I want to be a game developer,but I don''t know how to start. Now I can use C++ to develope some applications on windows.I am learning DX.Please tell me some good books or articles to read(If they could be download,please give me the address).Thanks!

You're on a site about gamedevelopment so maybe check the site to find an answer

First check the links above. There is a For Beginners section which should get you up and running.


[edited by - Scheermesje on October 11, 2003 2:25:44 AM]

Howya doin, Lava_Leon? Everything going well? Maybe so, because you picked a really fun thing to do.

Okay, what do you want to do in game development? Do you want to make your own games for a while? Do you want to become a big name in the field, or be a modest indie? Whatever makes you happy, right?

What work are you able to do? Can you write a very simple program that just opens a window, clears the screen, records input, and quits when some condition is true? Good start. Can you write a program that loops through and writes every ASCII character to a text-mode console? Good start. Can you write a program that sets up sine and cosine lookup tables? Good start.

Now if you''re asking where to start, well, your answer is simple: Just do it. Honestly, just get started on something.

And I persist with this lesson: STUDY.

Study maintains focus. I''ve said that before in another thread, and it''s true. Ya know, whenever I come up with an idea for a game, I read The Art of Computer Game Design? I like doing it this way. I find that when I do this, I''m able to work on what matters. It''s more obvious to me that, in the beginning of a project, code is unimportant. I can develop the system for a game''s input, processing, and output, and I can design the computer game at hand around the I/O. Seriously, you might want to try reading that book.

Anyhoo, hope it goes well. If you ever need help, just hollar.



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Benjamin Heath
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Consider buying Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus by Andre Lamothe. It is an excellent introduction to game programming, covering a wide range of topics that will get you started. Even though some argue against it because it is a little outdated with the graphics API it teaches (it teaches DirectDraw, which hasn't been updated since DirectX version 7, and we are now at version 9), it still provides invaluable information to any game programmer.

If you want some online tutorials for DirectX, here are some:

Drunken Hyena
Andy Pike
Nexe
GameTutorials

[edited by - chacha on October 11, 2003 3:48:09 AM]

Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus is a perfect book but have a carefull look.. there is also a Tricks of the 3d game programming gurus but that''s a book for intermediate to advanced users.

Thank you!
Thank you!
There are many people who give me lots of good advices.I will just do it!I want to let you see my game in the future.I also hope you have a good time during the develope.

Thank you!

Here''s my advice: obviously you should just write lots of games, but START SMALL. Write tetris or something. I think one of the single biggest problems that amatuer game developers encounter is taking on projects that are too ambitious and realistically impossible to finish.

I guarantee you will learn more about game programming by completing 100% of a tiny project than 50% of a huge project.

There is chapter from a book on the main page of this very site. The chapter gives you advice on getting into the game development industry. If you wanna work with some company, yor''re gonna wanna check it out.

If you have the passion and the determination to make games, everything else will follow.