HOW DO YOU MAKE A GAME?

The best thing to do is to come up with a good idea or game mechanic first. Don't try and be too ambitious if its your first game. Maybe trying to do a clone of a relatively simple game that you like is a good idea. Here at RMN, we like to make RPGs, and so most of the time people try and come up with ideas for RPGs, and we also share and talk about them. You can post ideas and get feedback on ideas in the Game Design & Theory forum.

Once you have your idea, you can take one of 2 approaches. You can either do a "design doc" or you can "wing it". Doing a design doc is basically a plan that tells you everything about the game you're going to make. It can contain lists of art you will need, music, how the game systems work, maps of levels, interface designs, etc etc. This will help you along the way, so that you know what you're working on and what you still need to have done.

If you decide to wing it and jump right into it, there is no harm in that. I guess the next step would be to decide the method by which you will make your game. There are few options here. You could:
1) Hard-code it - In a programming language like C++, Ruby, Python, Java. If you're serious about making games as a career, it is wise to learn a programming languages, and trying to make games is a good way to start.
2) Use a script library - There are lots of scripting libraries available that make it easier to make a game. They provide you with a basic game engine and allow you to write certain game-oriented commands with more fluidity than stright out languages. Blitz Basic, LiteC, DarkBasic come to mind.
3) Use middleware - There are some applications out there that allow you to make games with either a WYSIWYG interface or a simpler point-and-click or drag-and-drop interface. These are typically the easiest and most beginner-friendly approach to game making, but because makers are set up in a certain way, you may find thier restrictions confusing or debilitating. They give you a ready-made game engine and allow you to change the assetts and the actions that that engine does to make your own game. Game Maker, RPGMaker, Klik and Multimedia Fusion, and there are lots of other genre-oriented makers out there too. Some of them like Game Maker or Adventure Game Studio also have scripting funtions so that you might customize your design to come up with something the engine did not originally intend.
4) Mods & Total Conversions - If you decide that your game is very similar to another game that already exists, you might be more interested in doing a mod or a total conversion for that game instead of trying to build your own. Most games come with editing or map-creating software of some kind that will allow you to make your own campaigns or levels for those games. If you're interested in trying a complete make-over and you feel like the artsy type, you might consider a TC, which is basically replacing all the art assetts in a game with your own. One TC I saw replaced all the Warcraft II graphics with Star Wars-themed ones. Counterstrike is a TC for Half Life, I think.

All in all, making a full game that people will find impressive takes a lot of time and dedication and enthusiasm about your idea, so start small, see what you are capable of doing, and then go from there.

post=88849
Instead of coding, the most complicated thing you'll have to figure out is the difference between switches

You should definitely learn about switches (otherwise known as 0 or 1) as without zeros and ones you wouldn't be able to ask this question.

Serious post: Blitzen has pretty well covered anything you need, and don't be afraid to ask for help once you get started.