Getting Started: Other Programs Needed? Self-taught C++?

Community Community & Industry Discussion
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Hi all!
I downloaded UE4 last year but still haven’t done much with it yet. I plan to make some games with it but as I am still new to all of this, I wanted to know if there are any other programs I need to download. I already have Windows Visual Studio Community 2017 and please correct me if I am wrong, if I am the only one working on developing the game, I can use that free version for commercial games?

In watching some youtube videos, I’ve heard about a program, I think it’s called Maya? I have a lot of time on my hands but am keenly interested in keeping the cost at zero. So free programs are a huge plus, but if it is necessary or advisable, I may be willing to pay for some other programs. I want to make a quality first person shooter and need to figure out how to make custom shapes, I guess they’re called meshes, for characters and things.

I know what I want to do, but little to nothing on how to actually do it. Also, I need to learn C++ and am hoping that I can teach myself the language through books and such? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Books and experimentation would be a good way to learn C++. You can use the community edition until you make too much money.

For art, Maya won’t be free. Perhaps you can make use of Blender - to my knowledge the best free 3d art package.

Otherwise, not sure you need anything else. I imagine you’ll figure out you need a program as the need arises.

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Blender
Zbursh
Substance Designer
Substance Painter
Gimp
Inkscape

I found these applications to be useful. Blender could probably do atleast some part of all of the rest to them to various degrees. I would recommend you start with Blender. It is free.

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Overplanning leads to underachieving. The mound of knowledge you need to take in is so gargantuan that it doesn’t really matter where you start in the long term. If you’re in it for the long haul you’ll get there eventually.

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Thank you all for your very useful help!

To CrimsonLambda,
so if I want to use Community edition to develop, if/when the game takes off, I just have to pay like a royalty or something?

To Waves,
I will definitely look into all of those, thanks!

To CalvosTech,
I see myself as a game developer in the future, but in case I don’t have what it takes to master both areas, how would it work with Unreal and Visual Studio if I did end up hiring talent?

To DamirH,
Words of wisdom. Thank you very much. I have found this to be true in creating constructed languages as well.

Again thank you all for what you have said and any future posts. :slight_smile: