Visual Development

A colleague of mine was asking about graphics programs to design 3D environments in . I answered her just fine and backed up my assumptions with logical reasoning. Perhaps you'll feel that my reasoning is as logical as I do.

The first thing that I said is, know C++. Why did I say this?

"C++ is the most preferred language for creating games. C++ has two benefits: it compiles into fairly fast game code and it uses what is called object-oriented programming." -- http://www.gdcentral.com/home.htm

Unfortunately the learning curve of C++ is relatively steep, in comparison to say, BASIC. This means that after you learn the core concepts of C/C++ like what a variable is and how does C use variable to print "Hello, world." On the screen, it gets tough. Fortunately for her, she knew some C and was not intimidated by it. I am in the process of re-learning C/C++ for reasons other than Game Development.

C/C++ is object oriented. This is important because you can start to reuse code. You can development Classes and Methods fairly easily to make the game design a lot easier. For instance, Let's define a Monster Class. That Class (like phylum, genus, species) has variables that can be filled for each instance of the class. If you make a New Monster Goblin, that Goblin has attributes and actions found inside of the monster class like Movement, Health, EyeColor, etc. This is basic Object Oriented Programming (OOP).

C/C++ can also allow you to easily define memory to access. That is to say you can begin to specify where data is stored and help speed up the computer. It doesn't have to hunt through it's memory to find a match to a variable named EyeColor. You point to an address that has the variable EyeColor and it's done.

Getting past this issue, the next issue was Visual design of dynamic 3D environments. This may sound intimidating but it's like asking how did they do that, while pointing to a game like Doom or DonkeyKong. Games today are more sophicated than the Atari2600 games that some of us secretly still enjoy. You have complete 3D environments. You can go around walls, look up, look down, see through gauze and all the lighting is correct for the swinging lightbulb next to the investigators desk (ack! Bad Flashback!).

So what program do you want to use to start to work on this 3D environment and how much detail should you get into?

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