My Tech Timeline

(This timeline only covers my history with programming and game engines that I used. Infact, it also misses a lot of that too. For example, I learned and/or tried OpenGL, Python and SFML as well.)

• MS Powerpoint, FPS Creator, Yoyo's Game Maker, Gamesalad (and some more...) Pre 2010

  I used to play around and tinker with all kinds of Drag'n'Drop Softwares and Game Engines out there. I didn't like any of them. They are just not made for me. Infact, I started not liking Game Engines and gradually, ended up hating them. It seemed as if those engines only gave a limited set of tools and it doesn't felt enough to me.
  
  On the other hand, I had always avoided programming and never even considered learning it because I used to believe that programming is very hard.

• Minecraft: Redstones and Command Blocks 2010-2015

  Minecraft was everywhere on YouTube. This made me want to try the game out. It started out as mining, placing the blocks and crafting. But I ended up loving Redstones and later on, Command Blocks. I still consider Minecraft as my favourite game of all times.

• HTML, CSS and Javascript (basics, no canvas) 2011

  Somewhere on the Internet, I read that, "Commands that we enter in the Minecraft's Command Blocks are similar to programming". This made me want to try learning programming. I searched for the easiest programming language and ended up learning basics of Front End Web Development. That is where my programming journey started out.

• Java and JavaFX 2011-2012

  "What language is used to make Minecraft?" is what I searched. Ahh, I regret it a bit. I thought that this is the Ultimate Game Development Language. Little did I know that Java is umm... not for that. But I really liked JavaFX. It was actually fun. I liked the structure of JavaFX and I made 2-3 simplistic games with it. At that time, it was a big achievement for me!

• C++ (no framework) 2012-now

  The HARDCORE language. The GameDev Language. And my favourite language. This guy rocks! I love those dangling pointers. The thing is, for the first time, I felt like I truly understood how computers work behind the scenes.
  
  The moment I learned functions (yeah, I didn't finished learning Java hehe), I started making my first animated text based game called Console Platformer which took me 3 months after which I stopped and...

• C++ (SDL2 and Box2D) 2013-now

  ...started learning how the heck can I use graphics and make true video games! At that time, I have an Android mobile and that device is available to me more than my computer.
  
  So, I ended up installing C4Droid which only supported SDL2 at that time (actually, I made Console Platformer in it but I didn't know that I could do SDL2 with it) and started making my first true spagetti 'coded' video game called Blast Thru which is inspired by an arkanoid called Blast Thru (same name, too much creativity involed here).
  
  It also took me 3 months. Then, I finally learned Object Oriented Programming (classes, inheritance, polymorphism, etc) and it was like a blow on my face. I realized my game could have been finished in like 3 weeks if I have used OOP. Seriously!

• BAC Studios (BAC Programming) Blog 2015-now

  I started blogging where I made a C++ Programming Series. It does not include OOP because I got bored of it. I also shared some of my art and updates ofcourse.
  
  Thanks to my interesting articles on cplusplus.com from where I get most of my audience who read my blog posts. To those who want to start blogging, Guest Posting is the best way to bring audience to your blog IMO (wayyy better than SEO or any other tricks).

• Lua (Love2D) 2015

  Love2D got my attention when I realized that I could easily execute its code directly on mobile via their official Android app. I could also write shaders unlike SDL2.
  
  But the Lua language didn't suit me. I am just not used to NOT using semi-colons and brackets at that point. Apart from that, I liked strongly typed languages.

• Unity Game Engine 2016-now

  My brother was doing BS Computer Science in Capital University of Science and Technology. He doesn't like programming and I helped him on a lot of occasions. Then, he took a course in Game Programming because he knows that he could call me for help as I am super interested in Game Development.
  
  His Game Programming course includes Unity and naturally, he called me to help him in doing some of Unity stuff. But I resisted strongly. At that point, I hated Game Engines especially Unity. I know that Unity sucks and I have played games made with Unity that sucks as well.
  
  But my brother insisted. I tried Unity. And there you go. I liked Unity a lot. To a Game Programmer like me, Unity is exactly what a blank sheet of paper is, for a writer. A canvas for a Game Dev where you can develop whatever we can imagine in the form of a Game.

• Kotlin 2018

  There was this insane hype over developing Android apps in Kotlin at the end of 2017. Ofcourse, it attracted my attention. I always liked the idea of developing my own Android apps and I have tried to do it with Java before but I ended up not liking it. To me, it was a mess.
  
  But Kotlin drew my attention back to Android App Development. It is much better than Java. I made 2-3 simplistic apps with it but nothing much. I was too much into Game Development and gradually, Kotlin faded away for me.

• Godot Game Engine 2019-now

  Godot is the second best thing that happened to me after Unity. Such a compact sized game engine with Unity-like features that have excellent 2D support and amazing structure to everything.I really liked the concept of nodes. But with that said, I still use Unity for my primary Game Dev. Although, it is still not capable enough like Unity but it is quite easy to see that Godot is only here to get better and better.

• Joined HomeTeam GameDev Club 2019-now

  I am an MBBS student and don't belong to the field of computers professionally. I am a self taught game programmer. I always felt like I am not good enough and my society never really liked me as a programmer. They would probably say, 'yeah, cool' when I tell them that I am a programmer. But the reality is that, no one would like me to leave my medical studies for the sake of becoming a game developer with no certification or degree.
  
  Therefore, I never had any confidence in programming and games dev skills in the past. I never had anyone to whom I could share my programming experiences and/or develop games with. To me or to anyone in my position, that is a big let down. But somehow, I kept doing little bit of game programming.
  
  I started joining remote Game Jams at itch.io platform. There, I made Develomare which actually represented my situation. I got really positive comments on the game which made me want to join even more game jams.
  
  I made Samurai Duel in a game jam hosted by Extra Credits. This jam do not have any competition. But Gamkedo club (now, called HT GD Club) were cohosts of this jam. Chris Deleon, Founder of HT GD Club, liked my game and emailed me that I can join his club.
  
  And guess what? Confidence, Skill, Collaboration, Team Work, even public English speaking.
  
  Thank you, HT GD Club.

• Javascript Canvas/WebGL (no framework) 2019-now

  In HT GD Club, the members make games in only 2 ways: Unity without using asset store and JS Vanilla Canvas. This is to ensure that members learn generic game development and not confuse themselves into tons of libraries/SDKs/assets. So, I learned it via Chris's Game Programming book and contributed to some of the JS games being developed at that time.

• Flutter, Dart 2020-now

  Future of Android App Development is Flutter. I am sure of it! I made my BAC Studios App in just 4 days (even that is quite much) without learning Flutter or Dart prior to it. The process is so smooth and hot reloading is such a time saver. Flutter and Dart programming language may look complex at a glance but it is so neat and flexible. The concept of Widgets in Flutter is so well executed. Definitely, it is recommended by me!