Clotters

I just downloaded Python and am thinking of getting into programming as a hobby, perhaps.

But, before I put time and effort into it, I would like to know the limitations of it. My ultimate goal would probably be to create my own football (soccer) management game with a detailed and complex 2D match engine. Would this be possible in Python ... and how long would it take for me to progress tro this stage if I played around with things and read guides on it regularly ... half a year?

I have VB6 on my computer and a how-to book on programming VB6. If need be I could go into that for my football management project, but I read that book and found it hard to comprehend (in the end I gave up and left half way through reading the book due to me being totally confused).

Would it be worth me trying to go back through the VB6 route or could Python provide a simpler way for me to follow?

Feedback appreaciated.

thechristelegacy

Python can do exactly what you're asking. Do a search for Pygame, and good luck on your gaming adventures

Clotters

Thanks for replying quickly. Just had a brief look at Pygame ... :eek: looks like it might be a little tricky, never been one to shy from a challenge though. Firstly I think I should leanr to grasp a command of the Python language and then move into using Pygame ... to start off with I could just use a text based match summary instead of a 2D match engine anyways.

To my questions ...

How long would it take me if I developed at an average rate to become good enough at Python to create this game, though?

In the beginning stages, Python seems easier than VB6, does it continue like this as one moves onto the advance things?

Finally, any ideas on basic small programs I could try to work on whilst I try to get better at Python?

Berto

http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/thinkCSpy/index.htm

very good tutorial to get you started.

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Sane

Python is a fairly straightforward language. Depending on how good you are at learning, it can take you less then a month to become completely fluent in it.

PyGame, there are only really 4-5 commands you will actually need for your game. Don't worry how complex it looks, your game will be %98 Python.

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Clotters

That's encouraging ... I'll probably be aiming to a have good handle of Python by 6 weeks then. If I feel confident, I'll move onto my football management game ...

Oh, and thanks for the link Berto. I'll defintately check it out.

I think I've found out what I wanted, but anything else I should know?

Moldz

Python can be surprisingly easy to pick up. If you want to get a good taste of the language before diving into it, try the Instant Python tutorial. It's short enough to do in one sitting but gives you a great overview.

jonaskoelker

I would also recommend that you read `The Art of Computer Game Design', http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/pea...Coverpage.html and Amit's game programming page, http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/...gameprog.html;

both of them are (imho) valuable resources to any beginning game programmer.

hth --Jonas

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Clotters

Cheers guys .. I'll check all those links out. I still have one question though, if I were to make a game in Python and I wanted to distribute it on the net, would everyone who wanted to play it have to download Python so their computers could intepret or compile it?

Or doesn't it even work that way?

Sane

Yes. It can be compiled as an exe file with the use of py2exe . As well, the liscenses of both Python and Pygame allow you to distribute Python games commercailly without permission. :eek:

__________________
Waterloo's Canadian Computing Competition (CCC) - Stage 2 Problems, Solutions, and Test Data