I'm a game developer with a university background in game development, and I'd like to expand into general software development. I'm comfortable learning new programming languages, but I'm unsure which technologies to focus on because software jobs mention JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Rust, Node.js, Java, C++, and many others. I have some C++ experience from one university course.
For a practical project, I want to build a character-creation app for tabletop fantasy games. It would start as a basic character sheet that displays stats, species or race features, abilities, classes, and other standard RPG information. Eventually, I might expand it and add mobile support.
I'm not familiar with the usual tools for building non-game applications. Should I make this as a web app, desktop app, or something else? Which language and framework would be a sensible starting point, and how should I approach the first basic version?
3 Answers
Since you already know game development and have some C++, a desktop application with Qt could feel familiar. It lets you create a graphical interface without building a website, and C++ experience would carry over. However, a web app is probably a better match for a character sheet because it can run on different computers and phones without requiring an installer. If you want to experiment with desktop development later, Qt is still worth exploring.
Whichever route you choose, keep the first milestone tiny: create one character, edit a few fields, calculate a basic modifier, and save the result. Avoid starting with every class, feature, and rule at once. Once that small slice works, you’ll have a clearer idea of which framework or database features you actually need.
Don’t get too stuck on choosing the perfect language. For this particular project, JavaScript or TypeScript is probably the most direct route because the app is mostly forms, buttons, and displaying data in a browser. You could begin with one page that lets you enter a character name and displays a single stat, then gradually add classes, abilities, validation, saving, and loading.
Python is also a reasonable option, especially for modeling the game data with classes or dictionaries. With a web-based Python framework, Python would usually handle the server and data while HTML, CSS, and JavaScript handle the browser interface. For a first version, though, keeping the data in JavaScript and storing it locally may be simpler. Mobile support is also easier later if the core app already works in a browser.
This sounds like a great fit for a web app. Start with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. HTML defines the structure, CSS handles the appearance, and JavaScript makes the character sheet interactive. You do not have to write every visual detail from scratch forever—your HTML can be organized into reusable sections, and CSS can control the styling across the whole app. Once the basics make sense, you could move to TypeScript or a framework such as React if the project grows.
That makes sense. I haven’t used HTML or CSS since school, so starting with the fundamentals would probably be useful rather than jumping straight into a framework.
So the main difference is that Python would commonly handle the backend and data, while HTML, CSS, and JavaScript would handle what the user sees and interacts with. That helps clarify why several technologies are often listed together.