I’ve been looking for a good framework to remake an older game called Avara in. Panda3D seems like an awfully good way to start, but I would be learning Python from scratch while writing this. Can you guys give me some tips on which tutorials to read, who to talk to, books to read, etc?
Avara is an old 90’s game released by Ambrosia Software. It was similar to the game MechWarrior, where the player drove a “mech” around shooting missiles, grenades, and lasers at other mechs in multi-player maps where up to 6 players could play together. The rendering was very simple (no textures, only colored polygons), but it worked extremely well.
I am learning Panda3D and Python at the same time, just like you. “Byte of Python” is extremely easy introduction into programming for those who has no any background. It’s good to read it and make the exercises (it is very easy, and won’t take much time) in order to understand Panda tutorials.
PS: Honestly, I still have few chapters of this book to read But my Ralph already runs of the map, followed by enemies So, this is very good book.
Agreed, Byte of Python is good, especially for beginning programmers.
If you already have programming experience (in any language) Dive Into Python is even better. It explains in detail how to use really cool features of Python (like dictionaries, generators, first-class functions, and regular expressions, just to name a few.) If you learn to use these things you can write better code much faster than if you just apply the techniques you know from a more restrictive language (like Java).
In fact, even if you don’t have much programming experience I would recommend you read Dive into Python after you finish Byte of Python anyway.
I also use http://docs.python.org as a reference. I think the library reference is particularly important. Learning to use the built-in tools is usually better than rewriting them yourself.
But my Ralph already runs of the map, followed by enemies 
So, this is very good book.