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[pyLix]

I want to start learning python, and with the help of pygame, use it to make a platform shooter. I know nothing about programming outside of gamemaker and GML. Does python sound like a good first language? Where do I start? Where did you start?

[increpare]

Does python sound like a good first language?

Sure, sounds fine.  Though, you already know one programming language (GML)... .  Performance-wise, you know python's probably going to be a step down from GM, right? It has a lot more expressive power, but if you're looking to ramp up the sprite count a lot, you might want to investigate a compiled language like C/C++/D/Haskell/[insert favourite compiled language here]/&c..

Where did you start?

This thread answers that question, though it's maybe not going to be of much use (being mainly of nostalgia value)..

[pyLix]

Thanks for the response, and keep them coming! I want to know if this is the right language to use for a cavestory styled platform shooter, with a more tactical approach, rather than a run and gun style. Does is have the power? How easy is it to learn? Any specific resources you reccommend?

[Lynx]

PyGame is a good starting point.

[gnat]

At this level, Python's performance will make no noticable difference. For the majority of game projects, the performance cost of using Python is negligible; especially with computers getting exponentially faster every year.

The real cost bottleneck here is not language performance, but your own development time; especially as a one-man team.

It has a lot more expressive power, but if you're looking to ramp up the sprite count a lot, you might want to investigate a compiled language like C/C++/D/Haskel

The performance of software rendering is going to be garbage no matter what language you are using (C, Java, Game Maker, Python..). If you feel the need to put a ton of sprites on the screen, take advantage of hardware accelerated rendering through OpenGL/D3D (hardware acceleration is available on all of the languages mentioned in this post).

[badpoet]

For learning the language check out Dive Into Python, you can get it for free. It often compares things to perl, but you'll manage without that too. (I did)

[eddietree]

pygame has pretty good documentation, with alot of sample code:
http://www.pygame.org/docs/

[Peevish]

Dude! I'm just learning Python as well!

A someone who knew no code whatsoever save minor HTML, I can say that Python is the most logical thing I've tried to learn. I've run into trouble with too many tutorials having no idea how to talk to a layperson, so sometimes I have to read two tutorials at once and fill in gaps left by the other. But if you're used to codespeak, you can probably decipher it.

I had my eye on PyGame as well, but I've been swooned over to pyglet. I read this debate over heah: http://leapon.net/en/making-games-with-python-which-library-to-use-pygame-or-pyglet

If you're doing 2D you might want to get the rabbyt sprite library: http://matthewmarshall.org/projects/rabbyt/, or cocos2d http://www.cocos2d.org.

As for where to start, this is the best tutorial I could find: http://www.swaroopch.com/notes/Python

[Lynx]

Honestly, after having worked with pyglet for a bit, I suggest beginning programmers try PyGame first for a project or two, before attempting pyglet, because it can be a bit much to learn OpenGL on top of learning Python.  There are a lot of libraries that you can snag for PyGame, whereas Pyglet has fewer libraries.