I know this topic will have many different opinions, but I am honestly ready to start learning how to develop web applications.

My focus is on Web Applications at the moment, so I am wondering what would be a good suggested path of learning.

Should I learn XHTML, HTML5 and CSS first?

What language should I learn first to get my feet wet and what to move onto from there?

I am a 100% complete novice with very no experience.  I have some ideas for web applications that I want to create myself, but at first I want to simply learn the very basics and create simple web applications for fun.

I am a 3D Designer and Animator by profession, so I am a visual type person.  Programming in my eyes seems like the most complicated thing in the world, so please suggest the simplest approach for me to get going. 

Should I start with a particular language because it's easy to learn and then transition to something more involved?

Do I need to have a grasp of HTML and CSS before I even get going?

Any information would be appreciated.   

This is one of my favorite Sniping games of all time.  I own it for the Playstation 2 and it's the first true sniping game I have ever played.

Snipers are stealthy, take their time, time their shots, recon the situation ahead of time.  You do a lot of slow crawling in this game to get into a good position, you mask your shot with the bombing in the backdrop of the battle.  You try to take out targets in a way where they will not alert others of your presence, so you must pay attention to who is facing who and what patterns they patrol.

It's a fantastic game for those who enjoy the true essence of sniping.  If you think this is like Moder Warfare 2 or Bad Company 2, you will be frustrated.  Instead of a kill every 20 seconds, think of a kill ever 20 to 30 minutes.  But you had to EARN that kill by crawling your way into position, checking your surrounding, finding the enemy and understanding their locations.

Great game.  Wish they would make Sniper Elite 2 with today's graphics.

I am a big JKDefrag user and sure how "My Defrag" is only a name change.  I don't care much for shareware.