-to-learn-to-program.371255/
Programming a game is very hard without an idea of what you want.
on what kind of system should it run, i mean like the hardware, what outputs will you use, what inputs, how memory intense is your game, how much calculation power do you need, graphics...
graphics is a big part of any game, and in most cases these need to be drawnfirst an then you can explain in your code how these graphics respond to one and another. you'll need to declare your point of view...
it's depending on the tools you use on how you get there.
i'd suggest you first make a roadmap on what you want and take baby steps, this will help you overseeing what everything does.
I myself can't help much for i only understand assembly and turbo pacal code used to automate processes, like in done here:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/so-you-want-to-learn-to-program.371255/
Programming a game is very hard without an idea of what you want.
on what kind of system should it run, i mean like the hardware, what outputs will you use, what inputs, how memory intense is your game, how much calculation power do you need, graphics...
graphics is a big part of any game, and in most cases these need to be drawnfirst an then you can explain in your code how these graphics respond to one and another. you'll need to declare your point of view...
it's depending on the tools you use on how you get there.
i'd suggest you first make a roadmap on what you want and take baby steps, this will help you overseeing what everything does.
I myself can't help much for i only understand assembly and turbo pacal code used to automate processes, like in done here:
honestly it's not too late, you can learn programming at any age by following a course online. i suggest starting with python if you've never programmed before since it goes over the fundamentals of programming fairly simply, then start to learn some other languages, and see what languages game engines use, and pick those and use those.
Don't learn a programming language, learn the method.
Instead of focusing on a single language, learn the process of making algorithms, that should be your starting point.
After you learn how to solve problems (algorithms) and depending on what type of game you'd like to develop, you should learn about the currently available engines, which will help you increase your success rate. Pure programming should be used when there's something you'd like to implement that hasn't been done before or you'd like to improve an already made solution.
Instead of focusing on a single language, learn the process of making algorithms, that should be your starting point.
After you learn how to solve problems (algorithms) and depending on what type of game you'd like to develop, you should learn about the currently available engines, which will help you increase your success rate. Pure programming should be used when there's something you'd like to implement that hasn't been done before or you'd like to improve an already made solution.
I'd start with either PyGame, which is a Python module that makes it a lot easier to make games in that language, or a LUA-based engine like LOVE2D or Pico-8. LUA is relatively easy to learn.
If you want an even more basic start, try Bitsy or Mosi. The syntax is similar to HTML and very easy to learn.
If you want an even more basic start, try Bitsy or Mosi. The syntax is similar to HTML and very easy to learn.
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