Here is a collection of sites related to game development that I highly recommend.
If you need any help with the projects in this book, I have set up an online forum dedicated to game development, and focused on providing additional support for this book from other readers and fans of Allegro. The online forums are at http://www.jharbour.com/forums. I do not have time to provide one-on-one support via e-mail.
Here are some excellent game development sites on the web that I visit frequently:
Allegro Home Site: http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro/
GameDev LCC: http://www.gamedev.net
FlipCode: http://www.flipcode.com
MSDN DirectX: http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx
MSDN Visual C++: http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc
Game Development Search Engine: http://www.gdse.com
CodeGuru: http://www.codeguru.com
Programmers Heaven: http://www.programmersheaven.com
AngelCode.com: http://www.angelcode.com
OpenGL: http://www.opengl.org
NeHe Productions: http://nehe.gamedev.net
NeXe: http://nexe.gamedev.net
Game Institute: http://www.gameinstitute.com
Game Developer: http://www.gamedeveloper.net
Wotsit's Format: http://www.wotsit.org
Keeping up with all that is happening is a daunting task, to say the least. New things happen every minute all over the world, and hopefully, the next set of links will help you keep up to date with it all.
Thomson / Course Technology: http://www.courseptr.com
Games Domain: http://www.gamesdomain.com
Blue's News: http://www.bluesnews.com
Happy Puppy: http://www.happypuppy.com
Download.com: http://www.download.com
Tucows: http://www.tucows.com
Slashdot: http://slashdot.org
Imagine Games Network (IGN): http://www.ign.com
Sometimes it is not worth reinventing the wheel. There are several good engines, both 2D and 3D, out there. Following are some of the engines I have had the pleasure (or pain) of working with that I want to recommend to you. Some are expensive, but then again, some are free. See which is best for you and start developing.
Touchdown Entertainment (LithTech Engine): http://www.lithtech.com
Jet3D: http://www.jet3d.com
Genesis3D: http://www.genesis3d.com
RenderWare: http://www.renderware.com
Crystal Space: http://crystal.sourceforge.net
You know, almost everyone started as you are starting, by reading books and magazines or getting code listings from friends or relatives. Some of the developers in the following list have worked hard to complete some great games.
Longbow Digital Arts: http://www.longbowdigitalarts.com
Spin Studios: http://www.spin-studios.com
Positech Games: http://www.positech.co.uk
Samu Games: http://www.samugames.com
QUANTA Entertainment: http://www.quanta-entertainment.com
Satellite Moon: http://www.satellitemoon.com
Myopic Rhino Games: http://www.myopicrhino.com
If you want to be in the business, you need to know the business. Reading magazines and visiting association meetings will help you for sure.
Game Developers Magazine: http://www.gdmag.com
GamaSutra: http://www.gamasutra.com
International Game Developers Association: http://www.igda.com
Game Developers Conference: http://www.gdconf.com
Association of Shareware Professionals: http://www.asp-shareware.org
RealGames: http://www.real.com/games
Here are some great sites to visit when you are looking for a good laugh.
Homestar Runner (Strong Bad!): http://www.homestarrunner.com/
User Friendly: http://www.userfriendly.org
Geeks!: http://www.happychaos.com/geeks
Off the Mark: http://www.offthemark.com/computers.htm
Player Versus Player: http://www.pvponline.com
I've provided a short description for each of the books in this list because they are either books I have written (plug!) or that I highly recommend and have found useful, relaxing, funny, or essential on many an occasion. You will find this list of recommended books useful as references to the C language and as complementary titles and references to subjects covered in this book, such as Linux and Mac game programming (with a few unrelated but otherwise interesting titles thrown in for good measure).
3D Game Engine Programming
Oliver Duvel, et al; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-351-6
“Are you interested in learning how to write your own game engines? With [this book] you can do just that. You'll learn everything you need to know to build your own game engine as a tool that is kept strictly separate from any specific game project, making it a tool that you can use again and again for future projects. You won't have to give a second thought to your engine. Instead, you'll be able to concentrate on your game and the gameplay experience.”
3D Game Programming All In One, Second Edition
Kenneth Finney; Thomson Course PTR; ISBN 1-59863-266-3
An introduction to programming 3D games using the Torque Engine by GarageGames.
AI Techniques for Game Programming
Mat Buckland; Premier Press; ISBN 1-931841-08-X
“[This book] takes the difficult topics of genetic algorithms and neural networks and explains them in plain English. Gone are the tortuous mathematic equations and abstract examples to be found in other books. Each chapter takes you through the theory a step at a time, explaining clearly how you can incorporate each technique into your own games.”
DarkBASIC Pro Game Programming, Second Edition
Jonathan S. Harbour and Joshua R. Smith; Thomson Course PTR; ISBN 1-59863-287-6
This book provides a good introduction to programming Direct3D, the 3D graphics component of DirectX, using the DarkBASIC language.
Beginning C++ Game Programming
Michael Dawson; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-205-6
“If you're ready to jump into the world of programming for games, [this book] will get you started on your journey, providing you with a solid foundation in the game programming language of the professionals. As you cover each programming concept, you'll create small games that demonstrate your new skills. Wrap things up by combining each major concept to create an ambitious multiplayer game. Get ready to master the basics of game programming with C++!”
Beginning DirectX 9
Wendy Jones; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-349-4
An excellent introduction to the new features in DirectX 9.
C Programming for the Absolute Beginner
Michael Vine; Premier Press; ISBN 1-931841-52-7
This book teaches C programming using the free GCC compiler as its development platform, which is the same compiler used to write Game Boy programs! As such, I highly recommend this starter book if you are just learning the C language. It sticks to the basics. You will learn the fundamentals of the C language without any distracting material or commentary—just the fundamentals of what you need to be a successful C programmer.
C++ Programming for the Absolute Beginner
Dirk Henkemans and Mark Lee; Premier Press; ISBN 1-931841-43-8
If you are new to programming with C++ and you are looking for a solid introduction, this is the book for you. This book will teach you the skills you need for practical C++ programming applications and how you can put these skills to use in real-world scenarios.
Character Development and Storytelling for Games
Lee Sheldon; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-353-2
“[This book] begins with a history of dramatic writing and entertainment in other media. It then segues to writing for games, revealing that while proven techniques in linear media can be translated to games, games offer many new challenges on their own such as interactivity, non-linearity, player input, and more. It then moves beyond linear techniques to introduce the elements of the craft of writing that are particularly unique to interactive media. It takes us from the relatively secure confines of single-player games to the vast open spaces of virtual worlds and examines player-created stories, and shows how even here writers on the development team are necessary to the process, and what they can do to aid it.”
Game Design: The Art and Business of Creating Games
Bob Bates; Premier Press; ISBN 0-7615-3165-3
This very readable and informative book is a great resource for learning how to design games—the high-level process of planning the game prior to starting work on the source code or artwork.
Game Programming for Teens, Second Edition
Maneesh Sethi; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-834-8
An excellent introduction to game programming with BlitzPlus.
High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games
Rusel DeMaria and Johnny L. Wilson; McGraw-Hill/Osborne; ISBN 0-07-222428-2
This is a gem of a book that covers the entire video game industry, including arcade machines, consoles, and computer games. It is jam-packed with wonderful interviews with famous game developers and is chock full of color photographs.
Mac Game Programming
Mark Szymczyk; Premier Press; ISBN 1-931841-18-7
“Covering the components that make up a game and teaching you to program these components for use on your Macintosh, you will work your way through the development of a complete game. With detailed information on everything from graphics and sound to physics and artificial intelligence, [this book] covers everything that you need to know as you create your first game on your Mac.”
Mathematics for Game Developers
Christopher Tremblay; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-038-X
“[This book] explores the branches of mathematics from the game developer's perspective, rejecting the abstract, theoretical approach in favor of demonstrating real, usable applications for each concept covered. Use of this book is not confined to users of a certain operating system or enthusiasts of particular game genres; the topics covered are universally applicable.”
Microsoft C# Programming for the Absolute Beginner
Andy Harris; Premier Press; ISBN 1-931841-16-0
Using game creation as a teaching tool, this book teaches not only C#, but also the fundamental programming concepts you need to learn any computer language. You will be able to take the skills you learn from this book and apply them to your own situations. This is a unique book aimed at the novice programmer. Developed by computer science instructors, the Absolute Beginner series is the ideal tool for anyone with little to no programming experience.
Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Programming for the Absolute Beginner
Jonathan S. Harbour; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-002-9
Whether you are new to programming with Visual Basic .NET or you are upgrading from Visual Basic 6.0 and looking for a solid introduction, this is the book for you. It teaches the basics of Visual Basic .NET by working through simple games that you will learn to create. You will acquire the skills you need for more practical Visual Basic .NET programming applications and learn how you can put these skills to use in real-world scenarios.
Programming Role Playing Games with DirectX, Second Edition
Jim Adams; Premier Press; ISBN 1-59200-315-X
“In the second edition of this popular book, you'll learn how to use DirectX 9 to create a complete role-playing game. Everything you need to know is included! You'll begin by learning how to use the various components of DirectX 9. Once you have a basic understanding of DirectX 9, you can move on to building the basic functions needed to create a game—from drawing 2D and 3D graphics to creating a scripting system. Wrap things up as you see how to create an entire game—from start to finish!”
Swords & Circuitry: A Designer's Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games
Neal and Jana Hallford; Premier Press; ISBN 0-7615-3299-4
This book is a fascinating overview of what it takes to develop a commercial-quality role-playing game, from design to programming to marketing. This is a helpful book if you would like to write a game like Zelda.
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