Hi everyone! 👋 I'm just diving into game development and I'm eager to kick things off without stumbling into too many pitfalls from the start. Since I'm still in the early stages and don't have a lot of experience yet, I'm looking for advice from those who have already navigated this path. I know there are plenty of things that can go wrong, like choosing the wrong engine or getting caught up in writing complicated code too soon. So, what mistakes did you make in your early days that you'd advise me to steer clear of? What tips do you have for a beginner like me to keep the learning curve manageable and the mistakes to a minimum? Thanks in advance for your insights! 🙏
4 Answers
One huge lesson I learned is about 'analysis paralysis'—where you overthink everything instead of just diving in. Don’t expect to make money right away; it’s more about gaining experience. Start building something small first and let that guide your learning. You're not crafting the next big hit, just learn by doing!
It’s essential to realize there’s no ‘wrong’ game engine—just different ones that suit different projects. A beginner should start simple and gradually tackle more complex ideas. Also, my advice? Get a grasp on general programming first. It will make game development that much easier later on!
I appreciate the suggestion about focusing on general programming first. That makes total sense before jumping into game dev!
Trying to avoid mistakes altogether when learning is a common pitfall. The best way to learn game development is to get your hands dirty—pick an engine and start writing code. Even messy code has its place! What matters is that you’re creating and iterating, and you can always clean things up later.
Thank you for this perspective! It really helps to know that messy code is part of the journey.
Mistakes are integral to learning. There’s no one right way to succeed; you'll find your path through trial and error. Just focus on what you want to create first without stressing too much about the specifics of coding it. It’s all a part of the learning process!
This is a great reminder! Focusing on the game's concept before the code makes things less overwhelming.
So true! Straight to the point. Just focusing on the experience without the pressure of money makes it a lot easier to experiment.