How do you need math to make video games?

for the college requirements it says C+ in applications math, or B in Principles of math, and im in ESSENTIALS MATH, ive done C# and i dont see how u need math

How do you need math to make video games?
Those requirements are too low.





We expect 2-3 semesters of calculus plus linear algebra (matrix math), discrete math, and physics for CS majors going into a gaming concentration.





Here's a simple example:





If you've got an object moving on the screen, it has a position, which can be described as (x, y) (cartesian coordinate system)





You want it to move smoothly, but computers work in discrete time fragments at discrete distances. Fortunately, if you make the time intervals short enough, it looks to the user like continuous motion (this is the fundamental idea behind calculus.)





But how do you make the object move in a certain direction? You need to have new variables to determine how much the object should move:


x = x + dx


y = y + dy





thus (dx, dy) is a new pair which describes the motion of an object in the current frame. (dx, dy) is also considered a motion vector. If you remember dx from calculus class, yep, it's the same dx. (although used slightly differently in game development than pure calculus)





But what if you know the angle and speed you want your object to go, but not the dx and dy values you need to make it go there?





Trig is used here:


dx = speed * cos(angle)


dy = speed * sin(angle)





Game programmers LOVE these formulas. We think of them as old friends, because they help us solve otherwise challenging problems.





I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with one of my favorites. Say you want to build a space game with realistic orbits. Orbits seem hard, because they behave in very specific ways:





They are elliptical paths


The planet is one focus


The satellite travels faster near the planet


Thrust in the direction of orbit to raise the other side of the orbit





Imagine writing a program that can make orbits act realistically. It sounds very difficult, but if you understand the math and physics, it's no big deal.





You just have to understand that gravity is a force, and it's calulated by a formula derived by Newton:





f = (m1 * m2)*G / d^2





When you learn how to apply that formula, you can make all kinds of great gravity-based games.





It's certainly possible to write applications without a lot of math, but games are different. Start to write games. It won't take long before you realize you can't do much without math. The good news is, you won't hate math anymore. You won't think of math as a bunch of problems, but as beautiful and elegant solutions.
Reply:any type of programming requires some level of math.





i remember going to do engineering at uni and was asked what my weakest subject was, i said math. the professor said, but how have you done all that programming, i said i was good with numbers.





you can get away with simple math for many programming tasks, however, to do animation. motion, vectors, 3d, you need some hearty trigonometry, calculus, that sorta thing. The better you math-fu is easier it is to program by far!!





to move a line across the screen requires math, to move a triangle requires more, then you wanna texture it etc etc etc the math gets deeper. writing non 3d games, for say a mobile phone is a great start nowadays as the math is simpler.





if you have a good maths person near you, and you have a strong logical understanding for what you want to achieve, you can still squeeze through - so dont be put off :)





good luck
Reply:*video* games --- that means graphics, and making graphics of any sort on a computer is 95% math. Furthermore, realistic movement of objects (falling, flying, exploding) is all physics, which is just more math. You can't be a programmer without math.
Reply:Are you serious? To do most game programming you need to understand movement vectors, speed, velocity, graphing, and geometry. That's just a few of the mathematical elements.





EDIT, and before you even get to that point, without a grounding in algebra (functions, equations, etc), you're not going to be able to write code for even the most basic logic with any proficiency.
Reply:Pretty much all programming will need math at some point. Game programming would need math to deal with Velocity changes, Collisions and such.





I thought the same thing once in school and I ended up using math pretty much every day :)