Hi, thanks to everyone for your comments and links. It’s been quite
interesting! 
Let me just give a person or two my background so you may know where I
was coming from with my question and why I’m not out pounding the books,
etc. Please don’t feel that anyone has to respond to this–this is just
to show how some people’s lives are who have the desire to create, but
don’t necessarily have the means, per se.
It appears that I may not have as large of a selection of courses as
most CS majors have in other universities. I have taken basic
programming in C++, data structures, assembly, perl/CGI, database
(basically working with databases), advanced database (created an online
school registration system), intro to data communications, advanced data
comm. (learned about sockets, wrote a simple client/server, etc.) and
these coming months I will be taking operating systems, Visual Basic,
programming languages, digital logic, unix in c, and maybe a java course
if I’m lucky… Hither to this upcoming Visual Basic course I have done
no programming in Windows (of worth)… So I know nothing about firing
up any visual studio tool and so forth… Just know gcc, make, gdb, ddd,
etc.
I will not have the offering of any type of software design course or
engineering… which is very painful for me. That is the course I want
more than anything. I want to be in a group environment in which we
build some real application. But our classes are too small and there
are not enough people interested in an involved project as such. I have
asked my teacher about software design and the most I have been told is
to go look for a book. He is a guru in communications programming and
low level work such as operating systems, so when it comes to my
question about making a program that I have in my mind I am left to dig
for my own information, which is perfectly fine… But It’s quite
challenging to find someone who is willing to take you by the hand and
work with you through a first project, per se. Perhaps I err, maybe no
one here has had the advantage of working with an instructor or had a
course that teaches these skills, or perhaps not many remember the
feelings of inadequacy of a beginner that just knows about algorithms,
how to write servers and clients, etc. but knows not how to construct it
all up into a marvelous project.
So, yes, I suppose it is entirely possible for me to go out and dissect
my idea (which I will do when I get the time) and research specific
points to build each level. Yes, I will do this, but I thought I could
start with researching what is available and what is not. The Internet
is a vast library of knowledge and wisdom and follies which are
invaluable to sage as well as beginner. One thing I have learned from a
4 year degree is that there is a mountain of data that already
exists–it just takes questioning and searching to find your answers…
and that is always an essential step which must be taken before you
start, or you will inevitably try to reinvent the wheel many a time over
(not that you make an identical wheel each time, but one that fits your
needs).
I am also restricted in my time. I am married, have two children and
another on the way. Besides that I have other obligations which are
extremely time consuming. Consequently it becomes imperative for me to
post a question so I might find a gem or two of wisdom that others have
learned from experience and are willing to share so another does not
have to stumble quite as much as they. This is how our wonderful world
and the sciences progress. When this synergy is nonexistent there is a
deep existence of misunderstanding and regression. I would suppose this
is part of what fuels the open initiatives that are currently creating
new and unprecedented levels of growth and general knowledge in the
information world.
I believe my education is a good one. I may not have some of the
theoretical courses that many receive, but I do have an understanding of
where to go for knowledge and what to use that knowledge for, albeit I
lack in building projects and so forth.
Thank you all for your input though! I hope I did not sound
condescending. I hope everyone can see where I was coming from and that
there are many out there with good intentions and ideas, but just need
some mentors to help them in their first steps in crossing into the
practical world from the theoretical world. By the way, I do have “Game
Architecture and Design.” Great book! I’ve just made it through the
first few chapters, but it is great thus far. And I sure have enjoyed
the sites that have been posted and hope to find the time to scour
them. I’ve also enjoyed very much the interchange of ideas and words.
You all are a great bunch to learn from!
Thanks again,
George
Perhaps a Xmas gift?