| sgtmattbaker | pretty good |
| sreeram | I've found that people good at math do pretty well at writing programs |
| Brend | sreeram: Really? I've never noticed any particular correlation |
| sgtmattbaker | I don't like math but if the math has a good objective i.e. not just finding what x= like what happens in most math classes I don't have a problem with it |
| sreeram | Software is a pretty abstract thing. And math folks are good at understanding abstract stuff |
| CSWookie | b0l4: Why are you sharing this with me? |
| ZenMasterJG | sreeram: i'm garbage at math, and a pretty decent programmer (though i'm pretty sure Brend would have to disagree with that on occasion) |
| Brend | "abstract stuff" is pretty vague :) There are huge differences |
| b0l4 | CSWookie, i think i need this |
| KirkMcDonald | Both programmers and mathematicians require a fairly analytical mind. |
| Brend | KirkMcDonald, also amazingly vague :) |
| sreeram | Brend, it is certainly not a given that any mathematician will be good at programming, but i've noticed a positive correlation |
| CSWookie | b0l4: doc.python.org. |
| KirkMcDonald | Oh, yes, very much so. |
| CSWookie | b0l4: Read tutorials. Then look at the module listing. b0l4: docs.python.org, rather. |
| Brend | I think programming well requires being able to think in four dimensions! Change of data over time is the fundamental point |
| sgtmattbaker | so an RPG, a simple one using my friend's isometric artwork is out of my league for quite some time? |
| Brend | sgtmattbaker, frankly yes, if you want to write it from scratch |
| CSWookie | sreeram: Hmm. I knew a mathmetician who was aa terrible programmer. The only kind of programming he did was write number crunching algorithms. |
| KirkMcDonald | sgtmattbaker: It's not exactly starting simple, I'll say that much. |
| sgtmattbaker | I am going to be using the pygame libs |
| Brend | sgtmattbaker: Oh! In that case, _twenty_ years |
| sgtmattbaker | I thought those were supposed to make it easier? |
| action | Brend takes cheap shots at SDL |
| Brend | takes cheap shots at SDL |
| KirkMcDonald | sgtmattbaker: pygame gives you a framework for putting pixels on the screen, and not much else. |
| Brend | sgtmattbaker, that is indeed what they are _supposed_ to do |
| sreeram | CSWookie: in my experience, people who are not that good at math, are even worse at programming! :) |
| Brend | sgtmattbaker: Here's what you do. Break your RPG up into functional components - graphics, sound, interface, network communication, whatever |
| sgtmattbaker | ok |
| KirkMcDonald | sgtmattbaker: To make an isometric 2d game on top of that requires a fair amount of stuff. |
| Brend | sgtmattbaker, devise smaller, less ambitious projects focussing on each of those sgtmattbaker, and do them before you start on the RPG |
| sreeram | CSWookie: by good at math, I don't mean a Phd in math, i just mean people who were reasonably good at math in highschool have a better shot becoming good programmers |
| sgtmattbaker | so have all my friends drawing done before actually starting the RPG? |
| Brend | sgtmattbaker: Don't even think about the RPG yet. Do unrelated projects that teach you the areas involved Trying to learn everything at once will be frustrating, at best |
| sgtmattbaker | why does it take ~10 years? |
| Brend | Because it's _hard_ |