ONE APPROACH FOR LEARNING GAME DEVELOPMENT
[vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529351306509{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Game developers everywhere!
So you thought you were going to learn to develop your own games? Well so do almost anyone else that have played any game… ever… Nowadays it seems like there is popping up new indie game developers all the time, everywhere, and everyone wants to be the new Markus Persson, or Luke Hodorowicz or even Sean Murray! Well I guess no one wants to be Sean right now, but anyway…
I’ve been there as well. For some time now I’ve been dreaming of creating my own game. Not necessarily with the goal of becoming a successful developer. Just for the thought of having someone else playing something I created, and possibly even enjoying it.
There are numerous programming courses online, and offline. Both free, and for a fee. Everyone claiming to be the best for learning programming. I have been through some of them and thought I’d share my thoughts on the different resources, in the order that I tried them.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”https://www.mellowism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/codecademy.svg_.png” image_size=”full” link=”https://www.codecademy.com/” target=”_blank”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529869281889{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Codecademy
Codecademy was my first experience with coding ever, and I really recommend this site as a first step in to the world of coding. Codecademy has a variety of courses, ranging from Ruby and Java, to HTML and JavaScript. It’s intuitive, has an in-browser code editor, the exercises are short, and it starts you off very lightly.
It’s free, but it also has a pro membership, with more support and a more personalized learning experience.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”https://www.mellowism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/treehouses_logo_jan_2015.png” image_size=”full” link=”https://teamtreehouse.com/” target=”_blank”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529869312846{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Team Treehouse
A friend who is a web designer recommended Team Treehouse since he had a discount code for me. I only tried it for at most a couple of days but it’s similar to Codecademy, only with a lot more courses, and different languages including C#.
It’s a paid membership, starting at $25/month with a free 7-day trial when signing up.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529869394411{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Moving on to game development
After getting familiar with coding in general, it was time to start focusing on trying to learn to develop my first game. It would have been great to know what programming language I should go for but I didn’t know the difference between Java and JavaScript at this point.
I came across a couple of articles in my search for the best way to learn game development. The first one was this one from Kotaku. It’s getting a bit old but I still recommend reading it. They go over some of the different tools available, but also some other helpful tips for creating your first game.
Another article I came across were this one from MCVUK. It was here I first read about Gamemaker studio and seeing that it was free, I felt that was a natural first choice.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN6dZWXUEzA”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529869605542{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Tom Francis’s YouTube channel
So this was one of the first YouTubers focused on game development I started watching.
Tom Francis is an indie game developer. He’s behind games such as Gunpoint and Heat signature, both made in GameMaker Studio.
His GameMaker Studio tutorials are in my opinion really good. He’s a very laid back kinda guy. He’s good at explaining what he’s doing and why. I don’t recommend the series for learning programming, rather just to understand some very basic concepts when it comes to game development.
The main reason however why I actually recommend watching this series is that after you have watched a couple of episodes, you have your first playable game! Which is a huge milestone in the process of learning game development.
It was after this course I created my first game, called HTP, or Hit The Palmtree! It was a fun game, at least I thought so… The art and sounds were awful though…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-iEOIXT19k”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529869721699{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
GTGD
The next YouTuber I started watching was GTGD, or Gamer To Game Developer. I actually bought his course on Steam, both season 1 and 2. Haven’t finished any of them though…
This was however the first time I saw Unity in action. The video series is getting a bit old though since it’s an old version of Unity he’s using but you could still learn C# from watching his videos. He has some newer videos on his channel that I haven’t watched but I would recommend rather watching them so you get to follow along in the same version of Unity as the course.
GTGD’s videos is a bit harder to follow along with than Tom Francis’s. But then again, it’s more focused on programming so you should expect as much. It’s a bit fast paced so for someone that hasn’t programmed anything before, it can be a bit hard to keep up.
I started watching more random videos of Unity after watching GTGD, and saw that there were, compared to GameMaker Studio at least, a lot of really nice looking games made with this engine. You can check out games that are made with Unity here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j48LtUkZRjU&list=PLPV2KyIb3jR53Jce9hP7G5xC4O9AgnOuL&index=1″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529869790647{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Brackeys
One of the YouTubers using Unity I came across was Brackeys. Compared to GTGD he is in my opinion much easier to follow along with.
The video series I’m linking to is newer than the one I watched, but if you want to watch those instead you can find them on his channel. In this series he’s programming in C#, in the one I watched he used JavaScript.
After watching a couple of episodes of Brackeys series you will have made your first game in Unity, and hopefully learn some of the basics in Unity in the process.
I really recommend continue watching Brackeys. He makes really professional, and instructive videos and you learn a lot by watching his videos.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”https://www.mellowism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/udemy-1.png” image_size=”full” link=”https://www.udemy.com/unitycourse/” target=”_blank”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529869968412{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Udemy
Udemy has a lot of courses on game development, and Unity courses. I HIGHLY recommend Complete C# Unity Developer 2D – Learn to Code Making Games. A course made by mainly Ben Tristrem but lately Rick Davidson also has joined as tutor.
You start off by creating a very simple game within the console of Unity and before you know it, you have created real, playable and enjoyable games that can look stunning and sound awesome. Either by using assets that they, the tutors or others provide. If you’re an artist you can of course create them yourself.
The tutors are thorough, calm, and the courses are therefor easy to follow along. The Udemy community is also helpful and you have fun sharing your games for others to play, and play many different versions of the game you have just made yourself.
The course can be a bit expensive, but Udemy usually have their courses on sale so add it to your wishlist, and purchase it as soon as it’s back on sale.
Since the last time I watched the videos, they have updated the course to a newer version of Unity. This is where I’m at now and I will finish this course… some day…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529870010443{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Other resources
I could say, “purchase that Udemy course and that’s all you need”, but we all have different preferences.
This is the path I took, and although I still can’t call myself a game developer, no way near actually, I still recommend watching many different courses until you find a course that you like.
There were other resources that I came across as well that I want to mention.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529870062173{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Unity3d.com
If you decide on going with Unity as a tool for learning to create games, I recommend browsing around Unity’s website. They have their own course for learning Unity, they have a Unity blog, different articles, for example on how to make money from games, different assets you can find in the asset store and so on.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529438043422{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Minecraft plugin
If you play Minecraft, or if you have kids that do, I recommend creating your own Minecraft server. That’s what I did. I created a Spigot Minecraft server, with plugins. This made me want to try to create my own Minecraft plugin. So I did. If you want to learn Java this is a good way to learn that. You can read more about that here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529438461700{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
The Coding Train
There are many on YouTube focusing on teaching programming and some stands out. The Coding Train is one of them. He is funny, informative and has videos that is easy to follow.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529438697594{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
TairaGames
Another fun YouTuber to watch is Taira games. He has a more talk show approach to game development and I highly recommend watching his videos if you want to get in to game development.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529439154522{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Sololearn
If you feel like taking a course on your mobile there are also different apps you can try. I have some experience with SoloLearn. They have courses in many different languages, and a helpful community within the app.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529439367191{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Scratch
If you feel like you should start from the VERY beginning, or at least if you have kids that you want to learn programming, Scratch is a very nice website. I know I’m going to introduce this to my kids eventually.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1529870194417{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]So this is some of the resources that I recommend you check out if you as well want to learn programming. I will continue with the Udemy course that I am currently on, perhaps even start over, to see the new updated videos. Hopefully I will have some games I have created on the course that I can share here.
If you have any other resources you recommend, I would love to hear about them. Feel free to contact me or just write some of the resources you recommend in the comments. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Getting somewhere… Getting anywhere?
OK, so here I am…
After almost exactly a year after my first post in what was suppose to be a new blog, a new project…
So I initially created this website because I wanted to do something that potentially could bring me some income eventually. I dream of the day when I can quit my job, and just continue working by myself, with my own projects. As many others do as well I’m sure.
Even though it was a year ago I still think about this site, and my other projects as well, every day. The problem with me is just that; I have too many projects.
I have too many interests, and not one that I excel at… Looking at some of my friends, and my girlfriend, they all have something they are specialized in. My girlfriend is a magnificent baker and creates lovely cakes. One of my friends is a very skilled web designer. Another is a photographer and I even have one that is a doomsday prepper. But he’s really good at it!
The thing is not one of them have the interest in making something out of their skill that they can call their own. Not one of them is interested in starting their own company, and become their own boss. Not one of them is interested in creating what I see as the ultimate way of make a living; a passive income. And this is frustrating for me because this is all I ever dream of.
So I like to play video games.
I am a father, a boyfriend (we’re not married… yet!), a family man if you will. I work in an office during the day but I like to call myself a gamer. And I’m a proud gamer. A proud nerd. I also like IT in general. I like to learn new stuff that involves me sitting in front of a computer or phone or console or whatever. You get the idea. If it’s learning to code, learn functions in Excel, customize my Android phone, learning WordPress, HTML, CSS or customize my UI in World of Warcraft; it doesn’t matter! As long as I’m sitting in my man-cave, my home office (a small room where I have my PC), I enjoy myself.
And I like YouTube!
One day a couple of years ago I started making Youtube videos. At first in Swedish. I did some Minecraft videos, a series of “How to setup a Minecraft server” and other review like videos. I can’t say they were very good but I can’t say they were bad either. The point is I liked doing it. I always liked helping others with what I know. Although it’s not a lot, the limited things I do know, I enjoy teaching others. So while creating some Youtube videos I started learning video editing.
My girlfriend bakes as stated before. I was never satisfied with the outcome of the photos of the cakes. So I started looking at photo editing. She started getting some followers on Facebook. So I thought it would be a cool idea to create a website for her so I then had to learn to do that. And why not make it a online store, where we buy stuff from China, place our logo on it and sell it. So I had to learn how to make an online store.
The thing is, this is just some of the things I dabbled in, in the last couple of years. And as a father of 2, the number of things I’ve learned with the limited time available in front of a computer, is quite a lot. Although I’m no expert at any of it, I’ve not perfected anything, I have learned some… Just enough to get started. What should I do then?
I will never be an expert
I will never be an expert at any of those things. Never be a pro web designer, a pro Youtuber, be a successful game developer, run a successful online store or even be a pro gamer! But what I’m good at; is starting new projects!
So this website is going to be my hub. My projects page. It was initially thought to be where I log my process in learning game development. but let’s broaden that. Let’s make this a blog where I try to write down how I started learning different things. What I found in my research of something I wanted to learn. Something that had my interest at that time, and hopefully this will help someone out there. Hopefully this can be somewhere to start learning something new, where we together will go forward and try to find other resources and other ways to increase our knowledge in that specific field that might interest you.
What then?
So here’s my idea… My CURRENT idea… And this will be available not just in English, but the plan is to write everything in also Swedish and Norwegian, since I got that going for me. I know three languages. Again, not perfected, but at least some.
Oh and by the way, it’s not going to be limited to web design, games, IT in general… No, there will also be topics of economics, parenting, psychology and I might even through some politics in there as well!
This might change though… It might be another year for my next post… But I hope not…
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