Computer science classes give you the tools to make more modular programs which makes it incredibly useful as your code will become easier to adapt. I'm a physics major getting my B.S. so I could only minor in math (1 class short of the computer science minor). But the classes were great.

Sadly, posting what you learn in the tutorial section will probably be ignored.

Also +1 for the python. I'm using python in my research project to solve the three body problem among other things.

Python is a neat language. I don't know a lot of it at all, but I know it's pretty similar to JavaScript and Lua (both being scripting languages, like Python), which I do know.

You might hear about PyGame during the class, which is SDL (Simple Direct Media Layer) wrapped into a Python library. If not, that's fine.

I've been programming for a good 8 years now (started late, at around 17-18). My advice to you is to pick what you're comfortable with. There's a huge variety of languages out there now. We're not really limited in that regard. Also, though it is nice to learn mid-level languages like C++ (or just base C for that matter), taking advantage of high-level languages is always good too.

DM teaches you about C-styled syntax and general code flow. These are elementary-level things that must be learned, and since you completed that task, you're well on your way to be a good programmer. There's a lot of things Dream Maker helps you learn if you haven't learned a programming language before. I definitely wouldn't pick DM as a first-choice myself (awkward entry points, unique and quirky conventions). Python is definitely a much more suitable programming language for beginners. Not only that, but Python can be used as a command-line calculator.

Snail45 wrote:

Anyone take computer science in college? I'm in first year and think it's really interesting so far. We're learning how to use this bot that can draw things,add and some other stuff using dots. Then we'll eventually learn some python.

I'm currently on my first year as well and I am learning Java (So far working with GUIs) and Game Maker Studio (Ew game maker studio). Next semester I am learning C++ and Unity, and hopefully I will learn python myself!

Did computer science help you create games? Can one create games without going to college? How much easier/tougher would it be if so?

Actually, BYOND Forums helped me create games. I used to be that noob that asked five hundred questions and got pissed whenever someone answered for no reason, but eventually I matured and got better.
I'm sure you can create games without going to college, but the whole reason to go, in my humble opinion, would be for the degree to land a good programming job.

I was thinking of posting some of the things I've learned in the tutorials section. Is it a good idea? The reason being that it might help people understand what one learns when going to college to learn programming. This might either encourage you or discourage you to go to college to learn programming. I find it a bit challenging, some people in my class find it really tough, others find it way too easy. Also, maybe one could implement the knowledge learned from this to help create a game. I haven't tried yet.

Yeah, programming is one of those learning curves that is pretty steep. I started when I was around 10 years old and am now 18 years old while everyone is wondering how I understand programming.
Here's what that curve looks like to me:

If you don't mind me asking, how good is python in your opinion?

I dunno, I've met plenty of simple people who've made very complex software before. Too complex, needlessly so even :P. But yes, if you can't reason over a problem domain then you're kind of onto a non-starter in terms of writing a program that operates on that. Usually in complex scenarios though, the best skill is being able to throw out the bits that just don't matter to the end user for one reason or another. Which doesn't really have too much to do with pure code-writing expertise.

There's also an expression and classification problem, with programming. Computers (and almost all languages you'll program in) tend to be like Drax, from Guardians of the Galaxy. They are very literal. They don't really handle experience based inference well either. It's actually a fairly non-trivial problem to do that in programming, for broad subject matters.

So in your doctor example for instance, the experience and intuition that makes the doctor good at his/her job isn't very easy to express in programming, and this again is not really down to pure code-writing experience, it's a domain modelling problem. Indeed for many specialists it's difficult enough to pin-point what detailed thought process brings them to make a specific decision or formulate a specific plan in any complex problem.

You can get a high level normally, that's too vague to express in programming. Push them for details, and you start to get 'We're done similar elsewhere, and X didn't work' or 'It just looks like a Y kind of problem to me' where 'similar' could be similar only due some hard to identify up front set of properties.

It's all quite interesting stuff, really!

Snail45 wrote:

I'm still a noob at life, and in programming. So my opinion is of low quality.

Meh, I'm still a noob at life as well. The only problem I find is everyone assumes that I am a know-it-all when honestly I'm just a beginner.

We haven't been taught it in class yet, right now I'm about to have a midterm this week and it's mostly about using this program developed at my University. That program taught us about basic programming, abstraction, representation, binary, (etc). But I have started reading the Python textbook we were given. It's called "Python 3 for Absolute Beginners". I've read about five chapters so far and find it really interesting. My main goal is to make a game and one of the chapters have already shown how to make some rpg character generators and a roleplay combat system on Python. The book and the above poster's have said that Python is a great learning tool for beginners since it is a high-level language(meaning easier to use, not meaning difficult to learn). I can't really say if it's good or not as it is really one of the first programming languages I've learned. I've read the blue book(BYOND) and alot of resources to learn the DM language, but I can't say I've truly learned it as I haven't created much with it.

BYOND is really simple and I feel going down the road to learning Java, Python, and C++ is much better than spending too much time on BYOND. It's fun to program in BYOND as a hobby, but I feel like it is too inefficient during runtime for any professional game; it just takes up too much CPU Resources!

Through my experience so far, I've learned that your programs can only be as smart and complex as you are (They are your children after all), and all knowledge can be implemented into your programming. (ex. If your a doctor who knows programming, you could make a bot that could diagnose patients. and if you work with an engineer you could make a robot that could treat and diagnose patients.) Right now I've learned some words of a few languages, I can make a few sentences but I can't make great paragraphs.

I wish you great luck in programming. Even though this advice is overused, cliche, and the only advice I'm really qualified to give it still holds true: Practice makes perfect.

Also what really got me to learn programming was just experimenting with what I already knew and seeing what can be done with simple statements that they aren't intended for.
For Example: I learned how to create objects by experimenting with variables and accidentally came across the word "new" that got highlighted in blue. Then I tried creating a variable and setting it to a new obj (var/obj/dafuq = new/obj();) and found it compiled with no errors.