Why is c++ rediculous for blind developers? I am not sure what you mean by having to buy something to use it, because visual studio community has been available free of charge for a while now. There's nothing i n c++ itself that makes it more difficult for a blind developer to use it, than any other language.

You'll want to get elcipse, the IDE of choice for java development. I'm not sure if you'll have to also get the java development kit separately, if eclipse's download doesn't come with everything you need.

I don't have any recommendations for a java book. Look for the best sellers in the java category on Amazon; the ones that have a 4 star rating or higher are usually a good choice.

You'll be duplicating the functionality that BGT provides out of the box, which will take some time e.g looking for a suitable library for 3d audio, serialization, keyboard input etc.

Its true that c++ has a much much steeper learning curve than most other languages out there, but it lets you do many more things too.

Have you considered using c# as an alternative? I believe the process of talking to c/c++ libraries from c3 is easier than doing it with java.

Do you have a solution for the problem of distribution?
What really got me switching from Java to BGT was the fact that hardly anyone could get my java games to run, even on the same versions of Windows (IIRC, the one person who said they were using a Mac didn't have any trouble, but will have to check to be sure).

This was with multiple redundancies--jars and naked classes, batchfiles, .exe wrappers, packing it with the JRE...

@Ethin : Unreal Engine is programmed in C++. So, yes, actually, a lot of professional games are made completely in C++.

@Ethin, I certainly can not deny C++ is not the easiest programming language to learn, but most game developers, professional game developers, feel it is the best for game development. Contrary to what you may have heard or believe most mainstream games are developed in C++ ore more than likely developed with a game engine that was written in C++ and wrapped with a scripting language which simplifies game development. Developing games in C++ is not as complicated or hard as you seem to suggest, and many people have written complete and fully functional games in C++. So you are cutting the language short for what I suspect are some personal biases against the language.

Calling it a miracle if anyone ever wrote a "fully functional game in C++" truly underscores how little you know about the subject at hand. As a matter of fact the majority of professional game programming books presume you have a working knowledge of C++ and teach game programming from a C++ game developers perspective. While it is not always written from a newbie or beginners perspective the fact is the more one becomes familiar with C++ the easier it gets. So it isn't as hard or as difficult as you claim. It is like anything else in life the more you practice the better you get and can do more advanced stuff.

As for MOTA. Let's not bring that into the subject since that has absolutely no bearing on weather or not C++ is a good language for game development. the reason the game is currently incomplete has nothing to do with C++ and everything to do with my current health issues and lack of time or energy to work on it. The game's current state would be the same regardless if I was writing it in Visual Basic, Python, Java, or any other language you might suggest instead of C++ because development has been halted due to my own personal issues not the language and tools being used.

Hey ethin, you know that q9 action game was written in c++. There were no betas; it was just released.

You know, every time this topic comes up, even if I'm the one to bring it up, I start getting discouraged and make no progress. Then I look back at the BGT user manual and am reminded of why I was so excited when I discovered it.

Put simply, the tutorials are written in such a way that I'm put at ease, and the process seems fun. I have yet to find a coding tutorial that makes me feel as optimistic as BGT does. I've been working on the hand-coding a little but it's been a while since I did that because a combination of life and general discouragement pulled me away. In the end, I have to ask myself, am I questioning the right thing? I feel that, with practice, I'll be able to build my game in BGT. All the features I will need are codable. I feel comfortable with it. Other people in this forum feel comfortable with other programs, and indeed, some of their plans require other programs to work. Perhaps BGT may not be the engine I use forever, but only I know what I want out of a game, and honestly, the sooner I have a world to play in, regardless of whether or not I stick with BGT, the sooner I'll be motivated to continue my project.

In short, I think I'm done asking if this is or isn't the right language for me to use. I want to have fun, and BGT's tutorials are written in the spirit of fun. That's why I keep coming back to it and smiling. The easy-going documentation resonates with me, and that hasn't changed despite the debates I've seen and started.