Preferred developing language

Okay, maybe this is a little silly; I know there are only four or so other people active on this forum. But I've been planning a project for a long time and I'm wondering what language to program it in. It's a 2-D top-down rpg sort of thing in space, with an open and mostly transition-free universe and the ability to move independently as a character (a la Star Citizen) outside of spaceships and through stations, etc. Instead of being set in stone, ships and other vehicles will be haphazard combinations of skeletons and modules. I'm starting to prototype the movement system in Processing.js just because that's the language/library I'm most comfortable with.

I'm trying to decide between Python, C++, and Java for the final project. What do you guys prefer? What do you suppose would fit it best? Optimization and rendering won't need to be amazing; I'm doing pretty simple graphics. I know a little bit of Python, but none of the others. This project is my first foray into serious (semi-serious?) development; pretty simple, but with enough complexity to force me to work hard at it.

Sorry for my irrelevant rambling. Thoughts?

Just use Unity. It has C# and a modified form of Javascript. It's got a ton of incredibly handy tools for 2D games. I'd say it downright excels at them. I made a fairly basic but incredibly fun game that's sorta like a Ring Runner game in one month using Unity.
Super busy, can't help more, but I'm just tossing that in there for ya.

--IronDuke

I say you should stick to Processing.js. It is quite capable of handling 2-D games, and makes it fairly easy to add to websites. Who wants to download and install a 2-D game, when it could run instantly in their browser? And browser game websites like Kongregate would be happy to host it, and you would get some ad revenue.

Of course, Unity games can run in a browser as well.

Instead of being set in stone, ships and other vehicles will be haphazard combinations of skeletons and modules.

pretty simple, but with enough complexity to force me to work hard at it.

Whatever you say...

Thanks for the suggestions. I want to learn to code directly; if this were a more serious project I'd consider using Unity or some other advanced environment, but I need to improve my basic skills first.

Chessking, I may just take the JS prototype as far as I can. I'm working out the module system on Khan Academy; flight and independent vehicles already work.

The difficulty is in writing my own physics engine from scratch... that's one of the main reasons I'm attempting this. I get to teach myself trigonometry. Fun!

If you need a few tips on the Physics engine, I have already created one with Processing.js on Khan Academy.

EOC flight demo

The code is outdated compared to what I have now, but the basic OOP and trigonometry is correct.

IronyMan wrote: I'd consider using Unity or some other advanced environment... need to improve my basic skills first... writing my own physics engine from scratch...

lolwut? That's way harder than using Unity. With Unity, it's practically drag-and-drop. The only coding you need is applying forces for thrusters and such, which is one line.
To each his own, of course, but I really think you're overcomplicating things.

--IronDuke