If you want to get into creating games. I suggest you get DEV C++ compiler(free). Then learn C++. Some good books I have found on C++ are Practical C++ Programing and C++ for dummies 101.

A game engine is something created using a programing language such as C++. The game engine is used to create maps and all the other things you see in games.

Where to start: check ''For Beginners'' under Resources (right here on GameDev).
Game vs Game Engine: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,594,00.asp.
And more links and articles under ''Articles & Resources'', again, here on GameDev.

And next time, use the search function to see if your question has been answered before.

Enginuity1

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Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3 | Enginuity4

A game "engine" is a bit of an arbitrary term, because the "engines" come in varying levels. For example, a lower-level engine might give you things like object and memory management, a renderer for various platforms (OGL/DX) input... things like that. A higher level engine would give you much more functionality, but it might be more limited for that type of genre. For example the Quake 3 engine is a great high-level engine for FPSs, but it probably wouldn't make a great RTS game(not that its imposible.) A lower level engine is more helpful in making more diverse games at the cost of adding more code yourself. Low-level engines tend to facilitate your CODE, where high-level engines tend to facilitate your GAME(again, at the cost of being more limited as to the genre.)

SuperPig's articles are very good. From what I've seen I would consider his engine to be low-level, but he's only 4 articles in so far so maybe that will change. Feel free to correct me SP
I'm sure its quite over your head if you're just starting C++, but one day when you understand it better I'm sure you'll appreciate his code.

Ravyne, NYN Interactive Entertainment
[My Site][My School][My Group]

[edited by - ravyne on August 10, 2003 8:05:28 PM]

quote:Original post by Ravyne
From what I''ve seen I would consider his engine to be low-level, but he''s only 4 articles in so far so maybe that will change. Feel free to correct me SP

Yup. I''m building it up in layers, starting low-level and ending high-level. The low-level stuff can be tailored to fit most games, while the high-level stuff becomes more and more game-specific; so by spanning the two, you can ''cut off'' the engine at a point where it stops being useful, and then write functionality specific to your project. It''s the ''pyramid approach'' I describe in Enginuity1.

quote:
I''m sure its quite over your head if you''re just starting C++, but one day when you understand it better I''m sure you''ll appreciate his code.

Also true, though some of the theory (in the first article at least) might still be useful.



Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3 | Enginuity4