Reading Material for UDK Scripting Beginner?

PolyMonstar

Howdy,

I've recently gotten into the scripting side of UDK.
I'm deasperate to find readable and testable materials on learning how to even function within the UDK scripting language. The most i've done is use some left over skills from my days of inputting values in a TI-83 calculator to take some functions and turn them into kismet nodes, and that's only going to get me so far.

So to lay out the issue :
I have no background in scripting.
I have no background in object based programming languages.
I have no background in programming period.

And I'm looking for books or DVDs or some trustworthy online sites that the technically inclined here would recommend.

Currently Amazon has these :

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Unreal-Tournament-Game-Programming-Teens/dp/1598633465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316068596&sr=8-1"]Unreal Tournament Game Programming for Teens[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/UnrealScript-Game-Programming-All-One/dp/1598631489/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1316068596&sr=8-5"]UnrealScript Game Programming All in One[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Unreal-Game-Development-Ashish-Amresh/dp/1568814593/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316068596&sr=8-2"]Unreal Game Development[/ame]

Unreal Development Kit 3 Beginners Guide

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Unreal-Development-Game-Programming-UnrealScript/dp/1849691924/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1316068596&sr=8-11"]Unreal Development Kit Game Programming with UnrealScript:Beginners Guide (PreOrder)[/ame]


There's also the Mastering Unreal 1 and 2 books, and the Eat 3d tutorials, etc.

I'm just wondering what the more experienced peoples opinions are of these materials, especially towards scripting and game play design.

And if there's any preferred websites that do a better job than the UDK main page on laying things out on how to even approach UnrealScript as a language and a process, that would be most appreciated.

Vailias

hmm.. I have experience with the "all in one" series of books. They're not bad, and do start very rudimentary.. which was usually my issue with them as I do have a background in scripting and programming.

A pertainent question is how deep you want to go with your scripting?
If you really want to get into it, it will behoove you to pick up an introductory book with plenty of theory for either c++, java, or C# (especially C# as the syntax is incredibly similar to Uscript.)

If you just need some general unreal targeted knowledge then the all in one book should be fine, the others I haven't looked over or know of the authors right off.

edit: also try searching online for basic C#, java, or C++ tutorials. The initial stuff will provide you with the OOP knowledge needed to program effectively, and the unreal script side of things is mostly just learning its syntax. Once you can read and follow code the best teacher is the UDK codebase itself.

haiddasalami

Mastering Unreal 1 and 2 books have no Uscript stuff. The 3rd one is on UDN with select chapters available. This is made for UT3 so there will be changes to get it in UDK. Personally I would suggest picking up a lanaguage book and reading that. Also check out the programming master thread for programming tuts.

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88170

O and get UnCodeX. That is the one thing you need, great way to learn Uscript.