Questioning my knowledge

[hayk0510]

Hey guys,

I'm having a bit of a problem. I feel like I know enough programming and I find myself skimming through beginners books, but I have a hard time creating anything useful and do not know enough to understand advanced books. I'm learning Python and know programming basics, but I can't really put a game together with Pygame (partly because of the weird documentation and tutorials).

Long story short, I feel like I'm trapped between the stages of "beginner" and "guy who can actually program". Has anyone else expierenced this? I am thinking of learning a new language to solve this problem, but I'm still unsure. Where should I go from here?

[dandymcgee]

Who says what you make has to be useful? Just start creating stuff. If you've done the simpler things (pong, tic-tac-toe, etc.) do something a little harder (asteroids, tetris).

Make sure you're enjoying whatever project you're currently working on, otherwise it will never go anywhere. I've recently decided to use the knowledge I've gained through attempting a few larger projects and apply it to these smaller projects that I never did as a beginner just to get some real experience using what I know. If this doesn't appeal to you, make up your own simple/intermediate project that you feel enthusiastic about and get to work.

[MarauderIIC]

Sounds like it's time for some learn by doing.

[Sanshin77]

I finished my C++ book a short while ago, after I got the "basics" of C++ (2/3 of the book) I started doing small projects. Here are a few suggestions:
Tic-tac-toe
Pong
Pickin' Sticks
Hud-elements(I made a simple hp gauge)
Templates(array & linkedlist, I don't know if you can create templates in Python tho)
Small stuff(parts of a game, a moving enemy on the screen etc.)

[Falco Girgis]

I agree with the above posts. You learn to become competent through experience. Start doing/making things, whether they're useful or not. When you run into a bump that requires more knowledge (and apply it) is when you become smarter and more competent.

[cronjob00]

I also agree I think thats how I have learned I will make something weather it has a point or not until I get stuck on something I have not done before then I figure it out. It doesn't matter what you are making as long as you learn something from it or improve in anyway.

[RyanPridgeon]

Sounds like you've just used a book to learn the LANGUAGE, and now you need to learn an API / library.

Look for tutorials for pyGame and start there.

[hayk0510]

Thanks for all the advice!

I dropped the books and went to look at some advanced tutorials and API's and I am learning A LOT!

And Pygame is great, I went from knowing nothing to drawing and moving stuff on the screen in about a day, but I still have a lot to learn.

Thanks again.

[Pickzell]

I learned by doing to. When I started GML, I just copied and pasted, I thought it was the shit, making games without doing anything, man was I wrong.

[Moosader]

Pickin' Sticks