Actually, version 6 of
3D GameStudio just came out a little while ago, anyway. It's probably a good place to start if you want to do 3D work, but I'd wait until you learned some general programming experience, and had some text and 2D games under your belt, before getting a new copy.
Game development is a pretty complex are these days, and there's a definite difference between game writing and plotting, 3D graphics engine programming, artwork (with gameplay, still and cut-shot art being each it's own specialty!), incidental music composing, foley (audio special effects), strategy AI, character AI, character interactivity design, and so on, just as there are in filmmaking. Writing a major game, especially a 3D game, is a serious undertaking, and the big studios usually have large in-house libraries of tools and utilities to make the work easier. This isn't to say it's impossible to make a great new game yourself, but it won't happen overnight either.
Where to start depends on where you want to head with it. If you're looking to get into 3D graphics work, well, honestly speaking, you should do a good year or two mastering 2D graphics first. If you can get a copy of
Flash MX, then that's probably the easiest way to start on both the art and the programming side; ActionScript is an easy language to work in, and is specifically design for this sort of thing. Otherwise, I'd recommend downloading
Python, a
free IDE for it such as
Dr Python or
Boa Constructor, and the
PyGame tools, and you should be alright. You will eventually want to learn C, and probably either C++ or Java, but that can wait until you've successfully written three or four Flash or Python games first. Recommended 'finger exercises' for this would be
- A simple tile or board game like Checkers (also good for learning strategy)
- a simple paddle game like Pong or Breakout
- a Tetris play-alike
- a Space Invaders/Galaxian/Centipede type game (Centipede is a particularly good choice)
- a maze game like Pac-Man
- an overhead map game like Berserk or most of the scenes in Metal Gear Solid
- a side-scroller like Defender or Super Mario Bros.
- an overhead map scroller like the original Gauntlet
If you follow these roughly in order, you'll have the 2D stuff down, and be ready to try your hand at 3D. Don't rush it; it's better to take the time to understand what you're doing. The
3D GameStudio is probably a good place to start, but I'd wait until you had some 2D practice first before getting a new copy (and even then, you can download the trial version first to try it out). Again, try learning things in pieces, rather than all at once (great advice which I wish I was better at following myself). A good place to start with 3D is a simple maze game, where the goal is simply to get out of the maze; it may not be very interesting, but it would be an almost necessary starting point for any First Person Shooter. A flight sim would also be a good starting point.
If you want to learn strategy, pick a language which does well with complex abstractions; Python is again a good idea, as is
Scheme. start with puzzle games like Animal or Kim, then go through the usual list of simple board games: checkers, othello, go, chess, etc. Perhaps a few card games such as poker or blackjack, too.
If you want to learn character interaction or plotting, well, you're in luck; just go to the AGI and SGI forums on this message board and ask about SGI Studio. AGI and SGI are special interpreters for graphical text adventures of the Hero's Quest and Leisure Suit Larry variety; while the art may seem crude by today's standards, they are excellent for learning how to design a game to be interesting, rather than just an excercise in Blowing Sh*t Up.
Whatever you do, you'll want to check out some of the gaming sites and message boards, such as
You might also want to look through the older messages on this board, as plenty of others have already asked the same questions.
This thread might be a good place to start.