Working towards WP8/W8 development need some advice

[MercenaryOne]

I searched through the forums but didn't exactly find all the answers I am looking for. What I have found because of these forums is:
Develop using C#(Already was my intent awhile back, you guys just confirmed its best choice)
Channel9(Pretty awesome)
GameMaker Studio(On my Steam Wishlist for when it goes on sale)
Read books, not just web tutorials as books are way more in depth(Head First C# is horrible by the way, I'm only at Chapter 5 but it has so many errors I am not sure to continue with the book or not)

Now a little about me before I get into the questions. I am 32, when I was 12 I programmed in BASIC, when I was 14 I dabbled in C++. Then the .com era hit and I got interested in web design. 17 years later I remember nothing of BASIC or C++, so it feels like I am starting from scratch. I am currently attended a community college for an AAS in computer programming, I already took a VB.NET class online and the instructure was horrendous, basically copy stuff out of a $120 book. I am hoping to attend my first C# in a physical class come spring semester. I am an artist in the physical medium type and never done digital. I would love to make games that I have come up with ideas for. Because of me being a student I have access to everything Dreamspark and Adobe CS5. I have my WP8 developer I got for free for being a student. What I need help with is this:

Advice on going from physical to digital game art, any books or tutorials you recommend?
What 2D/3D game engines to use? I am looking to make a side scrolling RPG, and a turn based TSRPG.
Audio, how does one get about creating their own audio? I have never worked with audio, any beginner insight is helpful.
UI design, this is made with Blend correct? Does this pertain to games as well as I have seen its use for regular apps only.

There is more but I cannot remember and should have written them down, I will add them down the road when I remember.

Thanks

 

[realwarder]

Unity is a modern engine that may be free until you sell a bunch of copies. Check their site.

Given your background I'd say the best way to learn new areas of software is to download samples form SDKs and work out how they work by tweaking them.

 

[a5cent]

Read books, not just web tutorials as books are way more in depth(Head First C# is horrible by the way, I'm only at Chapter 5 but it has so many errors I am not sure to continue with the book or not)

The most important thing about any book is the author. If you lack the skills to judge a book yourself (which will be the case if you are just starting out), then make sure the author is well known and well respected within the developer community. The CLR via C# (Jeffrey Richter) or In Depth C# (John Skeet) are books I found very good, but they may be too advanced if you are just starting out. Take a look though.

UI design, this is made with Blend correct? Does this pertain to games as well as I have seen its use for regular apps only.

It depends on the technologies you intend to use. If you're developing a purely managed or a hybrid managed/directx game, then Blend will work. If your UI is simple then you can even get by without using Blend, as writing the XAML from scratch isn't difficult. If your developing a native/directx game, then you are on your own (no pre-build UI infrastructure and no tool support). This is one area game engines like Unity 4.2 (3D) can help out, as it ships with some UI infrastructure for native/directx games.

 

[MercenaryOne]

The most important thing about any book is the author. If you lack the skills to judge a book yourself (which will be the case if you are just starting out), then make sure the author is well known and well respected within the developer community. The CLR via C# (Jeffrey Richter) or In Depth C# (John Skeet) are books I found very good, but they may be too advanced if you are just starting out. Take a look though..

I am just starting out, but thanks for the input, I added the books to my wishlist on Amazon, and perhaps once I finish my first class of C# I will be more capable of taking on those books.

It depends on the technologies you intend to use. If you're developing a purely managed or a hybrid managed/directx game, then Blend will work. If your UI is simple then you can even get by without using Blend, as writing the XAML from scratch isn't difficult. If your developing a native/directx game, then you are on your own (no pre-build UI infrastructure and no tool support). This is one area game engines like Unity 4.2 (3D) can help out, as it ships with some UI infrastructure for native/directx games.

I am not fully understanding this part, is DirectX not C++? My intention is to strictly stick with C# and XAML only, which I will be playing with XNA(even though I heard MS is abandoning it)
My digital art skills are non-existent so I am looking to start small like a side scroller like Streets of Rage but with RPG elements, and a TSRPG(Think Shining Force) but with the graphics of something like Vandal Hearts. So it's not going to be anything fancy. Is unity good for things like these? If you aren't sure I will look into it.

 

[a5cent]

I am not fully understanding this part, is DirectX not C++? My intention is to strictly stick with C# and XAML only, which I will be playing with XNA(even though I heard MS is abandoning it) My digital art skills are non-existent so I am looking to start small like a side scroller like Streets of Rage but with RPG elements, and a TSRPG(Think Shining Force) but with the graphics of something like Vandal Hearts. So it's not going to be anything fancy. Is unity good for things like these? If you aren't sure I will look into it.

Yes, DirectX is C++ (hence "native"). Games, particularly if they aren't casual games, are typically written in C/C++. Most game libraries are also C++ for that reason, like Unity. It sounds like you intend to make a 2D game, so Unity wont be right for you (Unity = C++/DirectX + 3D).

In regard to XNA, well, it has already been abandoned! The only way to write an XNA game for WP8 is to target WP7 and have it run in compatibility mode under WP8. That probably isn't what you should be doing at this point. I have no experience writing high performance graphics applications in C#/XAML, so I can't make any recommendations myself, but this is what Nokia has to say on the subject.

 

[1101x10]

You can also use Monogame for WP8

XNA Games On Windows Phone 8 with Monogame - Nokia Developer Wiki