Hi guys! I have a question for those working on BOTF2 projects.

I just found out that my work will be closing down in the next year and I'l be out of a job. I work as a programmer for a financial company, but I use pretty archaic systems (accent, VMS and VB mainly). So over the next couple months I want to update my resume by learning a new language. I was wondering what the powers that be are using to write thier new game and if they could give me and advice on which language to start with.

I'd love to eventually break into the world of game writing.

I'm currently looking into C# (sharp) but I'd love some input.

Thanks!

I'm not sure what the languages are off the top of my head, but I think that Jig is the guy you need to speak to if you want to have a go with C#.

There's no harm in asking MStrobel about it as well though. You might be able to learn TWO new languages if you're lucky, since the projects are being done in different (And therefore incompatible) languages.

Send them a PM and let them know what your skills are, what the languages you'd like to learn are, and maybe some examples ofwhat you've done in the past; that sort of thing. And good luck.

I believe Jig is writing in C

im pretty positive Mstrobels in C#

Nemitor is correct, Jig is using a language called C-Script, and I am using C#. If you want to learn a new language to spruce up your resume, C# would be an excellent choice. I'd recommend you pick up a copy of CLR via C#, Second Edition by Jeffrey Richter.

If you're familiar with VB syntax in any way, C# won't be too much of a stretch, if at all. The syntax is similiar, with some noteable differences (from what I can tell - I haven't done much with C# specifically), and the projects are pretty much set up the same.

I'd highly recommend getting some experience in C++ if you're looking for something different. Particularly if you have access to a compiler or a Linux/Unix box (which typically has a C++ compiler included).

C# and C++ share a lot of common language characteristics. Syntactically, C# is roughly midway between C++ and Java, with a few really slick language additions. It's the defacto language for .NET development, and it's both powerful and quite easy to pick up. It's great for rapid development, and there will be a lot more support for game development in C# once Microsoft releases the XNA Framework, which is a modified version of the .NET CLR and some specialized libraries (like Managed DirectX), which will enable game development in C# and other .NET languages for both Windows and X-Box 360.

So of the three... Java, C++ and C#, which would you recemend to start with first? I have my work willing to pay for a few books and some online courses (which is odd seeing as they are closng shop in a couple months) so I just need to decide which one to start on. Like I said, my goal is to eventualyl start working on some game of my own. Tho currently I'm locked into database programming for my work.

I mean, I'm not a complete moron. (cept to my wife =P) I understand the basics etc as they apply to what I do, but I have never tried game coding. So thier use in that respect is alien to me.

As always I appriciate the help and input.

Well, I'd forget about Java--it lacks a lot of the nice language features found in C# and C++, and the performance of the Java VM isn't up to par with the .NET CLR. Undoubtedly, a lot of people would tell you to learn C++. However, I'm part of the new breed of programmers rallying behind virtual machines, and I'm a strong backer of C#. Honestly, C# would probably be the best language to learn in terms of helping your resume, as it's becoming very popular. There are a lot of C++ shops and VB shops that are migrating to C# because it's a nice middle ground. It's generally considered "easier" than C++, and it's certainly a safer language. At the same time, it's often considered more powerful and syntactically pleasing than VB. Learning C++ would be fairly trivial once you know C#, and Microsoft is trying to move a lot of development towards the C#/.NET platform, including game development (see my comments on the XNA Framework). It'd definitely be easier to start with C# than it would be to start with C++.

Awsome. Thanks alot for the info. I'll be poking around and tryign to get it up and going over the next couple days then I gotta go buy some books.
=)

go XNA!

when thats released, there will be TONS of homemade 360 games, which kicksass.

I posted a thread about it a few months back, but I never got an answer if BOTF2 would be 360 Compatible.

Meh, any consol support is gonna have to take a backseat. It'll require some sort of interface between the hardware and software, which requires additional learning to figure it out, plus any other unforseen modifications that would need to be made on the way to a 360 version.

I'm sure it'll be a "wait and see" approach. I thought we had this discussion already.

Don't expect to see an X-Box 360 version of Star Trek: Suprmacy. I use the Windows Presentation Foundation (formerly code named "Avalon") for the graphical interface, and I don't believe that will be included in the XNA Framework.

However, it would be possible to use my backend code if someone wanted to create a new graphical frontend that could run on both Windows and X-the Box 360. It'd be a lot of work, though. I would like to use the XNA libraries for the 3D combat system (assuming that kind of interop will be supported), so at least that much could be reused.

Nevertheless, I'm pretty excited about the XNA Framework, as it encourages game developers to switch over to my platform of choice (.NET). I'd love to work as a game developer using C#/XNA.