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[Taiko]

I learned in middle school- I had a programmable calculator (TI-82) on which I copied games found on the internet line-by-line, and then I got tired of copying code and decided to write my own. God, the amount of class-time I spent on that thing- in retrospect, I wonder why some of my teachers never told me to put my calculator away when it clearly wasn't the class for it 

That reminds me that the first programming I did was on a TI-82, either in late elementary school or early middle school. Most of my programs were pretty simple, but it was sure fun making things such as a quadratic equation solver (which was bugged at first, unfortunately to my brother who was using it ).

I started off with my TI-83+.  My first game was actually a text based adventure where you raised sheep.  But at that point I didn't really know what I was doing yet.

My first real programming experience was building GUIs in Matlab.  Kind of a strange language to learn on.  I still didn't really "get it", though, not until I got into my first programming course in college which was taught using Python.

I found structured lectures really helpful.  That was where I learned all the math-y stuff like O(n) and algorithms.  Of course, lectures only go so far.  The only real way to learn programming is through doing it.

[Swattkidd]

You say you dont understand programming but are making a Turn based Strategy game. That is your problem. Start small, really small, as in not a game. Learn to program before you make games, it helps.

[simono]

Just wondering if you guys have any advice for me... keep in mind I've been trying for at least ten years and I have bought so many books and read so many tutorials and AAGHHH.

no offense, but what kind of stuff have you been programming for a decade but you still can't "really code"? or are you humble

also: maybe start with a cleaner, more streamlined language like python. diving in with C is certainly frustrating.

[Klaim]

This is going to sound crazy, but since I started this post, I have been persevering, and by god I have learned how to code!  I mean, all the knowledge from doing the same tutorials over and over, it just kind of clicked!  Obviously I have a lot to learn, but I'm past the brick wall stage!  It feels awesome!

This is pure love. 

[AlchemyCat]

no offense, but what kind of stuff have you been programming for a decade but you still can't "really code"? or are you humble

also: maybe start with a cleaner, more streamlined language like python. diving in with C is certainly frustrating.

This is true!! The simple syntax of Python has made me able to grasp things that I was just not getting at all in C++ when I took CompSci I in University for the hell of it.

For a structured course, I'm using an MIT OpenCourseWare site that someone recommended. Basically, if you attended MIT, you could register for this course... but the content is also freely available on the internet. There are readings and assignments... and the Final Project is to make Tetris.

If you feel the beginning is too basic for you, skip to the end... see if you can make that darn Tetris game. If you're a bad enough dude to just be able to Make It Happen, then rock on! If not, diagnose what you're having trouble with, and go read up on that.

[diwil]

My first introduction to programming was with AMOS Basic on the Amiga. I didn't really learn anything aside from changing levels and graphics in the example Super Mario game that came along on the floppy disk, but it sparked an interest somewhere. My English was poor at the time, however, so I never really grasped it enough.

Then, along came Quake. And with it, Quake C. I was 14 at the time, and I started off with tweaking variables, then slowly learning the syntax and eventually I was creating all sorts of stuff with that engine. It was love.

After Quake C, I picked up regular C (and a bit of assembler) around the age of 16, which is when I really started getting into it. I borrowed a few books from a local library, read sources of multiple games and learned constantly.

Now, I'm 27. I'm fluent in C, C++, PHP and JavaScript (which I do for a day job) and learning C#, Python, Lua and whatnot.

Currently working on an MMO/RTS using Flixel (learning AS3) and PHP (server side stuff, for the prototype at least). I can say I'm generally self-taught and I've oriented my brains to spot that missing semicolon on line 659 when scrolling through sources.

It's the trial-and-error thing, and always aiming a little bit higher than what you can actually do. I always set myself simple but currently unknown goals, and incrementally learned new things. I've only read about 10 or so programming books in my life (excluding tutorials online) and my approach is to use as little ready-made code as possible, but instead study how other people solved the problem and make my own approach to it.

Sure, it's slow and painstaking and will end you as a major caffeine addict but understanding how computers work on a very primal level is rewarding, as well as useful when optimization comes into play.

[Ixis]

Programming is why I turned to the bottle.

[The Bag]

I started off when I was 8 with the bouncing ball code listing in the back of the C64 manual, that started me off on BASIC from there I progressed to 68k assembler and so on.  Twenty one years later and my life is filled with C++ and Lua.

While things were certainly much more instantly accessible back then (turn on machine, go) there's just so much more information available these days.  I imagine the Internet is a huge help rather than searching for books in libraries of program listings in magazines that would never work.  

On the other hand maybe it's killed people's ability to take the initiative and learn.  On my employer's forums we constant get questions about what language to learn to work in games.  Many people don't seem to grasp the fact it's about learning to program, not learning a specific language.  Understand the fundamentals and picking up new languages becomes quite simple.  I know a guy who's trick to learning a new language, and he's been doing this since the mid 80s, is to write space invaders.  He knows the program, he knows what it should do, this is all about picking up syntax and language quirks.

[Average Software]

I know a guy who's trick to learning a new language, and he's been doing this since the mid 80s, is to write space invaders.  He knows the program, he knows what it should do, this is all about picking up syntax and language quirks.

I've been doing the exact same thing with Tetris, it really does work.  The only downside is that I'm really damn sick of writing Tetris.

[diwil]

I usually do a little Zelda-style game.

[Skomakar'n]

Breakout is one of my favourite things to do when learning a new language.