After learning XNA to some extent, I got kind of angry that it's very platform dependent and has far too many prerequisites for my liking even for windows. And so, I set off on a lonely path to learn SDL (For example, Amnesia: Dark Descent was created using it)

So, what does this have to do with anything? I have quite a lot of work and lack motivation, but I am also a creative person and like helping others and working together on similar undertakings. That and talk with Detlik yesterday gave me an idea: Are there any others who would like to learn to make games on a more sophisticated level around here?

I'm asking because I was thinking that the more the merrier and it might be fun to just start learning together! So, I propose I'd create a blog where, for starters, I would teach you guys bare basics of C++ by providing links to some tutorials and personally explaining whatever you don't understand (I'm working as a private C and C++ tutor, so I dare to say I have SOME experience in this area.)

When we're finished with that, all of us would start learning SDL, setting a very simple common goal: Write a tetris game using SDL basics tutorial, and when we're done with that, start writing something akin to Mario by ourselves.

I'd gladly manage the whole thing in a form of blogposts, adding the most active and productive members of our little group as administrators or moderators or whatever so they too can directly contribute (by the way, does anyone know a free blog site with functionality similar to that?), and this way, we can learn to write games using SDL + C++ together, share our ideas and help each other with problems.

First of all, however, I would need a sufficient amount of people interested in this and I'm kind of afraid this is where this whole idea might just end. So, anyone interested, let me know in this topic and if you know a goger that does not frequent on forums but might like the idea, do let him known (and of course it's not limited to gogers, when the blog is up, anyone can join)

What I need right now is, as I have mentioned above, a freeware site that would allow me to easily generate a blog, ideally with some form of registration and account control (I want too much for free, eh?)

Edit: I have made a little questionnaire to get some numbers: If you know of people that would like to join us who do not have gog accounts, send them this link:

http://tinyurl.com/questionnairefenixp

It's just two questions :-)

Edit2: The website lives!

I would definitely be interested in participating. I've actually already made a Tetris clone in C++, but I'll happily make another :-D

Why did you go for SDL? It is not a little too much low level for a introduction tutorial?

Sounds interesting. Sadly, I'm in the middle of my exam weeks..

Anyway, I'm interested in learning programming stuff. I've a C++ book waiting for me next to my bed, and has been for quite a while since I only need Java in my university and I'm lazy. After the exams, I might be able to shift some time from my daily procrastinating and take part.

My C/C++ knowledge/power level is basically 0, and object oriented stuff still confuses me greatly.

Well there's never enough tetris clones, right? Well for one because it's low-level, and because it seems very well documented ant the interwebz are filled with tutorials. After all you can jump in any time unless I die. And even then I don't intend to delete old posts :D

edit: Apparently everything's well. I should really stop overusing that word

Probably because SDL is one of the simplest frameworks around for beginners to pick up, and is well-known for its cross-platform support. I have my own pet peeves with SDL but it's probably the best choice for this initiative.

I'm personally quite interested in this as I'm learning programming for just that reason. I barely have any experience with programming though, so I'm currently going through an online book on how to learn python (I know it's not the most used language for games, but I believe it's a great language to start with and the book is excellent so I can pick up something better when I have the basics done).

I may join in, depending on how much time I have since I will be starting with working on my graduation thesis tomorrow (Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Visual Studio 11 Beta are being released tomorrow).

I've never written anything in C++, but I know C and C# (and I've done some crappy stuff in XNA), so I guess it shouldn't be that hard to learn the basics of C++.

Anyways, since this is currently in the figuring it out stage, any chance of considering 'Building Metro style games with DirectX'?

I'd be interested, but I do have a tendency of dropping out of online courses (eventually something comes up elsewhere which captures my full attention, and then it's hard to back to the course and work off the things I missed), so take that as a "maybe".

I do have some knowledge of C++ - it's enough to fiddle around with other people's code (and compile it), but not enough to write something useful from scratch. I did write some small (hobbyist) games long ago, but in a different language and for a different platform.

Regarding blogs, I found Wordpress very easy to use, but don't know if it has all the features you want. You'll probably end up choosing one of the big three (Wordpress, Blogspot, tumblr) anyway though, the features not present there probably aren't present elsewhere either.

Being platform independent is one of my main goals. So unless Metro means coding a spin-off horror shooter and DirectX is a proposed weapon, then I'm afraid no.

edit: didn't read the whole post

i'm very interested

I'd be interested, but I'm already working on a game :/

I'll probably read through it though.

I think that directly considering it online tutorial would be a mistake, as I am learning it myself -because of this, help of the others with overcoming obstacles is basically half of the point, so I think that should turn out all right :-)

edit: See? I'm fast as lightening!

Well, if you want to use C++ instead of C I was thinking that ClanLib might be a better choice.

But reading about the lack of experience of the interested persons it is probably go low level as it teaches much more.

By the way, it sounds like you've read the same article on learning game programming as I did many years ago, which was what inspired me to make my Tetris clone. This was precisely the approach it advocated. Start with Tetris, then a side-scrolling platformer akin to Mario. Also, it's ported to pretty much every platform in existence, and writing sensible wrapper classes for it could be a part of the learning process.