video game programmer requirements

[A***]

hello everyone this is my first offical post lol

i just wanted to know the requirements of being a programmer in todays gaming industry.
i want to get as much information as possible before making a descison regarding my future.

here are a list of things im intrested in.if you could answer them as detailed as possible that would really be a big help

1. is C/C# worth learning if you have basic knowledge of c++ and other programing languages such as python,ruby,lua.......

2. i know math is needed in programing but how advanced does it really get

3. is learning much languages as possible better

4. isit better to go to college and learn coding or isit possible to learn without a degree

Thank you

[deceptikon]

1. I'm of the opinion that it's always worth learning different languages. However, more important than learning a language in the same family (eg. C# is in the same family as C and C++), learning completely different languages rounds you out as a programmer because you often have to think differently. A prime example is a strictly functional language stretching your brain more than yet another imperative language.

2. It really depends on what you're doing. You can know as little as grade school arithmetic, or need to be intimate with higher math. Generally, programmers can get away with a reasonable foundation in algebra. I'd wager game programming would be on the more mathy side.

3. Learning for the sake of learning, not so much, in my opinion. As long as you have a purpose for learning a language, it's all good.

4. School won't teach you what you need to make it in the real world. I've worked with a lot of college grads who were blindsided by what real software development is like. These days, my opinion is that college isn't worth the money.

[mike_2000_17]

1) is C/C# worth learning if you have basic knowledge of c++ and other programing languages such as python,ruby,lua.......

Game programming generally requires solid knowledge and proficiency in C++. You should also be well-rounded when it comes to other auxiliary languages, like scripting, and higher level languages like Python or Ruby.

You don't particularly need knowledge of C++'s retarded cousins, like C# or Java, because they are not as popular in this domain, and if you ever need them, you will be able to pick them up really quickly if you are starting off with a solid background in C++.

But like deceptikon said, having some broad view of programming, via experience in dramatically different languages, will help you, or "inspire" you.

2) i know math is needed in programing but how advanced does it really get

There is definitely a lot of math in game programming. But it's not necessarily that advanced, it's mainly that you have to be proficient at it. Most of the math is geometry, trigonometry and linear algebra. You have to be comfortable with things like angles, rotations, vector transformations, projective geometry, etc.. There are some niche areas that would require significantly more math (e.g., physics simulation), such as proper university-level multi-variate calculus and non-linear system dynamics, and whatnot. But there's plenty of room elsewhere if that's not your cup of tea. But you definitely need to be comfortable with geometry and linear algebra.

3) is learning much languages as possible better

No. Just like deceptikon said. Learning about the more exotic languages is good for inspiration and broadening your view of things. But other than that, there isn't much point in learning lots of languages, because most are mostly the same. You don't need to learn the syntax of many languages that are not substantially different. What you really need to learn is to be proficient at programming. Gaining coding experience, facing real-world problems, learning to engineer good software, etc... And if you spend all your time learning the details of the syntax of all the languages that exist, you are simply never going to have the time to learn what's really important.

4) isit better to go to college and learn coding or isit possible to learn without a degree

You will not learn coding in college. Colleges generally provide "computer science" degrees (or something very similar in title and content). It's not a practical course in programming, and in my experience, it's rarely even applied science at all, but just theoretical science (about algorithms and whatnot) and some insignificant tidbits of introductory exercises in a few programming languages. I think that some places are starting to have decent "software engineering" degrees that are starting to take more the shape of an engineering or applied science degree, that prepares you a bit more for facing real world challenges. But such places are still a minority, as far as I know.

Everyone I have ever met who was a very good or expert programmer learned it on their own time. And I have not yet detected any positive correlation between being a good programmer and having a degree in computer science. It's not to say that having a solid scientific background to algorithms and data structures is not a good thing, it certainly helps, but it's not the main thing. It's like wanting to be a writer, and going to college for a degree in literature, it will certainly help, but it's not what will make you a good writer.

These days, my opinion is that college isn't worth the money.

I think that it's the false hope or false advertisement that is really the problem. A computer science degree is a science degree, like physics. If you are passionate about the science itself, and want to push its boundaries, then a computer science degree can be very rewarding and a good fit for you, and therefore worth the money. The problem is all the people who flock to computer science degrees thinking that they'll become programmers, as if people would flock to physics degrees hoping to become race car mechanics, it's crazy. And the universities are happy to maintain that illusion; it keeps their CS department packed! And now, your average CS department is full of people who either want to be the next Zuckerberg or the ultimate hacker-programmer, and a few people interested in computer science.

[janissantony]

1. is C/C# worth learning if you have basic knowledge of c++ and other programing languages such as python,ruby,lua.......

focus on the platform you want to write code into. for desktop games of course c/c++. for android, then c/c++ is not required

1. i know math is needed in programing but how advanced does it really get
   enough math for you to solve problems.

3.is learning much languages as possible better

better to focus on 1

1. isit better to go to college and learn coding or isit possible to learn without a degree

it is best that you love programming. then you dont need to answer this quesiton