XNA
I've started programming with C# and the XNA studio. So far I love the whole package. Following the brief tutorial included with the package I was able to make a 3D space ship fly around...With sound effects! Initially I couldn’t plug my 360 controller into my computer so I had to program it for the keyboard. Later TuckerIntensity lent me the plug and play adapter. Now I have Force Feedback!
For my next project I'm creating a F-18 Flight Simulator game. So far I've found the steepest learning curve to be the 3D models.
I'm using the following free software to develop with:
Code
Visual Studio Express C#
XNA Studio
DirectX SDK (Dec 2006)
Graphics
Maya (Educational Edition)
Bender
GIMP
Audio
Audacity
XACT (Included with XNA)
I'm hoping an XNA development community within 2old2play surfaces. Feel free to contact me with any tips, comments or suggestions.