Firaxis Programmers on Starting a Career

Ginger_Ale · Jul 6, 2009

Two new Firaxis game programmers, Marek Vojtko and Eric Jordan, have published their thoughts on how to enter the gaming industry from a programmer's point of view. They offer their perspective on what languages to learn, how to take that first step, and how to impress potential businesses.

Much of what they say echoes Sid Meier's thoughts from about a month ago. Here's some of what they wrote:

One of the questions we're asked most frequently is: "What programming language do I need to learn to make games?" The answer can vary, however, the two languages game programmers agree you have to know are C and C++. Other languages may be used in specific cases, but C and C++ are universal.

C and C++ aren't easy to learn if you've never programmed before. So, if you're completely new to programming, or you have just started to write some code and want to build your skills, here are some other tools you can access that will help you learn the fundamentals and put you on the road to a career in game programming.

>> Read "How to Become A Game Programmer"

Nicheal · Jul 7, 2009

O now i understand this world a little bit better !

You have to study Economics or C or C++ and whuuup ! you are manager or
game programmer ! wow !
And these guys not speaking these silly languages of burning souls off
having good ideas are silly and these guys having C or C++ and zero fantasy
are programmers and creating boring copies.

Its funny to see that a creation out of fantasy is in this mediums age soon a
C or C++ or whatelse and all the profis and supermen are working and working
on the part IIcopy IIIcopy and all the good ideas and fantasies are the losers here.
You dont need fantasy or ideas, you only need C or C++, and thats your winners award.
A good guy called Sid Meier had the fantasy and idea [and yes, the knowledge]
to create a great game, and now all the little worker bees have C or C++, and all the
others with fantasy and ideas speak the wrong language.

So our world is out of money crashes and spirit crashes, and all our gods are
speaking death. When the musics over, you must not sing.
Thats how CIV IV was released. One thousand C or C++ guys with no ideas at all, wow.

No. No. I am an idiot, they had great ideas ! yes, for sure... would you please
shoot me to the mars searching for intelligent life ?

We silly losers here dying on earth arent interested in moneymakers C or C++ nonideas
death stupidness, i am sorry. Too many languages not speaking at all, not working at all,
and not winning at all except you are speaking this faceless rhymes to make your death to gold.

And then one billion humans loose their lifes. CIV V will be a revolution ?
No. Not to play it, THAT would be one.

realkiran · Jul 7, 2009

Excellent article and spot on I think.

Grey Fox · Jul 7, 2009

They say this in the end:

Once you've learned to program well, you'll find the question "what programming language do I need to know" doesn't matter as much as having a solid understanding of programming fundamentals.

The thing about C and C++ is that they are industry standard when it comes to making PC games.

But the thing is, if you learn one programming language, learning another is more like learning another dialect of the same language, or maybe a similar language. Like going from Swedish to Danish.

Merri · Jul 10, 2009

I don't agree on that; I'd say that languages are often quite different. Instead the core thing of expression, understanding what you need to do to tell the computer to work the way you want, is what stays the same. A language used is only a tool in the between to convert the meaning. Some languages allow doing some things easier than others or in a more elegant way, but still the concept of programming stays the same. No matter what language you use the algorithms always do the same.

I've done translations for quite a while. Not as long as I've done programming, but I've noticed there is a similarity. If you go ahead and only change words you don't really get very good language (automated translation tools anyone?), but if you focus on the meaning and basically rewrite the text you get much better results. The same goes for programming when you need to convert code from language to another: you focus on what the code is actually doing, because simply trying to find the closest methods that do the same simply does not work. Just like translating word-by-word does not work.

Grey Fox · Jul 10, 2009

You shouldn't read what I say too literal.

I basically meant that if you "get" programming, what languages you know doesn't matter that much. Because you can probably adapt to a new one pretty easily. Therefor, a newcomer to programming shouldn't worry too much about which language he is going to study, because once he knows the fundamentals, switching and learning another shouldn't be too hard.

Then again, if you are going to France, it might be better to study French than to study German.
As is why it might be ideal to learn C++ if you are going to program games.

Firaxis Programmers on Starting a Career

Ginger_Ale

Lurker

Nicheal

Warlord

realkiran

Chieftain

Grey Fox

Master of Points

Merri

Warlord

Grey Fox

Master of Points

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