i need help! pls I want to begin to write games

i need help! pls I want to begin to write games

• Klingon

  There's a difference between taking the Managed DirectX 3d triangle way and learning things correctly with a proper C++/DirectX book. Depending on your budget, you should pick up a copy of a book titled Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus, edition 2 by Andre' Lamothe. It's a few years old, but its the best book there is that teaches you game programming from the beginning up. It uses DirectDraw, so MS would love to say the book is deprecated too, but you don't need the latest technology to learn how to make arcade clones, and as opposed to the managed tutorials out there, this book tops them all with a wealth of information, starting from a pixel to the screen, to software rasterization, and finally to full hardware-accelerated 3d game engines (volume III planned in 2008/2009). Nice thing is he's a great writer for beginners, and all you need to know is C/C++. I highly recommend it. 
  

• rings777

  I am no expert of Direct X, but I do pretty well with WIN32, C++, and C#. I think you need to start viewing some of Microsoft webcasts. Digipen did a really good job with the ones I've seen so far. Check out my webpage, I have a few tutorials that may help you get started with c++. Download a few of my programs, I have a starfighter game that you can download that implements animations, timers, back buffers, and sprites. It is very basic, but I am working at making it a lot longer game. Also I recommend checking out www.gameinstitute.com they offer really good tutorials. I was in your position at one time, so just keep at it, and ask lots of questions. I will be finishing my Bachelors in game development soon. Don't forget to check out my webpage. www.geocities.com/adam_autum
  
  

• CraigH

  C# has taken off, or do you mean for games I really don't think so, not outside the hobbyist arena.

  I don't see how a degree is needed, but then, I don't have one :-)

  
  
  

• Patrick MCCormick

  "learning things correctly" ! What's incorrect about using Managed DX
  
  

• Encaps

  Well if you already know VB c# or C++ stick to that language for the time being. That means if you aren’t using C++ you will need to use Managed Direct X. This is slightly slower but provides much cleaner interface for any .Net language (including c# & VB.net). If you use C++ you can use either Managed or the standard C++ interface to Direct X.
  
  When I started using Direct X I already was using C# so I opted to use Managed direct X. The site below has a set of good simple tutorials in both Managed and standard Direct X. Its best to start with simple things like the spinning triangles and work your way through.
  
  http://www.c-unit.com/tutorials/
  
  

  Charlie

  
  

• Lynn_global

  I would say that the best way to start out is to start small. Making triangles spin and see how you would interact with the system if you had controls. The rest is just hard work and alot of research. Finding out how the "device" works and what needs to be done with resources. Definitely take a look at the DirectX Samples included in the SDK.
  
  PS: Know your language well..
  I hope this helps.
  Take care.
  
  
  

• Liu Xiong

  Of course one simpler route would be to use a pre built game engine. Say you want to start building a first person shooter (which is a very big job to do it properly), look at one of the game engines built for this type of game. Whilst you will have plenty of programming still to do, it hides a lot of the complex stuff to do with talking to DirectX or OpenGL.
  
  You will still need to learn the basics however but its will be more gentle than trying to effectively build a custom game engine and then build the game on top of that. There are plenty of good open source game engines for most of the common types of games. Realm Forge
  
  You really need to learn the basics of programming first. C++ is very complicated and compared to more recent languages such as c# or Java. If you don't know what an object orientated language is, or what recursion is. I would start with C#. Its syntax is fairly similar to C++ which is what nearly all professional games are written in. is one example which can be used to build first person shooters.

  Charlie
  

  
  

• bsports3

  thanks the Link are right, but i find a tutorial that goes nothing complety for novices, http://www.geardome.com/directx9.php thanks,
  
  

• Tomas M.

  That is interesting, because for years I have only used C++. I wonder if C# will ever take off. I think he should start with C++ or C# and then learn WIN32 to create 3d games. Direct X is a very confusing language to learn, and can be very discouraging. I would really suggest getting a degree, it is almost necessary now.
  
  

• lordhed

  Well, we have a beginner here like many who wishes to learn game programming. With the documentation and current books released on Managed DirectX, there's no doubt in my mind that it's a bad way begin because of the loss of teaching 2d gaming before jumping into 3d programming. Since I think he's going the 3d approach, it'll just lead to frustration due to the overwelming content like I've seen many times before. I call it the quake generation who's now expected to write a 3d pong game these days as a first game, if not Quake first. With a massive amount of books on C++/DirectX, especially Tricks, the user can start in a progressive ladder - from bottom to the top. Therefore, bringing a noob to a 3d content website (top of the ladder) was a wrong & dangerous approach to go.

  
  

• Best Ordinary Man

  Sure. There's no arguement in what interface you use. I'm more interested in game programming being taught correctly though, often residing in books that teach it in a progressive order from the bottom up. I haven't seen anything great using Managed DirectX to teach it, though, which is why I recommend C++ books such as the Tricks series. But I guess the guy decided his fate, so feel free to e-mail me if you wish to discuss this theory path that every professional grew up doing. I just hate it when quake gen people learn game programming backwards. If you, and anyone in general, can't program Pong, Tetris, Breakout, Space Invaders, and already made an awesome rotating triangle in a book/tutorial, you already failed.
  

• Varun Sood

  http://www.c-unit.com/tutorials/

  these tutorials are what looked for, now will begin to read, thanks

  
  
  

• Leif902

  Doing 2D using Direct3D isn't any more difficult than using DirectDraw, in some ways easier. There's also a lot of resources out there for using Managed DirectX, not as much as using C++ but definitely enough to learn. And the learning curve for Managed languages is much easier than C++, which is a bonus for beginners.

  If he's planning on getting into the industry he'll have to learn C++ eventually, unless C# takes off in a big way, but I see no problem starting with C#.

  
  
  

• Nigel Watling

  I guess first question is - does this mean you know C++ and VB already If so, then you may find that managed DX is the way to go. If not, then you should learn a core language before deciding to use it to write games.

  The DX SDK comes with samples that may well give you all you need to get started. There are also a number of good books on game programming in DX around, including at least one on DX programming in C# which I found very good.

  
  
  
• i need help! pls I want to begin to write games