How to develop as a specialist in game development?

Question

Programming

Behind 2.5 courses of the university, the C ++ language is more or less sanely mastered and there is an understanding of how programs are written. Next, I want to build myself as a game developer, because making them is so far the only thing that is really interesting for me. There are even a couple of completed games that are just about waiting for a bit of an introduction.
Here I want to ask the following. What to focus on?
1. Buy (or download) books on directx / opengl, computer graphics and algem, books like Game Engine Architecture , etc., and cut everything from the very bottom.
2. Take Unity3D or UE4, and finally make games, not engines for them. With all the consequences.
So, will I be needed with knowledge of how graphics and engines are programmed, but without the ability to work with ready-made solutions? and vice versa. To learn everything at once - here it comes down to time.

Answer 1

Make games, just go ahead and make games.
No need to learn low-level engine programming. Based on your question "How to develop as a specialist in game development?" You want to make games.
Building/programming an engine is like making a fishing rod, making games is like fishing.

Answer 2

There is one problem: "You don't know how to program". Seriously. Games are made by ~70 people for ~3 years. Using ~7 (C++/C, C#, Java, Python/Lua, simd/asm, ActionScript, bash/cmake/make/scons) programming languages ​​and scripting languages ​​in parallel. Technology is changing very quickly. Everything changes every 3-5 years. If not cardinally, then enough to sit down for textbooks again. Learn Classical Computer Science, Algorithms/Data Structures, GoF. You will learn the intricacies of technology on the spot.
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Answer 3

Behind 2.5 courses of the university, the C ++ language is more or less sanely mastered and there is an understanding of how programs are written.

Forgive me, in my words there is not a drop of disrespect, only skepticism. The first thing to understand is that you have not mastered the pluses even at the initial level. You need to prepare for the fact that in the workplace you will first have to forget everything from the university, and then learn again, already specializing in production. For many people, this moment is a psychological barrier at the beginning of work.
This issue must be approached progressively. First of all, you need to decide for yourself - who exactly do you want to be in game development. Quickly slapping games, riveting prototypes, focusing on bringing ideas to life? Or dig under the hood, dive into the very depths and not get out for days? Or do you just like scripting the plot?
You are a young man, it is clear that your hands are itching to take on everything at once. Try to solve your problem with short-term studies in all directions. Unity will help you quickly implement the game in a prototype. Various MDKs for existing games will help with scripting/modding. Packages like SDL/Cocos2d will be able to help you quickly set up an environment for studying chips invisible from the top level, such as these:
habrahabr.ru/post/241760
habrahabr.ru/post/248381
habrahabr.ru/post/250467
habrahabr.ru/post/238425
habrahabr.ru/post/248313
habrahabr.ru/post/244367
And all people are always important. It will not be possible to say exactly whether the users of the UDK are more important than its creators. Everyone just took their place in the industry.

Answer 4

Both paths are correct - they only lead to different paths. And the market demand for them is different. You yourself then decide what you want - to create games or delve deep inside, algorithms and parts of engines. In any case, on any of these paths, the path to professionalism will take years.
PS Even if you take UE4 or units, knowledge and understanding of the engine architecture will be very useful to you.

Answer 5

It is difficult to make a convenient and powerful engine without knowing in practice what inconveniences and limitations the existing ones have.

Answer 6

I would take ready-made engines and start something on them, almost no one works on UE4, the entry threshold due to C ++ is high, this can be your advantage!