I like to program. While I have no released products you could buy, I’ve done a number of projects for my own amusement over the years including making my own version of Space Taxi for the PC and using a Wii Nunchuk as a head-tilt input device for gaming.
Despite my experience with utilities and games both, there is a nut I’ve yet to crack when it comes to programming: 3D graphics. This is an area that has always seemed too intimidating to take on. If you jump in from scratch, say with OpenGL, the effort seems out of proportion to what you can actually produce. (“A rotating square. Wheee!”) Jumping to a highly capable tool comes with its own problems as, when starting out, you also have no art assets and don’t know how to manipulate any free ones you come across.
If you’re in the same boat as me you may want to check out Ben Tristem’s latest Kickstarter to create a course for teaching how to make games in Unreal Engine 4 in C++. The course will be project-based, so rather than learn a bunch of dry concepts, you’ll get to try your hand at making something you can interact with. Tristem has run two other successful instructional Kickstarters. In fact, if you’re at all hesitant, you should head over to udemy and check out the numerous positive reviews on his Unity C# course; it even came 3rd in the Telegraph’s Top 10 courses for Brits looking for a better job.
Tristem has set up a variety of backer levels, including access to his other courses. Considering his Unity course’s normal price is nearly $200, £35 for access to the Unreal, Blender, and Unity courses is a bargain that should put you on a path to learn anything about 3D programming you’ve ever wanted to know.
The Kickstarter has already funded successfully and unlocked custom art assets as well as a section on programming for virtual reality. As always, review our primer on the risks associated with crowdfunding, but I have confidence in Tristem’s track record. I look forward to diving into either Unreal or Unity with his courses, and, if I get somewhere, I’ll be sure to let you know what I come up with. Go check out his Kickstarter right now and get coding!
Thanks for featuring this Michael 🙂
Hey, it looks really cool. I see you’ve even been doing surveys and streaming initial development. That’s pretty awesome community involvement!