Game Development Skills Inventory???

[ChuckB]

Hi,
I want to compile for myself a list of programming skills and knowledge that a programmer needs in order to develop a basic 3D game that is functional, interesting and is representative of one's potential to write bigger and better programs. The skills should apply to VB or C++, DirectX or OpenGL...generic in a sense.

My motivation is that I need a checklist to guide my self training in this area. :-)

Here is a partial list.

1. Know the basics of a programming language.
2. Use a 3D graphics library well enough to render 3D objects such as DirectX, OpenGL or SDL.
3. Move around in a virtual world using keyboard.
4. Move around/look around with mouse.
5. Construct 3D models by hand or with a program and save to file.
6. Load models into program during startup.
7. Create a world using map editor/hand calculations.
8. Calculate the distance between self and vertices and planes.
9. Program timed events.
10. Program model animation.
11. Create 'classes' to modularize your code.
12. Create textures (i.e. bitmaps)
13. Load and apply skin to surfaces of objects.
14. Apply animation of objects.
15. Implement some form of Artificial Intelligence(AI).
16. Play sound files to enhance game.
17. Apply effects such as fog, water, rain.
18. Apply lighting effects.
19. Develop basic 3D engine.
20. Read text based script files during program load so engine/game can be customized.
21. Manipulate/read files...create folders programmatically, etc.
22. Track inventory of things collected by player, accumulated points and various attributes such as strength, ammo, injury, etc.
23. Create/load sound effects.
24. Understand 2D/3D trigonometry...and miscellaneous concepts such as translation and rotation.
25. Develop your own tools or utility programs to simplify detailed aspects of game development.
26. Write programs to interact with OS such as Windows, Linux...wrappers such as GLUT, etc.

Please feed back any skills and/or knowledge that you think a programmer should learn to be able to put together a decent game program.


Regards,
ChuckB

[Sastraxi]

27. Knowledge of Physics (for jumping, running, falling, shooting)
28. Know how to put things together

[Zaei]

The ablility to plan how the various aspects of a system interact, and interface, as well as the ability to design a system that is at the same time flexible, yet easy to use, is an INVALUABLE skill.

Z.

[Machaira]

Knowledge of advanced math - matrix arithmetic, etc.

[Illuminator]

Documentation Skills.

Get used to documenting your work. Flow charts, memory diagrams, program overviews. Basically anything that will allow
another programmer to reproduce what you have done, or enables them to pick up where you left off. You dont need to provide code just explanations of functions, classes and complex program logic. (It may already be in the code, but no one wants to spend much time disecting your code).

[Slow_Learner]

Start learning to work with some method of source control (e.g. Visual SourceSafe), especially if you are working on a team; version control is a great unsung hero of team development in any type of application.

[joey o.]

write as generic as possible and title subs, functions, classes, modules as explicitly as possible.