I really don't consider myself a "beginner" with the C++ language. I've taken multiple programming classes at the college level and have gained experience working under a variety of topics including loops, stacks and cues, inheritance, polymorphism, struts, arrays and vectors, dynamic memory management, etc. If you consider them to be "games", I have programmed (as class projects) basic console games such as Connect 4, Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Blackjack. However, these, like I said, are all console apps. I don't really have any experience/know how when it comes to applying C++ code to games (as in non-Win32 console apps). So for a person with a bit of a foundation in the language who want to begin learning how to step out of the bounds of console applications and begin coding games, what kind of resources would be best to start. I've read that its a good thing to start off with 2D games instead of 3D and I think i'd prefer that path first anyway. I'd like to learn how to draw simple graphics, work with sprites, eventually code my own engine from scratch, etc. Also, do you guys recommend learning DirectX and/or OpenGL simultaneously or learning how to code games without it first? Any help is appreciated. Sorry if this has been asked to death in this forum already. Direct me to a similar thread if it has or tell me if it would be better to ask this on the Game Programming board. [Edited by - VWarrior on June 13, 2006 9:44:57 PM]

Ok, the title asks for a book, even though your post doesn't, but you might want to check out the book C++ Common Knowledge if you consider yourself an intermediate C++ programmer.

In any case, if you want to get started on 2D games in C++ I would recommend using a simpler library than DirectX or OpenGL to start off with. SDL is a good choice, though some people prefer Allegro.

Quote:Original post by SiCrane
Ok, the title asks for a book, even though your post doesn't, but you might want to check out the book C++ Common Knowledge if you consider yourself an intermediate C++ programmer.

In any case, if you want to get started on 2D games in C++ I would recommend using a simpler library than DirectX or OpenGL to start off with. SDL is a good choice, though some people prefer Allegro.

Yes, you're right about the topic title/content inconsistency. I changed it a bit. I've heard of both SDL and Allegro in the past but I haven't looking into them yet. I'll check them both out. Do you know any pros and cons of the two libraries?

Quote:Original post by Fruny

Quote:Original post by SiCrane
Ok, the title asks for a book, even though your post doesn't, but you might want to check out the book C++ Common Knowledge if you consider yourself an intermediate C++ programmer.

Seconded.

Looks good. I just read some of the book details on Amazon and i've added to my list of books to purchase.