Write introduction_to_godot.rst

Closes #4177

about/introduction.rst

@@ -50,8 +50,7 @@ if you need a quick writeup about Godot Engine.
     Freedom Conservancy <https://sfconservancy.org>`_ not-for-profit.
 
 For a more in-depth view of the engine, you are encouraged to read this
-documentation further, especially the :ref:`Step by step
-<toc-learn-step_by_step>` tutorial.
+documentation further, especially the :ref:`Getting Started <sec-learn>` series.
 
 About the documentation
 -----------------------

getting_started/introduction/index.rst

@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@ make the most of your time learning it.
    :maxdepth: 1
    :name: toc-learn-introduction
 
+   introduction_to_godot
    learning_new_features

getting_started/introduction/introduction_to_godot.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+Introduction to Godot
+=====================
+
+This article is here to help you figure out whether Godot might be a good fit
+for you. We will introduce some broad features of the engine to give you a feel
+for what you can achieve with it and answer questions such as "what do I need to
+know to get started?".
+
+This is by no means an exhaustive overview. We will introduce many more features
+in this getting started series.
+
+What is Godot?
+--------------
+
+Godot is a general-purpose 2D and 3D game engine designed to support all sorts
+of projects. You can use it to create games or applications you can then release
+on desktop or mobile, as well as on the web.
+
+You can also create console games with it, although you either need strong
+programming skills or a developer to port the game for you.
+
+.. note:: The Godot team can't provide an open-source console export due to the
+          licensing terms imposed by console manufacturers. Regardless of the
+          engine you use, though, releasing games on consoles is always a lot of
+          work. You can read more on that here:
+
+What can the engine do?
+-----------------------
+
+Godot was initially developed in-house by an Argentinan game studio. Its
+development started in 2001, and the engine was rewritten and improved
+tremendously since its open-source release in 2014.
+
+Some examples of games created with Godot include Ex-Zodiac and Helms of Fury.
+
+.. image:: img/introduction_ex_zodiac.png
+
+.. image:: img/introduction_helms_of_fury.jpg
+
+As for applications, the open-source pixel art drawing program Pixelorama is
+powered by Godot, and so is the voxel RPG creator RPG in a box.
+
+.. image:: img/introduction_rpg_in_a_box.png
+
+You can find many more examples in the official showcase videos:
+
+- `April 2020 desktop and console showcase`_
+- `April 2020 mobile showcase`_
+
+How does it work and look?
+--------------------------
+
+Godot comes with a fully-fledged game editor with integrated tools to answer the
+most common needs. It includes a code editor, an animation editor, a tilemap
+editor, a shader editor, a debugger, a profiler, and more.
+
+.. image:: img/introduction_editor.png
+
+The team strives to offer a complete game creation package with a consistent
+user experience. While there is always room for improvement, the user interface
+keeps getting refined.
+
+Of course, if you prefer, you can work with external programs. We officially
+support importing 3D scenes designed in Blender_ and maintain plugins to code in
+VSCode_ and Emacs_ for GDScript and C#. We also support Visual Studio for C# on
+Windows.
+
+.. image:: img/introduction_vscode.png
+
+Programming languages
+---------------------
+
+Let's talk about the available programming languages.
+
+You can code your games using :ref:`GDScript <toc-learn-scripting-gdscript>`, a
+Godot-specific, a tightly integrated language with a lightweight syntax, or
+:ref:`C# <toc-learn-scripting-C#>`, which is popular in the games industry.
+These are the two main scripting languages we support.
+
+Godot also supports a node-based visual programming language named
+:ref:`VisualScript <toc-learn-scripting-visual_script>`.
+
+With the :ref:`GDNative <toc-tutorials-gdnative>` technology, you can also write
+gameplay or high-performance algorithms in C or C++ without recompiling the
+engine. You can use this technology to integrate third-party libraries and other
+Software Development Kits (SDK) in the engine.
+
+Of course, you can also directly add modules and features to the engine, as it's
+completely free and open-source.
+
+.. seealso:: These are the five officially supported programming languages. The
+             community maintains support for many more. For more information,
+             see :ref:`GDNative third-party bindings
+             <doc_what_is_gdnative_third_party_bindings>`.
+
+What do I need to know to use Godot?
+------------------------------------
+
+Godot is a feature-packed game engine. With its thousands of features, there is
+a lot to learn. To make the most of it, you need good programming foundations.
+While we try to make the engine accessible, you will benefit a lot from knowing
+how to think like a programmer first.
+
+Godot relies on the object-oriented programming paradigm. Being comfortable with
+concepts such as classes and objects will help you code efficiently in it.
+
+If you are entirely new to programming, we recommend following the `CS50 open
+courseware`_ from Harvard University. It's a great free course that will teach
+you everything you need to know to be off to a good start. It will save you
+countless hours and hurdles learning any game engine afterward.
+
+.. note:: In CS50, you will learn multiple programming languages. Don't be
+          afraid of that: programming languages have many similarities. The
+          skills you learn with one language transfer well to others.
+
+We will provide you with more Godot-specific learning resources in
+:ref:`doc_learning_new_features`.
+
+In the next part, you will get an overview of the engine's essential concepts.
+
+.. _Blender: https://www.blender.org/
+.. _VSCode: https://github.com/godotengine/godot-vscode-plugin
+.. _Emacs: https://github.com/godotengine/emacs-gdscript-mode
+.. _April 2020 desktop and console showcase: https://youtu.be/UEDEIksGEjQ
+.. _April 2020 mobile showcase: https://youtu.be/AIapugketbs
+.. _CS50 open courseware: https://cs50.harvard.edu/x/2020/