What's Your ultimate goal in Programming?

When I saw "should I learn DirectX? Topic" and Gabriel ask chwaga, What's Your ultimate goal? and I thought that would be great idea to ask people this

What's Your ultimate goal in Programming?


p.s. I think Gabreil should take great credits for what he said :)

Solve problems I have for which others haven't made solutions yet (and prolly never will). Usually they're small, specific and odd tools.

to make £1,000,000. Actually one of my goals is to stop programming and start designing. In other words build up a team with programmers, artists, musicians etc and manage the design of multiple games.

(I'd probably still program in my spare time for fun)

A Turing award? Yeah, I think that should about cover it.

I agree, Gabriel's question was very good - everyone here should think about what they're trying to achieve and what their ultimate goal is before going off and learning all kinds of advanced languages and APIs.

Personally, I like making advanced technology, and creating computer games. My ultimate goal would be a mix between the two, and game engine programming is a good fit here. This is why I prefer languages like C++ and more advanced graphics engines like Ogre - I often write code that is somewhat performance-critical, like a fast LOD planet terrain renderer, or a high-performance forest renderer, etc.

I don't have an ultimate goal.

It used to be to get a game programming job but, been there, done that, now.

yay me!

my ultimate goal is probably to fix games. Whenever I play a video game, I tend to get particularly angry at the developers for being so stupid. Thus, my solution is to make the games myself, because (hopefully) I know what's fun. That way, OTHER people can get particularly angry at ME for being so stupid!

ingenious, innit?

To create something I'd want to play.

..money..

... fun...

To take over the world or create an AI that can ROFL :)

/me starts writing SkyNet 1.0

You know that saying about software developers creating bigger better idiot proof software and the universe is creating bigger better idiots? Well I aspire to become one of the bigger better idiots that the universe produces when it comes to coding.

That is my programming goal.

:)

My ultimate goal of programming is to create something that totally removes the need to do any more programming. But really all you can do it take the design interface to a higher level, there's always some level of work needed. It's just that programming can be so long-winded, technical, complicated and sometimes boring. For me it's just a tool to get to the end result, not necessarily something that I especially love. Sort of a necessary evil.

Uh? How would that work?

I'm usually a big optimistic about my goals. And a thread like this, usually I'd go through and detail all my projects that I want to achieve: Virtual reality MMORPG in a futuristic cybercrime filled world, overdo Marble Madness as an MMORPG with ships with many races of creatures and underwater cities, make a game with simulated populated cities filling w whole planet and make it be in a global warfare. I have my lifetime to achieve them, and really, if I can make one of them reality, I will be happy. Lately I'm the design to have a successful VJ application, I'm in the early stages of development (15% done before a version 1.0, based on my organigram).

Cheers

Sorry, no reference, but it's slowly happening. I've talked to people who lost thier jobs proof-coding because software came out that automatically does that.

Grey Alien

Exact same goal. Money doesn't matter to me so much, just enough to pay for hosting and expand at any pace is all I care about.
I treat coding as a hobby (even though I work overtime with it). If I actually worked by the hour for a company, or made it my only work, it wouldn't be one tenth as enjoyable.

If you are a good teacher, you teach your student to become a teacher themselves, so that they don't need you anymore and so that they have the freedom to teach even beyond your own curriculum. If you are a good creator, you create creations which in turn allow others to be creators, so that they don't need you anymore, and so that they can create above and beyond what you envisioned. If you are good at programming, you create programs which in turn allow others to create without needing to program. Ultimately you become the recipient of the gift you've given to others - the student becomes a teacher and teaches you, your users become creators and share creations with you, and your software becomes capable of being useful to you as well as others, removing the need to write so many programs.

So my goal with programming is to create creative software which can then be *used* to create rather than having to return to programming to create. Programming is slow and laborious and full of conditions and requirements. I'd rather that the creative process be much more fluid and artistic which is not possibly at the sourcecode level. So I hope my software will provide a higher level creative environment which removes the need to write programs and yet allows lots of creativity.

find time to start and finish my deflektor esque game

or just say f**k it and make an exact copy (of the levels) with better graphics (yeah with my art skills) and leave it on the net somewhere (saying it was coded by costa panya (sp) himself and not me so i dont get into any trouble ;) )

The matrix.

All for my own pleasure, involving many hot and well known women :P

If your creation is so great that people no longer need to or do program, then eventually they will become limited by the scope of your creation, and lack the ability to expand it, because they cannot program.

Have fun?

Yes I've always thought this is the future so that anyone could make applications or games. I wondered if I'd be out of a job then as many people might actually be better at it than me because perhaps my main skill is in jiggling code, but I figured that I could probably learn the best way to use such creative apps and put my years of experience to good use and so hopefully still be in demand :-)

If you think about it, programming has been moving this way for years. First punch cards and pure machine code (HEX numbers), then assembly (basic instructions with mini names), C and similar, various basics/pascal etc and BBasic of course, and then the RAD tools like VB and Delphi (learning code is still needed for complex ops). But perhaps most obvious is stuff like Flash and Director and various prototyping tools where you can make stuff work with minimal code (sure, code is needed for more advanced stuff).

I hope to expand my framework with a bunch of tools that let me "edit" my games instead of coding them. So my screen layouts read a script that is defined in an editor as do my particles and sprite movements and some game rules etc. Of course it will need to be coded cleverly to reduce the extra overhead of this flexibility and there will still need to be code for all sorts of things...

I don't think the job of programmers will ever be automated, until there's a major breakthrough in AI where computers can be truly intelligent.

Of course tools can be made to aid the developer, and even to the degree where a single game engine is flexible enough to allow a game to be created with no programming, but in these cases you always lose a great deal of flexibility. At some point you need to "tell" the computer exactly what you want, and the less detail you give, the more generic the resulting product becomes.

As proof, just try to create a program that not only reproduces itself, but "changes" to include different functionality in future generations. You can easily make a "digital organism" like this that reproduces, and even adjusts certain variables to modify it's behavior. But try to make it actually include new functions (not to mention in a meaningful way) that did not exist in the original program, and you'll find it's impossible without some sort of "intelligent" system designing it, and currently computers just aren't capable of true "intelligence".

i just enjoy solving the problems and creating a work of art that others can enjoy and play. i'm not entirely sure what i'm going to do career wise but it will involve programming of some sort.
As for the "automated programing" discussion i think that if it is automated then it will be just like all other non-creative junk out there. the reason i like games and such is cause you can see the personal flare in each aspect of a good bit of software.if you automate that it dissapears or worse it starts to look like the origanal creators style and he determines what to allow you to do or not to do.

You have goals? Yeesh, and I just do this because I enjoy writing code to solve problems.

The ultimate goal:
Achieve the aim for which code was created.

Mine is to make a living.

I like programming computers, it doesn't really matter what it is I'm writing - just that I'm programming.

It's okay to put the creativity in the hands of the user so long as you give them enough flexibility and freedom to not run into boundaries or limitations anytime soon. Sure at some point you just wont be able to upgrade it yourself to some new technology which came along, unless it's somehow coded to allow that, but I do think we're starting to approach the mass-consumer `enabling` of creating software and content.

What?

> but I do think we're starting to approach the mass-consumer `enabling` of creating software and content.

Not till they teach people to think logically and completely. 90% of my job is figuring out what the user really wants - not what they say it is that they think they want. I can't count how many times I've asked a user "Are you sure you need the program to do that 100% of the time, with no exceptions?" have the user say yes, and then have them comment later on that no it doesn't always do that...

Mine is like some of the other posters, to have fun.

Since I was apparently somewhat responsible for it being asked, I guess I should answer this question too.

My ultimate goal is to make an insanely ambitious game, which doesn't compromise on anything because I need to make money, and which basically becomes the game I wish I could have bought in recent years.

There's nothing like setting your sights low, eh?

My ultimate goal, is to finally get to the point where I can market my games.
I don't especially care how much money I make, I just like to be able to make fun games, that people can enjoy playing.

Actually that's always been my goal too. I've played so many games since I was 8 and always though "why did they do that?" or "why didn't they do this?" and knew I could do better given a chance. But instead of leaping in at the MMORPG level I've decided to build up gradually with my skills and resources until I make the equivalent of a Victorian Folly! :-)

Ultimate goal, ideally develop a small array of games that may earn a few sheckles. Maybe develop some software and hardware that can do data logging, as much for the intellectual challenge as anything else.

@Grey, I might be up for your merry band as a coder in a few years.....

So, theres c, C++, assembler (for PICs, evolve to C at some point), maybe dabble with some palm programming (NSBASIC seems to do this quite quick)) - and by no means least develop some more B3D appreciation for fun and a slice of BMax for good measure.

@Blitzplotter: Cool, although I think I want to get going on this pretty soon. I need to plan out exactly who I need and what deal I can offer. Game ideas are not a problem :-)

same

since i can only paint a stickman, have 2 left arms for doing woodwork etc. programming is my paintbrush. Its abstract, cant be touched, yet to me its a way to be creative.. Oke so i produce a lot of things which never come to completion, its just FUN ;).

I would have to say that my ultimate goal would be to create a product that people enjoy using -- maybe even a product that gains a near cult following on the internet.

If I manage to do the above, the rest will take care of itself.

I tend to have excellent business and marketing skills, but my programming skills are a bit lacking -- which is why I hire to fill the void.

After I complete my current project, Gem Heroes, and get it going I wouldn't mind teaming up with a few others on here and pooling resources to develop something grand. I am certainly not the best programmer, but I have excellent marketing and legal skills as well as the cash flow needed to self-publish and self-market.

I think the main issue with games on here, is most people probably have a few good skills, but are maybe missing a guy to do sounds, or graphics etc etc. And since most of the people i've read/met on here are doing it in their free time, then it's even harder :o)

I know when my GF moved in with me, i have even less time now, between her and working 9 to 5. (cue music!)

Artists and musicians can be hired if you want it badly enough. I had to spend over £1200 on Holiday Bonus art/sound even though I didn't have the money (I got a loan). But I made it back over five times, so it was worth it - you've got to take risks in business to get payouts. Sure, for a non-commercial game you won't want to spend any money to make graphics/sound and then finding a team to do the work could be quite hard as you'll have to find other hobbyists who are busy with day jobs and other commitments.

there are two simple methods for "ai":
1: a program that can program
2: an online database that's constantly added to by a program distributed to hundreds of PC's, consisting of a massive desicision tree of action and response

Personally I do games for fun and to challenge myself. The reason why I would distribute my games to others is to make a small humble contribution to the history of gaming. Sounds big maybe talking about history, but just a few people giving you thanks for your efforts is all it takes.

Easy on the techy stuff, we're not all PhD's in Computer Science, you know.

My ultimate goal is to produce a game that other people enjoy, although I'd settle for just the first part.

I can not agree with this statement any more. I have put a lot on the line for this current project and my only hope is that I see some type of ROI. If I do not, hey -- at least I have a game that I will actually enjoy playing.

Also the sound part is not all that hard. I am certainly no musician, but I purchased a copy of Adobe Audition, downloaded the free Loopology tracks, and was able to create some fairly decent game music. It needs some minor editing, but overall it was not complicated at all.

There are also lots of "production" music which is royalty free. You can usually purchase these in CD sets and it allows you to use them in video, radio, and game productions.

Plus you'll have another portfolio item to attract investors. My first 2 games got my my 3rd game contract and that game got me my 5th game contract, and my 5th secured 2 more.

Making games brings together writing and music (as well as visual arts, but that is not my forte), which I love, but also adds a logical/problem solving aspect, which is why it is such a great hobby for me.

My ultimate goal is to sell at least one copy of a game and for that person to genuinely enjoy it. That way I can officially say "Hey, I'm an independent game developer."