What language to use when prototyping a small game

Question

I am currently considering writing a small game. It is essentially a map where you can zoom out and in, and in certain places click on info boxes where, at some point, I hope to integrate minigames. Granted, game might be overstating it. Think of it as an interactive map. The theme is how mathematics can be applied in peoples every day life to raise awareness on the usefullness of mathematics.

The question is how I as fast as possible can make a reasonable prototype. If I recieve enough positive response on this I might try to code "the real thing" and use the prototype to obtain funding.

However, I am at a crossroad. I want something to work rather fast and have some C++ experience coding optimization problems, mainly in c-style. I am not convienced, though, that coding it in C++ is the fast way to obtain a prototype. Though I have some experience coding in C++, but have no experience in coding any sort of GUI.

As I see it there is a number of possibilites:

1. C++, possibly using some library, such as boost or ???.
2. Start out purely webbased, using e.g. HTML 5 and java.
3. Python
4. C#/.NET
5. Others, such as?

I have to admit I have little experience with anything besides C++ and the STL. So my question to this wonderful forum is basically, is there a language that provides a significant advantage? Also, any additional insight or comments is more than welcome!

Answer 1

Python is a simpler language than C++, and for prototyping it will help you focus on the task at hand. You can use Pygame, a game library built on the excellent cross-platform SDL library. It provides 2D graphics, input, and audio mixing features. SDL is mainly a C library (and thus compatible with C++), and there are a number of very useful libraries that integrate with it:

• SDL_image for loading images in various formats

• SDL_ttf for rendering text using TrueType fonts

• SDL_mixer for audio mixing

• SDL_net for networking

• SDL_gfx for graphics drawing primitives

So if you prototype in Python using Pygame, there is a reasonable chance you’ll be able to port what you make over to C++ with minimal hassle, if and when you choose to do so.

Answer 2

Possible options:

• Go with what you know the best. Anything else will require a learning curve, which may be weeks to months long. If you're willing to take that road in order to make your prototype, then there are some really great tools available.
• BlitzBasic is a good way to go, and is basically designed to be for games
• I've done little games in Java using Slick2D - but you'll need good grounding in object-oriented coding to work effectively in Java. If you've got that from C++, then you can see a tech demo I built in Slick2D called Pedestrians. It's open source, and has demo videos here.
• You might also ask your question on https://gamedev.stackexchange.com/ - a Q/A site dedicated to game programming