Thoughts about learning Python to help with making VNs?

[chocoberrie]

Hello!

Although I started learning Ren'Py by jumping right into the Quickstart (which was immensely helpful!), I was wondering if it would help to try to learn more about Python, since that's the language that Ren'Py is based on.

I know Codecademy has a basic Python course meant for beginners, and from what I gather, it goes pretty step-by-step. I signed up for it and I'm on Unit 2 already; I like it so far! The interactivity is nice.

What do you guys think?

[namastaii]

It helps, especially when you want to start implementing your own ideas. It really helps to understand code you borrow too for any minigame you may want to paste into your game or a calendar system, etc. Then your game get's that much better. In my opinion. You could always hire (free or cost) a programmer to worry about that stuff but it really is that much more satisfying when you start to understand something new and watch as you build and create something. It feels good.

and I could be wrong but i think codecademy's courses start out as 'beginner' then once you finish them they move up a level? I think?

[trooper6]

The codeacademy course is really amazing and I always recommend it. If you want to do a basic VN that just has text and menus...and maybe uses screen language, you can get away with not knowing Python. But the minute you want to make an inventory or do more complex things with variables and functions...then knowing Python is really, really useful.

It is always good to know more things!

[Divona]

Programming skill always a good skill to have, doesn't matter what language you're learning/using, it's often always has the same structure so easy to hop around to learn another languages. It will definitely open a lot of doors for you in the future, even just to put more things you dream of in your visual novel using Ren'py. So yes, *thumb up*.

[namastaii]

^^It is true. Once you understand one language, you'll be able to convert the same structures into another language just by changing the syntax. It's pretty cool

[chocoberrie]

Awesome! Thanks for all of your feedback, guys!

I'll keep going with Codecademy, and go from there. I've read somewhere that Python is really useful in scientific data analysis, which will definitely help me outside of Ren'Py. So now I'm even more determined to learn more!

[namastaii]

Python is used for a lot of things. Even if some things are mainly coded with another language, they tend to include python parts. For example I believe The sims games are coded with C++ but they also use python for some things.