i feel like i've hit a wall in my GB Studio skills. it promises to let you make games without programming but i get the sense i'd be more able to create better games if i knew the fundamentals of programming. or could at least think about problems the way a programmer would. but every time i've ever tried to teach myself how to code, it never Clicks. do you have any advice for this dilemma?
Good question! I'll give this my best shot~
First off, I think that "no code" games engines are a misnomer. Really it's more like "low code" than "no code", cause any time you're giving a machine logic instructions you're basically coding IMO
Secondly, you're absolutely right that learning to think like a programmer will help you build video games, even if you're not coding per se. Getting a feel for how the machine interprets instructions and the techniques for turning big problems into a series of little problems really helps.
(Similarly, IMO game coders become better devs when they learn a bit about how to make game art, or narrative, or music, etc.)
For myself, learning to code took time and effort. There are lots of concepts to grok, lots of vocabulary to learn, lots techniques to master, lots of tools to understand. So, the best single piece of advice I can give is: stick with it, keep practicing. It's like learning an instrument, or a sport, or a language: you have to keep doing it even if it's tedious or hard.
The next most important piece of advice I can give is, ask questions. This is tough, because in the beginning you won't really know what questions to ask and lots of people are very bad at explaining things. When I started coding when I was 13 I spent an entire hour reading the description of what a FOR loop was because the explanation was so confusing.
Related, one of my partners suggests: work 1-on-1 with someone patient, if you can. Going back and forth on ideas that you're stuck on with someone who's been there before can really help a lot!
For example, I've had 3 different mentors in my gamedev career. I also have 5ish different coding women that I look up to who I send questions to over Discord periodically. Aaaaand, almost every day I ask code or game design questions of the partners and metamours I live with. I don't always understand what they say, and I don't always agree when I do understand, but talking about it with them always helps.
Unfortunately, when it comes to "how do I get it to click", there's no silver bullet. What works for one person isn't going to work for everyone. That said, here are some resources I can suggest:
-
Several of my friends recommend the tutorial series The Coding Train.
-
Some languages are much more forgiving than others. Python, Pascal, and BASIC are all frequently recommended as great first languages.
-
If you're an artist, a resource like Game Programming for Artists might be a big help. (I don't know a free alternative for this one.)
-
If you are familiar with writing, you might enjoy taking a look at a language that emulates a natural language, such as Inform 7.
-
If you find game rules themselves super exciting, you could look at game dev systems that emphasizes rule definitions, like Puzzle Script.
-
If you're a math wiz, learning the science/theory may be a great way to begin. You could start with something like Racket or even the Lambda Calculus.
-
For GB Studio in particular, it miiiiight help to dive into the hardware and get a feel for how the machine works on a basic level and what it's good at/bad at. I've watched this lecture like 5 times for this reason, but YMMV as this is getting a bit more advanced than the other suggestions:
I hope some of this helps!!!