Games programming

[Baso]

Hi everybody

I really want to be a games programmer, I started learn C++ few months ago because I found that it was the common language for Games programming.
Now I'm here looking for advices from expert programmers.
Please help me.

send my URL,books title,programs, any thing that could help me.

Thanks.

-and sorry for my bad English.

[toexii]

This might be good:

http://www.amazon.com/C-Game-Programmers-Development/dp/1584504528

But I just found it with google. I'm interested in the answer to this question as well. I heard learning OpenGL or DirectX are common ways to learn game programming, but I'm not sure.


I found this to be quite an interesting read just now:
http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/Why-you-should-use-OpenGL-and-not-DirectX

[Computergeek01]

Learning OpenGL can help you program a game, it certainly would be useful at the very least. But if you try to write with it too early it can just as easily discourage you entirley.

I suggest learning SFML or SDL first. There are multiple people on this site that have written complete games in one language or the other so you know where to go to ask advise.

Here's a blog to check out for SFML: http://sfmlcoder.blogspot.com/

EDIT: Whoops, links would help wouldn't they?

SFML: http://www.sfml-dev.org/tutorials/

SDL: http://www.libsdl.org/cgi/docwiki.cgi/SDL_Guide

[jeffsg605]

For xbox 360 or windows, this was something I was going to
look into soon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xna_game_studio
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb200104.aspx

Otherwise I'm starting with this
http://www.allegro.cc/

[anonymous23323124]

Thanks for recommending my blog, Computergeek. However, I guess I should let you know that the one you linked to is dead, and I'm on WordPress now =P
http://sfmlcoder.wordpress.com/
(and YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/sfmlcoder - if you're into that kind of thing)

I think SFML is preferable to XNA, provided you're sticking to 2D. It's cross platform and liberally licensed (unlike M$ stuff I imagine). While I haven't used XNA, so I don't know how easy it is, I do know that your first SFML applications will be blissfully simple :)

[andywestken]

Another site which might be of interest is http://www.gamedev.net

There's a brief introduction article: Getting Into Game Development
http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/reference/105/168/267/getting-into-game-development-r714?

And the forums are good for game specific questions.

Andy

[Lvl80RetPaladin]

OpenGL is not supported by Windows. Learn DirectX if you are programming for Windows computers.

[anonymous23323124]

OpenGL is most certainly supported by Windows. SFML is powered by OpenGL on Windows and Unix. Blender3D uses OpenGL on Windows. Just go yo your windows/system32 folder, where you will find your graphics vendor's implementation of OpenGL, called opengl32.dll.

I recommend OpenGL over DirectX as provided you only use the API (all that is necessary unless you are writing drivers), it is open, whereas DirectX is completely proprietary. Well... OpenGL is also somewhat proprietary, but as far as I am aware you can develop with it without licensing worries. Perhaps someone can confirm this?

[mavvie]

dude don't talk about stuff you don't know about. OpenGL is supported on virtually every operating system, in fact I am currently working on a Win32 program that very much is OpenGL-based. I'm sure that some people prefer DirectX over OpenGL but really it's a matter of whether you want cross-platform capability (OpenGL) OR if you want sound/input as well (DirectX).

I'd recommend learning OpenGL in C++ however feel free to use SDL, SFML, XNA, or any other game library you can find. However, later on you will need to know core OpenGL so you pick which you think is best.

Want a good OpenGL tut?
http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/opengl_introduction.html

I'm sure you can find many more, but for now happy coding! :)

[Lvl80RetPaladin]

LOL. You're trying to look better than me on a programming forum. People stoop so low these days...

You can't use OpenGL code on a Windows system unless you download specific files.

[mavvie]

What are you talking about? I don't want to hate and sorry if I was rude but the whole point of OpenGL is it's cross-platform ability. The whole reason I'm not coding with DirectX is because the SDK is fricken 500MB, but OpenGL I could start coding with immediately. No downloads. Windows installs come with opengl32.dll, glu32.dll, and any other necessary DLL's. Do you even own a windows comp? Unless you're using DOS I can't imagine why you'd believe that OpenGL isn't already on your computer.

Of course if your OpenGL code is written for Mac or Unix then obviously the non-OpenGL aspects would need to be rewritten, but otherwise it's no work at all.

[anonymous23323124]

@mavvie In fact OpenGL integrates well with SDL and SFML so there's no harm in starting with SFML (or SDL if you want) and then moving to 3D with OpenGL while still using SDL/SFML for audio, networking, windowing etc.

@Paladin Believe me, OpenGL exists and is supported on Windows. It is cross platform.

[mavvie]

@Xander314 yeah I noticed earlier that you said SDL and SFML integrate with OpenGL and think that's cool, so of course it's definitely a good starting point :) it all depends on if you're starting with 3d or not. And I've also heard that people use DirectInput for input as well as DirectSound for sound or whatever. But SDL/SFML support networking? That's super cool. I fricken hate working with sockets it can get so complicated :P

Btw can someone please help me on my topic? I can't move on with developing without VBO's...I need the speed they get me.

and yes OpenGL works with windows. otherwise how is my opengl app running? hmm?

[Lvl80RetPaladin]

I'm not interested in arguing with you over whether or not OpenGL is supported on Windows. If you want to win against me saying it's not, get an Expert to chime in and tell us. Likewise if you want to seem cool to everyone else on the boards, please AMOG elsewhere.

I don't see how you guys have OpenGL supported on your Windows computers. I had to download all of the necessary .dll files and place them myself in order to work OpenGL on my computer (Windows XP)

[mavvie]

@Paladin I'm not sure about this but I believe this is the case:
Windows supports all of OpenGL for execution. You need a compiler that includes the libs to develop with it. However, just because Windows supports all version of OpenGL does NOT mean your graphics card does. Say your graphics card only supports OpenGL 1.4, a program that is designed for 1.5 could not work.

Apologies for being rude earlier.

[Lvl80RetPaladin]

No worries.

[anonymous23323124]

Yeah I'm sorry too for helping this descend into a bit of an argument. No hard feelings I hope :)

The following is what I think is the case with OpenGL, but with an ambiguity removed which may have been the source of our disagreements:
Provided your graphics card supports OpenGL and you have the latest driver installed, you should have the dll file opengl32.dll. However, you are correct that to develop with OpenGL, you need additional files (header files and import libraries), which, when working with Microsoft Visual C++, must be downloaded separately with the Windows SDK.

-Xander

[zb0S216C]

Apparently, OpenGL is supported on^[1]: Windows, Linux, Apple Mac and X Window System.

References:
^[1]http://www.opengl.org/documentation/implementations/

_Wazzak

[Blessman11]

I have to say computergeek is right about open GL, it feels very discouraging when you first start it and this is coming from somebody with first hand experience of the pain.

but luckily my lecture gave me 59% on my failed open GL game, which was exceptional for it. (ps. the reason why I call the mark exceptional is because he saw the hard work that had gone into it, even though the games was a total fail. Open GL does feel discouraging if you make the mistake of diving headfirst (which is as a result of being too cocky after the c++ "console" (the text output) exposure) )