Hello all!

I constantly think up new questions while I am pondering over game mechanics or common game concepts and I was wondering if there is a place where these things are discussed in full detail.

Things like:

• Game Server/Client code: Do you make your own? Is there a common library often used by developers that incorporates functionality for encryption and efficient packaging? Does a single player game just use a local server or is there a totally different structure? Is there a general standard? Do's and Don't's? Standards for SQL based server side storage of permanent and real-time data? Best practices for preventing hacking via packets? etc.
• Loading your game: How to load your game successfully over as many PC variations as possible? Fullscreen and Resolution structure and initialisation? Texture storage? Saving settings (config file?)? Error reporting? etc.
• General flow of development. This one I think is the hardest for me. I get tangled in knots. I want to make the texture storage, but then I need to make the checks for resolution better when initialising. But I really want to just start making the game. Can I do that before fully implementing a client/server structure? How about sorting rendering in view? What if something changes mid development and I have to change a ton of older stuff? Maybe I should do the chat log first with a text write out for debugging later? etc. I just end up worrying over what to do and end up doing nothing :P

I am not after perfect solutions to my issues here. But I generally feel like I need a real guide to these things. Something that says "When making a game, this process is done by..." rather than examples. Most server/client structures I have seen, for example, generally conclude with the sentence "Of course, this is only a basic model and would by woefully inadequate for a real system". I.e. good for showing the concept, not good for practical application. In the case of the server/client I don't want the code written for me, but I want to know what else is needed.

Short version. I have been dealing with vague for a while. I could really do with some helpful web or book references that focus on specifics. Ideally using C++ and DirectX. But I don't really mind about the language so long as the concept is there.