Game programming: Each of us has a dream to enter the world of game development and make that dream come true. We have to work hard and learn different skills. One of these skills is game programming.
What categories does game programming include?
You can go for different specializations for game programming. Programming in the field of game development can be in the following areas:
1. Game programming: Building essential tools such as a game engine, physics engine or graphic Engine:
Before anything from the game we see on the surface is made, essential tools like the game engine are made. Game engine programmers must have an excellent knowledge of how processors, memory, and computer hardware work.
2. Game programming: Graphic Programming
Everything you see in a game has something to do with computer graphics. The graphics programmer is responsible for implementing everything that will be displayed in a certain way. For example, if you see a strange aura of light around a glass ball in a game that gives it a magical effect, the art of the graphic programmer is behind it.
3. Game programming: Animation Programming
Coding is often required to display animations and combine them. Suppose you are excited by many animations. Their execution and blending very smoothly in a game, this expertise is up to the task.
4. Game programming: Making tools needed by other team members
If you see in a game that everything is executed correctly, the enemies come on time, the number is correct, or the player’s power level is good, it’s all because one or more game designers used the tools that the tool programmers gave them. They balanced the parameters and numbers.
These tools have helped game designers to focus on improving the game experience. Other team members may also need tools to do their jobs better, which the tool programmers produce.
5. Game programming: Gameplay Programming
When you see a new mechanic in the game, it has been implemented by the gameplay programmers. Gameplay developer implements game mechanics, puzzles, enemies, obstacles and many other game systems.
6. Game programming: Network programming
In multiplayer games, an essential part of the game is the network discussion, the communication between players and the transfer of information, for which the network programmer has the primary responsibility.
This synchronization is implemented in this section when you shoot in an online shooting game. And your opponent is hit on the other side of the world. The programmer must have good knowledge of the network, the Internet, and the protocols for transferring information over the web.
7. Game programming: Artificial intelligence programming (AI programming)
If you get excited by the intelligence of a game’s enemies, know that the programmer has good artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence programmers must have a good knowledge of methods and algorithms in this field.
8. Game programming: User interface programming (UI programming)
All the elements that usually display two-dimensional (and sometimes three-dimensional) information, such as health, number of shots or players on the screen, are known as the user interface. User interface programming usually involves creating a set of widely used user interfaces for different projects.
What tools are needed to make the game?
To make a game, using language alone is not enough. We must use other suitable tools, such as game engines, libraries, and plugins. One of the essential requirements is to choose the right game engine.
What is a game engine?
A game creation engine is a development environment for game creation that includes at least a graphics engine for drawing and rendering and a physical engine for implementing the physical environment. Of course, today’s famous game-making engines have much more possibilities for working with animation, sound, user interface and dozens of other things.
In the example of character movement (given in the “computer game programmer” section), the game programmer writes the command for the game engine to move the character (provided that the W button is pressed). During the game, the machine automatically checks the inputs every moment so that if the W button is pressed, it will move our character.
Also, to move the game’s character, it must be checked that he does not hit an obstacle (physics calculations) done by the physics engine. Finally, to display our character, the graphic Engine must be used to render the image pixel by pixel. Display on the screen.
For example, we can mention Unity, Unreal Engine, CryEngine, Game Maker and Lumberyard from prominent, available and popular game engines. In this article on Digiwaremarketing, the Unity game engine has been chosen as one of the flagships of this field.
10 game programming languages – coding games
• C# language for game development
• C++ language for making games
• Java language for making game java
• javascript language for making games
• Python language for making python games
• Go language for making games
• Lua language for making games
• Ruby language for making games
• PHP language for making games
• Assembly language for making games
The best programming languages for game development
Choosing a language or tool for game development is entirely up to you, and each programming language for game development has its characteristics or is specific to a platform.
Along with programming languages, game engines or engines play a massive role in making games. For example, Unity 3D game engine is one of the most popular and powerful game engines whose scripting language is C# or JavaScript.
1 – C# language for game development
C# is one of the most popular game programmings and is widely used by many game engines. A framework called XNA is a set of tools and an execution environment developed by Microsoft for Made Xbox and windows games.
- The best game programming language is C# language
- Also, C# programming language is mainly used in Unity 3d environment (the most popular game engine). If you like to produce multi-platform games, you should go for C# language.
- With the C# language in the Unity environment, you can easily create games for mobile phones.
- This language is the second language for game development, with about 22% usage in all games worldwide.
2 – C++ language for game creation
Another game programming is a C++ programming language, which has very high power in creating games. C++ language is an entirely object-oriented language, and because of its low level, it has a lot of energy, and it increases the performance of fun, and games that need higher speed are written with C++.
Thanks to object orientation, c++ language makes it easier to program various game objects, and in games with a large size, the codes are better managed.
Unreal Engine, one of the most popular and powerful game engines, works with C++ language, and you must know C++ to make games with this Engine.
This language and C language are the most widely used languages for game development in the world, so C and C++ languages account for about 55% of the game market.
3- Java language for making games
Java is one of the cross-platform languages that run on any operating system and machine, and therefore Java is one of the most suitable languages for game development.
One of Java’s best game development libraries is Lightweight Java Game Library. The famous Minecraft game is also created with this library and Java language.
Java codes are processed and executed on the java virtual machine or JVM, which is not dependent on a specific operating system.
Java is the third most used language for game development, with 6% of all games created in this language.
4- JavaScript language for game creation
JavaScript is one of the most popular game programmings. Most games made with this language are browser games because JavaScript is the only executable language on the browser.
But this language is widely used in other parts of game making, such as Unity 3D game engine. Many game engines and libraries for this language allow programmers to create games, such as A-Frame.
5 – Python language for making games
Python is one of the most widely used programming languages that you can use in various fields. You can also use this language to make good games. You can get coding games with Python language. Big game companies have used Python.
6 – Go programming language for making games
Go programming language is one of the newest programming languages created as an open source by Google. This programming language has been very successful and used by large companies such as Google, Dropbox, Paypal, Twitch and Netflix.
In making a game with the Go language, many frameworks and libraries have been produced, which we will deal with.
To make two-dimensional games:
- Edition
- Pixel
- Enjoy
To create 3D games:
- G3N
In general, Go is a strong and promising language, but it may have a smaller community of programmers and fewer educational resources than other programming languages.
7- Lua programming language for game development
Lua programming language is a lightweight yet powerful programming language for game development. Because of its simplicity and lightness, Lua is used in many game engines, including:
- Corona SDK
- Gideros Mobile
- ShiVa3D
- Moai SDK
- LOVE
- CryEngine
The Lua interpreter is written in c language, which is mighty. Currently, about 2% of the games in the world are created with Lua.
Ruby is one of the flexible and object-oriented programming languages created in Japan. Ruby is a multi-platform language and is used in various fields.
Ruby has good documentation and training, unlike the general techniques, and you can learn it quickly. Maybe Ruby is not suitable for making massive games, but it is one of the best languages for small games and starting to make games because it is easy to learn and coding is fun!
Ruby 2D and Gosu libraries are created for game development by Ruby that you can use. About 1% of the games in the world are created in this language.
PHP is one of the server-side programming languages and is known as the most popular language for creating websites. You may have heard the name of PHP language with WordPress or Laravel, which are very famous.
Many online games on the web are written in PHP, and if you think about making games under the browser, PHP is one of the good options for making games.
To make games with PHP, you can use the OpenGL library for PHP, which is available at this link. About 1% of the games in the world are created in this language.
Assembly is one of the lowest-level languages in the world, and programming with it is exactly like talking with hardware. That is, you have to write programs with machine code!
If you are interested in making games that run in the lower layers of the computer, assembly is a suitable language. Still, you should know that making games, even simple games, with assembly is time-consuming and requires a lot of effort. So in exceptional circumstances and when you love to engage with If you are a hardware and game developer, this language is helpful.
Game development how to start
If you decide to learn game programming and are at the beginning, you don’t need to go to programming tutorials unrelated to game-making.
Suppose you have seen one of these tutorials. In that case, you must have noticed that their focus is on software, and all the examples, exercises and projects presented in this tutorial are far from game-making. Usually, their models are from accounting and automation software.
Game programming courses
In this type of training, the learner learns the language’s commands. But does not get any familiarity with its application in game creation. Programming for games requires knowledge and experience in this field; Therefore, the best way is to use courses that teach programming based on game creation.
Conclusion; game programming patterns
Game programming is one of the essential parts of game development. You can start making games without programming, but you need programming to have more freedom.
Programming means using a specific language the computer understands to give instructions showing you the output you expect based on the inputs the computer receives and the operations it performs. Different languages have been created to communicate with the computer.
We need a game-making engine for game programming with different options. But one of the most popular and suitable options to start making games is the Unity game engine, which can be programmed (in fact, scripted!) with the C# language.
To become a programmer, we must consider that we need to know different things. Information such as algorithms, data structure, design patterns, network concepts, databases, how to write clean code, mathematics and things like that should be learned and used slowly and continuously.
To become a master in game programming (or any other field), at least 10 years of practice and learning are necessary, and there should be no rush.
Suppose you are at the beginning of the journey of coding games. In that case, I suggest you start programming for game development in an exercise-oriented way using courses that teach in the form of projects and try to read reference books in the field of game programming.