How to start with programming games

#1 12-12-2004, 07:01 AM

Hello @all,

i want to start programming games - i've programmed for a while now, but
i've no plan about anything that has to do with games-programming.

Can anybody give me an advise for a good book (english or german)?
What rendering-engine to start with?
Any good 'how to start programming games'-websites out there?

Thanks for every answer,
Oliver

#2 12-12-2004, 09:53 AM

Oliver Dietz wrote:

> i want to start programming games - i've programmed for a while now, but
> i've no plan about anything that has to do with games-programming.
>
> Can anybody give me an advise for a good book (english or german)?
> What rendering-engine to start with?

I wouldn't want either recommendation to weigh on my conscience...

> Any good 'how to start programming games'-websites out there?

Go to an open source site, such as http://sf.net , download games, and add
features to them.

(You may also want to check out the practice "Test Driven Development",
which avoids nearly all debugging. It's relatively underepresented in the
game industry.)

--
Phlip
http://industrialxp.org/community/bi...UserInterfaces

#3 12-12-2004, 04:02 PM

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 13:01:06 +0100, Oliver Dietz wrote:

> Any good 'how to start programming games'-websites out there?

While the forums are often full of misinformation, gamedev.net seems like
a generally good site to head to if you want to start making games. Be
aware that the community there is heavily balanced towards the indie game
development side, by necessity. That is to say, if you want to ask about
the professional game industry they might not have a lot to say.

#4 12-12-2004, 06:06 PM

In article <TXYud.7869$nE7.7644@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com> ,
phlip_cpp@yahoo.com says...
> [...]
> (You may also want to check out the practice "Test Driven Development",
> which avoids nearly all debugging. It's relatively underepresented in the
> game industry.)

Still pushing your agenda huh? IMO, he'd be better off starting
with reading Mr. Ed's thorough skeptical analysis of agile
development:

http://www.hacknot.info/

Christer Ericson
Sony Computer Entertainment, Santa Monica

#5 12-12-2004, 07:23 PM

Congratulations on the book m8. I'll have to grab that one.

WTH

#6 12-12-2004, 09:54 PM

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004, WTH wrote:

> Congratulations on the book m8. I'll have to grab that one.
>

Hadn't heard it was out, but seconded - I'd forgotten you were working on
that.

--
flippa@flippac.org

The task of the academic is not to scale great
intellectual mountains, but to flatten them.

#7 12-13-2004, 05:06 AM

Hi,

>> Any good 'how to start programming games'-websites out there?
>
> While the forums are often full of misinformation, gamedev.net seems like
> a generally good site to head to if you want to start making games. Be
> aware that the community there is heavily balanced towards the indie game
> development side, by necessity. That is to say, if you want to ask about
> the professional game industry they might not have a lot to say.

thanks! I found on gamedev.net what i've searched for ... a books-section
....

I think i will buy (and read ;-)) "Introduction to 3D Game Programming with
DirectX 9.0" ... the ratings on amzon are ok ...

Thanks to you and Phlip!
Oliver

#8 12-13-2004, 06:01 PM

Phlip wrote:

> Oliver Dietz wrote:
>
>
>>i want to start programming games - i've programmed for a while now, but
>>i've no plan about anything that has to do with games-programming.
>>
>>Can anybody give me an advise for a good book (english or german)?
>>What rendering-engine to start with?
>
>
> I wouldn't want either recommendation to weigh on my conscience...
>
>
>>Any good 'how to start programming games'-websites out there?
>
>
> Go to an open source site, such as http://sf.net , download games, and add
> features to them.
>
> (You may also want to check out the practice "Test Driven Development",
> which avoids nearly all debugging. It's relatively underepresented in the
> game industry.)
>

Talk about putting the cart before the horse! How about getting the
realtime and scheduling basics sorted before signing on to the design
buzzword du jour.

#9 12-14-2004, 10:13 AM

Peter Ashford wrote:

> Talk about putting the cart before the horse! How about getting the
> realtime and scheduling basics sorted before signing on to the design
> buzzword du jour.

I need you to imagine the ability to change any line in your program, at
whim, even the scheduler, hit a button, and instantly know you broke
_nothing_.

If you did break something, you tap Undo, get the tests to pass, and try
again.

--
Phlip
http://industrialxp.org/community/bi...UserInterfaces

#10 12-15-2004, 01:57 AM

Phlip wrote:

> Peter Ashford wrote:
>
>
>>Talk about putting the cart before the horse! How about getting the
>>realtime and scheduling basics sorted before signing on to the design
>>buzzword du jour.
>
>
> I need you to imagine the ability to change any line in your program, at
> whim, even the scheduler, hit a button, and instantly know you broke
> _nothing_.
>
> If you did break something, you tap Undo, get the tests to pass, and try
> again.
>

I *understand* test driven development. The OP was asking about how to
get into games programming. There are a lot of issues to understand
about writing games before you come to development process issues.
Hence the horse before the cart comment.

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