In my defense...
Author
Okay, I''ve been away from a computer for a while since it is summer and all. The problem I have with Lamothe''s books are that it is spoon feeding the programmer information. I have several Lamothe books in fact, but I wish I had just saved my money and read the Direct X help files. After reading WGPFD I felt like I had payed $30.00 for a slow sprite library. Notice, I''m not saying I am any better than Lamothe, nor am I trying to provoke reactions. The original intent of my post was to share stories of people''s mishaps in relation to the most renowned game programmer books ever. Oh yeah, I hate John Carmack. Chill, it''s just a joke. Cheers.
It's quite well-known that Andre's books are mostly for beginners. That's how all of his books are. He lays down the foundation for engines and things. I don't think he ever claims that his code is ideal. He often notes that it is comletely without optimization.
Edited by - Nazrix on June 18, 2000 4:34:20 AM
Edited by - Nazrix on June 18, 2000 4:34:20 AM
Well, I can understand how you feel. Nazrix is right in that they are mainly written for beginners, but I''d like to extend that further: also for people to lazy to just read the help files (like me 
). Since it tells you everything simply, you can start doing things sooner (sometimes), but you''ll still have to use the help sooner or later.
If you code it, they will come...
Commander M
http://commanderm.8m.com
cmndrm@commanderm.8m.com
). Since it tells you everything simply, you can start doing things sooner (sometimes), but you''ll still have to use the help sooner or later. If you code it, they will come...
Commander M
http://commanderm.8m.com
cmndrm@commanderm.8m.com
Help files always seem to suck. especially when Microsoft have anything to do with them. I find Lamothe''s books much better because they''re actually interesting to read. Yes I''m a beginner, I suppose, but I still think it''s far easier to learn from his books rather than help files.
------------------------------
"If a job's worth doing it's worth getting someone else to do it for you....."
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"If a job's worth doing it's worth getting someone else to do it for you....."
If you''re reading ANY ...for Dummies book, then you should expect to be spoon-fed. If you want to read untelligable techobabble, read a the DirectX SDK or maybe there''s a "...for the World''s Greatest Geniuses" line of books. Hrm...maybe I should check into that...maybe that have a "Sharing Society with Brain-Dead Morons for the World''s Greatest Geniuses" book--I could use that in normal, every-day life. Anyhow, I''m rather enjoying reading LaMothe''s book, Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus. It''s a lot easier than learning through the SDK''s (the only thing I had until my birthday), and you get a free engine! Actually...I only use the engine for learning purposes. Besides, if you''re reading a game programming book for beginners, don''t expect the engine to be capable of recreating Quake III. It has to be written so that beginners can easily understand it (thus minimizing inline assembly and quite a few optimizations), and learn from it.
P h a n t a s m
"I'd feel safer if the helicopter had an ejection seat."
Anyhow, I''m rather enjoying reading LaMothe''s book, Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus. It''s a lot easier than learning through the SDK''s (the only thing I had until my birthday), and you get a free engine! Actually...I only use the engine for learning purposes. Besides, if you''re reading a game programming book for beginners, don''t expect the engine to be capable of recreating Quake III. It has to be written so that beginners can easily understand it (thus minimizing inline assembly and quite a few optimizations), and learn from it. P h a n t a s m
"I'd feel safer if the helicopter had an ejection seat."
well... i still think its rather unfair that you have a personal dislike for the man just because you didn''t like his books. maybe you should have said "I hate andre lamothe''s books". That might have made more sense. I''m sure if you had ever taken the time to email or speak with him personally, you would not feel the same way about him. he''s in the business of helping people, and for that he should be commended.
Chao Yun
Sorcerer Software
http://www.oz.net/~steelsrc
Chao Yun
Sorcerer Software
http://www.oz.net/~steelsrc
Hmm, I''m tempted to translate the original post into
I hate André LaMothe''s books because I haven''t got a clue what he''s talking about.
But I won''t.
( grin )
Anyway, acw, I actually started "game" programming with LaMothe''s tricks of the Game Programming Gurus. (yes, that IS missing the "windows" part. ). Yes it was simple. Yes it had about a chapter on every interesting topic you could think of. It was a GREAT start to programming graphics and games for me, because it outlined a single method from beginning to end, and showed me how involved the process was.
I''m now doing a PhD in computer graphics, so I reckon it can''t have been all that bad for a "slow sprite library".
Give me one more medicated peaceful moment..
~ (V)^|) |<é!t|-| ~
I hate André LaMothe''s books because I haven''t got a clue what he''s talking about.
But I won''t.
( grin )
Anyway, acw, I actually started "game" programming with LaMothe''s tricks of the Game Programming Gurus. (yes, that IS missing the "windows" part. ). Yes it was simple. Yes it had about a chapter on every interesting topic you could think of. It was a GREAT start to programming graphics and games for me, because it outlined a single method from beginning to end, and showed me how involved the process was.
I''m now doing a PhD in computer graphics, so I reckon it can''t have been all that bad for a "slow sprite library".
Give me one more medicated peaceful moment..
~ (V)^|) |<é!t|-| ~
About the dummies books...
WHat about the "Tricks of the X programming guru"...
Bokos woth a title like that shouldn''t be aimed at beginners, more at intermediate to advanced programmers. A beginner will pick up that book thinking "kewl, I''m gonna be the best programmer ever after reading this", and an experienced (not expert, just someone who''s been doing hobby programming for a while) will think "Ohhhh.... the might teach me some new tricks", when infact, it has nothing in it he/she doesn''t allready now...
My biggest peeve is th "Teach yourself games programming in 21 days". I bought that book a few years ago, before I really got into games programming, and I still havn''t finished it.... 21 days my ass
Mark Collins (aka Nurgle)
me@thisisnurgle.org.uk
WHat about the "Tricks of the X programming guru"...
Bokos woth a title like that shouldn''t be aimed at beginners, more at intermediate to advanced programmers. A beginner will pick up that book thinking "kewl, I''m gonna be the best programmer ever after reading this", and an experienced (not expert, just someone who''s been doing hobby programming for a while) will think "Ohhhh.... the might teach me some new tricks", when infact, it has nothing in it he/she doesn''t allready now...
My biggest peeve is th "Teach yourself games programming in 21 days". I bought that book a few years ago, before I really got into games programming, and I still havn''t finished it.... 21 days my ass
Mark Collins (aka Nurgle)
me@thisisnurgle.org.uk
quote:Original post by SPAR
I really hate anyone who uses the phrase "cheers." Go back to England.
To any British person who reads this thread:
Please don''t judge all Americans by our more offensive members...there''s a lot of them, but most us (that I personally know) are more accepting of people.
P h a n t a s m
"I'd feel safer if the helicopter had an ejection seat."
SPAR: I''m kinda disappointed you go off and insult someone on the basis of a single post expressing an oppinnion... whatever happenned to freedom of speech.
I think calling someone a lamer for such a stupid reason is "lame" (a word, which in my oppinnion shouldn''t exist)
I kinda hope you were just in a bad mood...
J2xC (J. Connolly)
"Then study this: Borg provokes Klingon, Klingon breaks Borg's nose" Belanna Torres, Star Trek Voyager 5.11 "Someone to watch over me"
I think calling someone a lamer for such a stupid reason is "lame" (a word, which in my oppinnion shouldn''t exist)
I kinda hope you were just in a bad mood...
J2xC (J. Connolly)
"Then study this: Borg provokes Klingon, Klingon breaks Borg's nose" Belanna Torres, Star Trek Voyager 5.11 "Someone to watch over me"
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