Games & Apps: what do I need to start developing?

[Guest Xpressive]

I am not an absolute beginner to programming languages -but I am quite new to Visual C++ and Microsoft platforms. Now as I got my own SPV, I'd

like to create some games or smaller applications on it. I know, it might be a long way to go, but I really need to learn that stuff sooner or later.

1. So, what Software do I REALLY need to start developing (and what's recommended, but not absolutely neccessary) ?

2. Do I have to script in Visual C++ or are there any other scripting languages supported on a Smartphone platform (Since I want to make games, I guess I'd need the best performance available)?

3. Are there any starter books to learn Visual C++, especially for the Smartphone platform?

4. Is it more easy or more difficult (compared to Windows on the PC) to develope Software for a Smartphone platform?

5. Where are the places to find detailed help (especially for beginners)?

6. How did YOU start and how much time did it spend?

Thanks in advance!

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

!: You'll need the development environment to start with:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&displaylang=en

Bear in mind its a 200meg download.

2: Not being a develper i can only recommend what others have used, for games the most popular tools seems to be gapidraw: http://www.gapidraw.com/

3: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...4614630-7644633 ? Take a browse around for embedded and PPC device programming too.

4: Couldn't say, having never done it...

5: http://msdn.microsoft.com and www.smartphonedn.com are two good places to start.

6: Ask me when i (WILL) eventually get round to it :)

Also note one of our members "Spacemonkey" is currently porting a PPC emulator to SmartPhone and writing a web diray of how he's doing it as it happens, which may be of help to you, take a look at his site:

http://www.davemoller-nz.demon.co.uk/PocketClive.html

[Guest madu]

Not being helpful, but.. I looked at C++ code and that was the END for my ambition. I have only done 'coding' in Excel VBA, but this thing (C++) got me baffled :) I really wanted to have a go at making something very simple, but my brain wouldn't cope. To be honest, I think it needs time, quite some time, to learn it, but MS products are usually known for good Help files. I don't know if that's the case with EVC, but it's worth a look when you get the basics...

I found these 2 files on GapiDraw forums I think about PPC programming and coding games. I'll attach it in a zip, files are in PDF.

programming.zip

[Guest Xpressive]

I know that C++ is a VERY unsophistic language -I really hate it, but there's no way around it then.

I've been making games for more than half a decade now using Flash ActionScripting (see the games at www.x-pressive.com and www.espresso-games.com ) For me, this is THE perfect environment to create games since you don't have to worry about all the 'low level' stuff like screen blitting, pointer management etc. Unfortunately, there are two huge drawbacks:

-Smartphones don't support Flash (yet)

-Flash has an unbelievable slow performance (forget about 3D games, mind-blowing special effects or cutting-edge AI !)

So what I'd like most now is a FAAAAAST language (okay, not on a phone maybe), and I strongly believe, that everybody can make it -it's just a matter of finding good books and/or help of some people who already did it. There's a lot of crap on the book market, these books are written for money, not to show the beginner an understandable way to learn C++.