what's easier(a bet i made)

[ShizzleCreature]

hi guys,me and Cope2K made a bet,what is easier to do?

-Learn how to be a programmer,when you are allready an artist(so you can make your own game,without a programmer)?
or
-Learn how to be an Artist,when you are allready a programmer(so you can make your own game,without an artist)?

you decide.

[4urentertainment]

I'm fairly certain that learning to program when you're already an artist is much easier than learning to draw when you're a programmer. And the evidence shows it; there are a lot more artists that do programming than there are programmers that do art.

Learning to program in flash is easy, you can get by without knowing what you're doing and still make decent games.

[West-End-Pro]

Depends on how much work you are willing to put in. If you are a programmer, then you can do your art whatever, most probably badly. However, if you are an artist, and you don't know how to program, you're screwed.

[MLL]

I think it depends on the persons habilities. Some people just CAN'T draw and some just CAN'T program, but I think learning how to make good drawings is harder than learning how to program. Look at the people around you, most of them can make logical thinking (the basics of how to program), but just a few of them can draw what they are thinking.

[Cope2K]

Yo I want to kinda give people options here to make it easier for us...

A) An artist trying to program is harder.
B) A programmer trying to draw is harder.
C) They are both hard depending on where your coming from (weather your a programmer or artist)

I said C but Mr. Creature of Shizzle here said B.

Let us know what you think guys...

PS.: I'm obviously right ;D

[tomocles]

Think of it like this:

If you dont know how to draw, there are tutorials that can teach you how to make simple graphics. Likely they wont be amazing but at least they will be cartoonish enough for that not to matter.

If you dont know how to code, there are tutorials and source flas that can help you to make simple games. Likely they wont be amazing, but they will be fun enough for that not to matter.

If you know how to draw, you can make your simple games learned from tutorials look really great even if they arent technical marvels.

If you know how to code, yu can make your cartoonish games have amazing gameplay and unique features, even if they arent the next artistic masterpiece.

Its pretty fricken hard to learn both, and as far as high game quality goes, both art and graphics are equal in the effort it takes to learn to a desired level.

[4urentertainment]

The people I really admire, are the ones that excel at both programming and art. There's only a handful of those around, but those very same people can make games, doing both art and programming, that would be of outstanding quality and trumps the people that specialize in either field.

[tomocles]

At 8/1/10 05:55 PM, 4urentertainment wrote: The people I really admire, are the ones that excel at both programming and art. There's only a handful of those around, but those very same people can make games, doing both art and programming, that would be of outstanding quality and trumps the people that specialize in either field.

i think its because they can work on both sections of the game at their own pace, never being rushed because they are the only ones working on it. :P Plus they can think of the game they wish to make and then work directly on learning how to code it and how to make the art neccessary for it.

[Kevin]

IMO Programmer becoming an artist would be easier than the other.

A game with shitty art, but a great engine can be good (This is the Only Level)

Not saying the art is bad, but rather simplistic.

And to the contrary, Davidzx, who considered himself an artist and a programmer.

However all he did was copy/paste code.

His games were terrible.

Unfortunately I have no examples to show as he BALEETED his account.

[VanVeenGames]

Well, some people say that I'm terrible when it comes to art, some people like it. Its true that it is simplistic, but some people actually like that. One thing that I really can't do is animate. I totally suck, so I try to avoid needing animations in every single way (like a guy reloading it's gun, why not do it 100% realistic and implement real time physics? =P).

It's not said that programmers can't draw and that artists can't program, but I do believe learning mastering arts is easier than creating complex structures and learning all the syntax. Art is better learned by doing it a lot, and with programming; staring at a blank screen isn't going to help you very much...

Then there is that you can't really compare them. Like Windows and Mac, different worlds.

And finally, really, what is "being able to draw" or "being able to program"? Copying code or even using codes you don't understand is not programming and tracing an image or changing colors with photoshop isn't drawing (I think, I'm not an artist =P).

Oh, one more thing, drawing and design are not the same thing, neither is copying code and using a physics engine.

[Kevin]

At 8/1/10 06:33 PM, Vexagon wrote: Then there is that you can't really compare them. Like Windows and Mac, different worlds.

I think a more realistic expression would be, comparing them to Mac (artist) and Linux (Programmer).

[Cope2K]

OK guys well we're just gonna take two more votes and that's it because this has gone long enough so..VOTE a,b,or C Subliminal messages FTW lol

[c0rupt3d]

I would say learn to program learning art is difficult because theres no real guides to show you in the right direction you preety much have to make everything up its easy to draw good art for games but to succeed it needs to great and if you dont is not as easy as it looksu its much easier to hire an artist for freelance work than it is to hire a programmer then score the profit if your after money.

[4urentertainment]

At 8/1/10 06:59 PM, Cope2K wrote: OK guys well we're just gonna take two more votes and that's it because this has gone long enough so..VOTE a,b,or C Subliminal messages FTW lol

There hasn't been a good discussion like this in a while, let it last!

At 8/1/10 06:33 PM, Vexagon wrote: I do believe learning mastering arts is easier than creating complex structures and learning all the syntax.

I agree 100%, except when we're talking about flash games, where you hardly need to know any proper programming to make great, or even excellent games. I've seen a lot of people successful in the industry that still code on movieclips. They're not good programmers, but they're good artists and they manage to make great games.

Which is why I believe when we're talking about flash specifically, it's easier to learn to program that to make art.

[Cope2K]

At 8/2/10 07:02 AM, 4urentertainment wrote: There hasn't been a good discussion like this in a while, let it last!

OK well as long as this keeps going fine by me. so far its':

Programmer learning to draw is harder :3
Artist learning to program is harder :3
Both equally as hard:2

I'm thinking that people who say that learning art is harder aren't that great at drawing/animating and are probably better at programming and people who say learning to program is harder are probably good at drawing and well... not to awesome when it comes to programming. I can animate and draw pretty well and I have tried to program my own game and well it sucked programing wise even though the art was pretty good. However I remember when I was learning to animate and everything I did was horrible even though I could draw just fine on paper. ANYWAY this question is dependent on your POV and since I've tried to do both I can say that they are both pretty hard to learn to do WELL not just some crappy game I mean a good game with a good engine and good art. GOOD DAY!

[Yambanshee]

personally i feel it depends on your definition of art. I cannot animate; I am yet to do a walk cycle successfully, and I've been using flash for about 2 years. But when it comes to drawings, i feel i can do moderately decent. On the other hand, i feel that making a complex game (something like mastermind: WC comes to mind) you need to know more then just how to do it, but also have the organization, and your essentially making multiple games.

In my opinion, im going to say that the two cant really be compared too much, as there is a fine line in both cases between knowing how to do something, and actually being able to succeed at it.
Also, a totally new argument can be made of which makes a more successful game. In this case i feel that both sides can be argued equally as you can make complex and lengthy games with being able to use minimal graphics (such as simple balls and rectangles used in physics engine based games) whereas you can make a basic simplified platformer, but unique, and varying art can keep it interesting.