MS Visual C++ or Basic: Which is more useful for BZII guys?

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

I recently DL'ed both from MS to try out. Their' the Express versions and I was wondering if anyone could give some feedback as to which would be the most useful to learn to do stuff for the game? I also DL'ed the SDK for Directx dated April 2007 to try to decipher in terms of trying to figure out something about the supposedly compatible X format that BZII supports. Any feedback would help me to get on the right track for possibly adapting a compatible X exporter for a 3D program like Blender. I remember reading somewhere (Blender forum I think) that writing a Python script isn't all that difficult with the right parameter information. My thoughts on the issue tell me to try this on an existing X exporter by modifying it to conform to what the BZII engine needs to see to make it process the data for use in animated models for the game. So feel free to toss out any information you would like to share to assist me in this endevour...BNG.

[Nielk1]

C++ since the BZ2 DLLs are in C++ and the code is in project files for VS2005

[OvermindDL1]

Quite, the C++ is useful, and Basic is not used/useful for anything...
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[Red Devil]

Plus, you can get paid well for knowing C++.  Basic??  Not so much.

[OvermindDL1]

OM sort that red cross out for youre avatar...

Er, what?
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[anomaly]

Er, what?
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I think he must mean your avatar shows a broken image red X.  For him at least, your avatar appears fine to me.

[GSH]

Visual Studio 2005 Express Edition does C++, is completely free, and enables you to build mission DLLs for BZ2. (It's not the only way of doing mission DLLs, to be sure, but it's an option.) Visual Basic might be useful for some 3rd party modeling programs, but I don't know which one(s) support it, and what they'd give you.

My general recommendation still stands: don't go collecting programs/technologies just because they exist. Getting good at one useful bit of technology is better than dabbling in a dozen. Quality > Quantity.

-- GSH

[Avatar]

Quite, the C++ is useful, and Basic is not used/useful for anything...
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Um...  not entirely.  VBA is extremely useful in an Office environment.  I almost owe my current job to my knowledge of VB, of which VBA is a subset and embedded in all Office Apps.

I feel confident that I could spreadsheet my way around OM, while he mangles me badly in every other programming arena... 

-Av-

[OvermindDL1]

I meant it is useless for anything relating to BZ2.
And the Basic dialect in Office is different then normal Basic, so although the syntax may be similar, it would not really help you to learn real Basic when dealing with Office Basic.

And I doubt that, my Python scripting powers in OpenOffice have been put to the test at work (yes, we use OOo).
Scripting an Office app in Python is so much more simple, so fewer commands you have to call...
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[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Is Python more useful then C++ or Basic for doing stuff for BZII? What I'm really looking for is focusing my time resources to learning at least one programming language that would be of the greatest overall usefulness for BZII users like modders and such. Also, I have a great interest in finding ways to modify the currently incompatible directx/dotxsi formats to those supported by the game as there aren't (as many of you already know) many viable options for doing game animations on a budget as most modders have discovered so far. What I envision is eventually learning enough programming to write a simple file conversion utility to convert animated X files into usable animated XSI format, and possibly more down the road as my programming knowledge increases over time. Would really appreciate some knowledgeable feedback on which route to best take for getting some stuff done to assist modders wanting to animate stuff for our' beloved game. Don't really want to become a truly proficient programmer just enough to get some practical know how to be useful to the BZII community. What would be very cool would be to create a few more modding tools oriented around animation related tasks. I've discovered that there aren't many modeling programs currently available that make doing animation an easy task to accomplish for the average modder. Most of us don't really have a clue about many tasks used to mod for the game, and desperately need some simplified modding tools to make doing stuff for the game actually doable. Anyways, please feel free to post comments to help me look at the pros and cons for which language to focus on learning for making simple utility type programs oriented towards BZII modding stuff. PS: For those who have taken the time in the past to create the current set of modding tools have my profound gratitude...BNG 

[Red Devil]

Gosh, I wish you would use more white space.  Gives me a headache trying to read all that bunched together.  So I don't.  I just read the first sentence or so and quit.

Learning C++ will give you the most benefit, both for BZ2 and for $$$.

[Warfreak]

Visual is FREE !?! I WISH I KNEW THAT BEFORE...

[GSH]

The readme files for 1.3pb3's DLLs note that the Visual Studio Express Editions are quite free, and are fully functional for making BZ2 DLLs. Heck, my laptop's got 2005EE on it, and has made private builds for testers when I've been off on vacation. As the readme says:

   If you do not have VS.NET, there is a free download from
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/ . You may also need the
platform sdk from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A55B6B43-E24F-4EA3-A93E-40C0EC4F68E5&displaylang=en
.  If you want to develop your own games, you may want to also
download the DirectX SDK from http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/sdk/
For more info about how to download & install these, please see some
good reference sites like
http://www.codeproject.com/useritems/FreeVS2005Win32.asp
(The platform SDK has some convoluted steps to install, unfortunately)

VS2008's Express Editions bundle the Platform SDK, thankfully, but the install of the redistributable files is a bit of a pain for 2005SP1/2008.

-- GSH

[Red Devil]

I really wouldn't try to learn it if I were you guys.  It's really hard to learn.  It will cause you a lot of headaches and sleepless nights.  It will take up a lot of your time. There's more fun things to do.  You're not smart enough to handle it.

[GSH]

RD- I think that's because you have what's called 'focus'. As in, the ability to stay on a task. I'm not sure everyone else has that.

-- GSH