General Discussions

What, why, which? – BrianT

Briant

Member

Posts: 742
From: Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada
Registered: 01-20-2001
1. What do you do? (coding, art, design, etc.) What languages/tools/stuff do you use to do it?

2. Why do you do it? What motivates you?

3. Which computer-related books are you reading or have read? Which do you recommend?

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Brian

"OOP programmers have a lot of class"

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Briant

Member

Posts: 742
From: Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada
Registered: 01-20-2001
1. I code, primarily in C++ but I sometimes fiddle with C#. I also dabble in web and scripting stuff, like html, Perl, and php. For coding I use Visual Studio.

2. I code for several reasons, but mostly I think it's because it's such a great combination of logic + creativity. I plan on getting my projects to the point where I can quit my "real job" and run my own software company.

3. I'm currently reading "3D Game Engine Programming" with the goal of developing my own game engine. I'm also reading "Software Project Survival Guide" to help me plan out a large project I'm starting up. I've read so many great books, it's hard to recommend just a couple, but "C++ For Game Programmers" is really good (and not just for game programmers), as are "Code Complete (2nd edition)", "Writing Solid Code" and "Effective C++ (3rd edition)".

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Brian

"OOP programmers have a lot of class"

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JeTSpice
Member

Posts: 433
From: La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
Registered: 06-10-2006
1. Model and animate 2D in Bryce and DAZ. Manipulate assets in GIMP. Program in BASIC. Do music sound manipulation in Garageband. Edit in iMovie.

2. I don't know.

3. Blender Noob to Pro wikibook. Occassional software tutorial page. Bible for patience and creativity.

SSquared

Member

Posts: 654
From: Pacific Northwest
Registered: 03-22-2005
What - Application/GUI developer coding in C, C++ and C#. I am a big fan of Visual Studio. I can do just about everything I need, from creating/designing the UI to designing databases and everything in between.

I am learning/using Torque Game Builder on the side for 2D game work. I use the Gimp for images. I use Eclipse for Java work, but I no longer code in Java.

Why - I really enjoy programming. I enjoy the puzzles of resolving bugs. I enjoy seeing the end result. I enjoy the creativity in figuring how to do something or how to design an interface. I enjoy helping others in programming. I find programming absolutely thrilling.

A lot of my motivation comes from a desire to bring benefit and happiness to customers. One of the coolest things is for a customer to ask for a feature and then to see their smile and excitement once the feature is implemented.

Which - MCAD/MCSD Training Guide (70-316): Developing and Implementing Windows-Based Applications with Visual C# and Visual Studio.NET was absolutely terrific. Really well done and very easy to read and understand. It is written for .NET 1.1, and some things have changed in Visual Studio 2005, but it is still a great book to give you a well-rounded understanding of using C#.

CLR via C# is another great C# book. Really goes down deep into the internals of what is happening and helps explain a lot of what is going on underneath.

I'm not really reading anything currently. I want to find a good book on the Windows Presentation Framework. I started reading one but there were ZERO images in the book and I thought it strange to not have images when you are discussing GUI.

samw3

Member

Posts: 542
From: Toccoa, GA, USA
Registered: 08-15-2006
What: I code in most any language (I need a manual or google nearby for some) I'm fastest in curly langs. I also dabble in 2d art as well as music, chip tunes, vintage electronica and the french industrial sound. I play the piano by ear. I love to write stories.

Why: Coding is my day job, i've been doing it since i was 10. Art, music, and stories are my creative outlet, the strongest being the stories.

Which: um. i really don't read books anymore (in reference to coding), Google mostly does the trick. I did stumble upon some really cool articles about TDD with Game Design:

http://www.gamesfromwithin.com/articles/0502/000073.html
http://www.gamesfromwithin.com/articles/0502/000075.html

God Bless!

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Sam Washburn

Check out my CCN SpeedGame 2 Blog

dartsman

Member

Posts: 484
From: Queensland, Australia
Registered: 03-16-2006
1. What do you do? (coding, art, design, etc.) What languages/tools/stuff do you use to do it?

Games Programmer. C/C++, C#, UnrealScript. I also do basic game/software design and art (2d and 3d).

2. Why do you do it? What motivates you?

Programming is a hobby that has become my career. I am motivated by the drive to keep learning and do bigger and better things, also I don't want to loose my job :P hehe

3. Which computer-related books are you reading or have read? Which do you recommend?

Books, I've got quite a few books I've bought over the years. (I've just cut/pasted the names from searching the net for them, so some are UPPERCASE :P hehe)

Game Engine Toolset Development
C++ Black Book
C# - [don't know what type, can find out later]
Wireless Java Programming with J2ME
Tricks of the Game Programming Gurus
Tricks of the 3D Game Programming Gurus
32/64-BIT 80X86 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE ARCHITECTURE
3D MATH PRIMER FOR GRAPHICS AND GAME DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION TO 3D GAME PROGRAMMING WITH DIRECTX 9.0C: A Shader Approach
Game Programming All in One (first edition, by Bruno Sousa)
Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C, 2nd Edition
Windows 2000 Graphics API Black Book

I have a fair few other books but can't remember what they are called...

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jonwarner.net

steveth45

Member

Posts: 536
From: Eugene, OR, USA
Registered: 08-10-2005
1. I program video games. Thus far mostly game play and AI. I use C++ (Visual Studio) and some proprietary scripting at work. At home, I use C++ (Code Blocks) and some Python. Lately, I've been pursuing non-programming hobbies in my free time. Last month I did some reading. This month I'm doing NanoWrimo, which is to say the National Novel Writing Month. Each November you try to write a 50,000 word novel.

2. I've enjoyed video games my whole life. Programming is very intellectually stimulating, like Chess, but you have something working at the end that people might enjoy or find useful. The video game industry as a whole is really expanding, especially this year, to the tune of billions of dollars more than last year. That's good news for game developers. More jobs, better pay, etc.

3. The only useful thing I learned from a technical book was C++, and that was just a standard textbook. Game Programming Gems had an excellent article on A* path finding, which I used to construct working code. The other 95% of useful information came from the web, which is generally more up to date and interactive (and cheaper) than books.

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|steveth45|
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Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
1. Game Programming. I love games. I use(d) Blitz Basic 3d and I tinkered a bit in Java and C++, i just didn't have the knack for it... though I am set on doing a re-make of my pong: homeworld assault game, since all my other endeavoers have failed misrably crying and weeping the dust of the desert... *sniff* *sniff*

2. BECAUSE I CAN (or could...) And I just love vidoe games, and I had so many ideas brimming in my head I couldn't contain them all. So I took up a book (Game Programming for Teenz) and started in relentlessly... but that seems to have fallen off. Story of my life, I can't just keep doing one thing, i always seem ot move on to another. I got 600 pages into a book once. I wrote, 6 HUNDRED pages... and then stopped. Sux.

3. I can't even name all the books I have. Game programming for teens was a great book... but... if you want to get anywhere, you gotta take it far byond what it tells you. Thanks to all you guys here who have helped me! Got me past many barriers in my coding!


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TwoBrothersSoftware

Member

Posts: 141
From: Janesville, Wi USA`
Registered: 08-05-2006
[B]1. What do you do? (coding, art, design, etc.) What languages/tools/stuff do you use to do it?

Python , c++ , and most recently java

2. Why do you do it? What motivates you?

Certain ideas deserve to come into existance

3. Which computer-related books are you reading or have read? Which do you recommend?

j2me platform from novice to professiona, java swing a begginers guide, the game programming gems series.

ArchAngel

Member

Posts: 3450
From: SV, CA, USA
Registered: 01-29-2002
1. I'm mostly java and C# as of now, but I'm starting to move back to my C/C++ roots and starting to go into javascript and PHP.

2. Why? Money. It's not a bad career path.
But why coding specifically? I love to create programs and solve problems. My dad got me started on QBasic and Visual Basic and I got hooked.

3. As of now, I'm mostly going through my class lectures so any time for independent reading gets shoved into studying. The only book I technically learned out of was Sam's "Teach Yourself Visual Basic 4."
I prefer to use books, like O'Reilly, as reference material. I used online tutorials more often, to be honest.

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Q.E.D.

D-SIPL

Moderator

Posts: 1345
From: Maesteg, Wales
Registered: 07-21-2001
1. What do you do? (coding, art, design, etc.) What languages/tools/stuff do you use to do it?

Coding. C/C++ and Python mainly.

2. Why do you do it? What motivates you?

I like seeing a program/game that has been sitting in my mind, come to life! I just love coding really.

3. Which computer-related books are you reading or have read? Which do you recommend?

Currently Reading: The Big Red Book. It's an invaluable resource right now.

Recommended Books:


Hackers - Stephen Levy
. I read this over 13 years ago and still read it cover-to-cover almost periodically.


Game Coding Complete
. Helps immensely with game development, concepts and practices.


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"One World. One Web. One Program." -Microsoft promotional advertisement
"Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer!" -Adolf Hitler

[This message has been edited by D-SIPL (edited November 06, 2007).]

Mene-Mene

Member

Posts: 1398
From: Fort Wayne, IN, USA
Registered: 10-23-2006
1. What do you do? (coding, art, design, etc.) What languages/tools/stuff do you use to do it?
I both do Coding, and Design. Since Speedgame Comp I'm learning to do some art as well. But mostly coding and design.

I program in BlitzMax primarily. I also use Blitz3d for 3d work, BlitzBasic for when its wanted, (it has some speed benefits that its successor doesn't have.)

I used to program in C++ but I deleted some makefiles I think on accident...

2. Why do you do it? What motivates you?
The Well of Bethlehem was made because I wanted a good game to make, but also because it was a good christian game Idea. Rinoh Conquest was to go along with the Diatron universe, and I wanted a game that was my ideas, all my ideas. Republic Strife the original was a basic little game, but its remake is because I'm liking what I had, and want to venture into 3d. Knights of the Force is because I had free time and I wanted a game that others, mostly myself to play off the boredom.
3. Which computer-related books are you reading or have read? Which do you recommend?
Accelerated C++ and Thinking in C++ isn't bad. And if you know nothing about programming than Game Programming for Teens is good too.

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MM out-
Thought travels much faster than sound, it is better to think something twice, and say it once, than to think something once, and have to say it twice.
"Frogs and Fauns! The tournament!" - Professor Winneynoodle/HanClinto
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