Newbies to programming, just left GML.

[eatcomics]

I have no clue, but I'm sure some googling will help! In fact I need to get back into scripting... I miss python and perl and I sometime (very rarely lately) use ruby... I like ruby

[wearymemory]

Trust me, python is similar enough to most other scripting languages

No, it's not. Every language is different. They may share some of the same concepts, but most of them are carried out differently. GML and Blitz Basic are game creation languages that do not share the same API and concepts as Python, let alone any other language. Just because you're aware of some of the basic concepts that fit one language's agenda, doesn't mean that you can start writing difficult programs like games right away, which may have been the impression that the OP got from your post.

if I can go from Blitz Basic to python I think he's good too

I never said that the OP couldn't achieve that, but what I did say, was that it takes an effort to learn a new language. One which I believe wasn't discussed when you suggested moving to pygame right away when the OP has displayed time and time again that they know little about Python. The OP has demonstrated a lack of fundamental IO and array skills, and the fact that the OP wants to use another library instead of the standard API for arrays because they can't grasp it just screams "terrible idea." Throughout this thread, the OP has shown a bad habit of dropping something when they don't understand it, and looking for another way to do it.

OP, if you can't understand something, then look it up on Google first, which you haven't been using adequately enough to warrant you posting such simple questions here. You should read, understand, and learn these features that the standard API offers you, or you'll never be able to read and write effective and efficient code which supports and operates on the basis of Python's goal of quickness, simplicity and efficiency. My advice to you is this: You've been away from Python for too long, and you don't know enough about it to use it effectively when writing your games, so you should relearn it. Much has changed, and some of the things that you used to know are deprecated. Relearn it without pygame at first because it's only going to weigh you down in the beginning, and then start slowly integrating it into your programs. And above all, Google simple questions before asking us because others have most likely asked before you, and have received more detailed responses quicker than we could ever give you.

[eatcomics]

all valid points, and I completely agree on the google thing, seriously, google is your best friend in game development