11 replies to this topic

[Jynks]

Hi... with a lot of help I finished my text adventure game demo.. it is all done.. and all that is left now is to "fill in" all the details with text and stuff so it makes sence to the user... all the function work fine. As it was just a project to learn more about programming I am not really planning on finishing it... at the mo it is just two rooms. i can add rooms to it pretty easy now... like I said just fill in

Anyway. I was thinking.. "what next?"

As my main goal is to get into 3D (obviously) I was thinking mabey I should have a go at a simple 2D game of some sort... .. So do you have any recommendations on where I should start for that? A book or something? Or should I go strait for 3D?

I have had a look at a few books in the book store but none seams directed to very beginner questions. There is no need for me to know how to do physics on a falling billboard if I do not know how to display the billboard itself.

[Reedbeta]

I would definitely go for 2D at first, as (no offense) I don't think your C++ skills are quite up to snuff yet, and so you could benefit by using a 2D graphics context to improve your programming, as you won't have to worry about 3D math. There is a book called Beginning C++ Game Programming that might be just right for you; although it doesn't do any graphics, it teaches C++ using (text-base) game projects. The first three chapters are probably basic for you, but you could probably benefit from chapters 4 and up. For graphics, Andre LaMothe's Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus, although somewhat out of date as it uses DirectDraw, will teach you the concepts that still apply with modern technologies like D3D9. (I somewhat hesitate at recommending LaMothe to you as I'm not personally fond of his writing or coding style, but a cursory search of amazon.com hasn't turned up anything better.)

[Jynks]

Beginning C++ Game Programming this is the book that i started with. I found it very good though as it uses specific, as in you code small apps, i found that I was just unwear of some of the other way/members/uses of various things... the board helped me with that. Still i have read it a few times and worked though all the exercises and examples. I feel pretty confident that I understand the content of it. In theory.. the only practice i have had is in the text game i made.

What I am looking for is a book that can explain the way you build a basic 2d app. Then I will build upon that. The books I have looked at in the library explain bits and pieces but I am unsure how they all ft together. Mabey I need a book with a working example built from scratch is there is such a thing.

[bladder]

Programming Role Playing Games with DirectX may be what you're looking for. It has a primer on DirectX and on the c++ programming methods he uses in the book. Then it takes you through building a small game engine and building a small game with it. The final game you end up with is a kind of 3d in 2d game - you have 3d characters walking inside a prerendered 2d environment (like in final fantasy 7/8/9, resident evil 1 & 2 if you've played any of them)

[ProgramWizard]

bladder said:

Programming Role Playing Games with DirectX may be what you're looking for.

Took the words right out of my mouth :lol:
It's an excellent book, but it leans more towards the advanced side and is very fast passed. I've yet to read the whole thing. Also, you may want to know DirectX9(.0b) before picking it up, as the DX chapters are a bit glossed over in favor of the RPG specific pages.

[monjardin]

If you don't want to get locked into Windows/DirectX, I'd suggest starting out with SDL. You can very easily throw together a 2D game, and there are a lot of resources online to help you out.
There is a Tetris walkthrough on bladder's site. It's a great game for starters. He'd probably even host an SDL port if you made one. ;)

[Jynks]

@monjardin - I accept your challenge.

[Onikhaosifix]

[edit]
I think that may be a ripped copy of the book. It's supposed to be onsale for 50 bucks. I could'nt find any sources that stated the publisher let the book into the public domain with a free online version.

correct me if I'm wrong though.
- bladder
[/edit]

[monjardin]

What book was refered to in the post?

[Jynks]

I ended up ordering

Accelerated C++: Practical Programming by Example by Andrew Koenig, Barbara E. Moo and Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0 by Frank D. Luna

[juhnu]

I would recommend the Game Programming Gems series. Lots of good articles in those.

[bladder]

monjardin said:

What book was refered to in the post?

Core Techniques and Algorithms in Game Programming