Dilema

[PsyVision]

I would like to go into game programming soon yet i dont know where to start. I would like to create something really simple possibly with bitblt (maybe make a tile engine) and create a game using that. Direct Draw is supposed to be fast but is it worth it ?

Fox, I like your demos, how do u feel about me learning from your code and maybe reusing some (the old stuff that u did) not that new Tyrian that looks quite good (if u know whats going on).

Thanks.

Secondly: Is Games basic any good (www.gamesbasic.com)

[Edited by PsyVision on 11-08-2000 at 03:20 PM]

[Fox]

DDraw is worth it!


Well, learn from my examples, that's why they are on my site! All of my source code is free and you can use it as you want. (Excepting if I definitely permit it ;)) But would be nice if you give me some credits...

I dont know gamesbasic.. maybe its good, but if you want to make really good games learn C++!

btw: what is Foxtran?

[PsyVision]

Im in the process of learning c++ but wish i had the basic knowledge of the structure of a game before attempting it in c++, im currently doing classes in c++ as theyre important. I will look on your site but do you have any ddraw tutorials ?

[Fox]

I have made only demos / tuts for VB

[PsyVision]

Im adapting (using) your der zinkel (whats that mean ?) engine to use in my own game !

Foxtran? Maybe he means Fortran.

[Fox]

Zirkel, not zinkel ;) Its the Circle in engish (meaning some mages, not the shape *hehe*)

[PsyVision]

Damn My Naff Typos I Did Mean Zirkel (Its Good Too) Um Foxtran, Fortran, it was Ms Fortran, whats that ?

[stjepan]

PsyVision, sorry but I must tell you this :

If you want to make games - you must learn C++ !

[PsyVision]

Moving Up In The World, Open Glide in C++ Is For Me. So far i can render a several polygons, i.e a GL_TRIANGLE_STRIP and i can texture map to a cube plus a bit of fog and mouse clicking on things detection !. i would like to turn my small knowledge into a half decent 3d engine but dont know the structure :(

[stjepan]

PsyVision, I think you should download Microsoft's project called Virtual World or something like that!
It's in the download section.
They provide a full source code in C++

[PsyVision]

Sorry, whats the url coz ms site search gives me a load of crap ?

[KENNNY]

stjepan, course u can make a game in VB, you don't *need* c++ : it's just faster, especially for directx calls, as you dont have to go thru the VB DLL which talks to the dx runtime - you talk to it directly.

c++ is horrible though - a 2d game can be done in VB at an acceptable speed as long as you don't go using controls, and use some optimizing techniques.
however: 3d engine + VB = hard and a bit slow really.
its probably easier in c++ as you can't do useful stuff like linked lists in VB (pointerless) :(

[/\/\isanThr0p]

Hey can you tell me more about those linked lists? And Vb still has poiners! the VarPtr gives them!

[Fox]

Linked lists are "classes in classes", meaning you creat an instance of a class in itselves:


'Class module "MyClass"
Dim Child as MyClass
Dim Parent as MyClass

As you can see you can make this tree as deep as you want. The parent always points to the next-top object, also you can easily delete or add objects to the list...

About the pointers: I'm sorry but VB-pointers are crap. To get the value of the adresses memory you need an API call, do you really think that could be *nearly* that fast as C++? I don't think so...


int **map; ;)

[KENNNY]

a linked list in C++ is usually faster than an array, i think; here's what its like:
each item has some data, e.g. a vertex, and a pointer to the next item in the list, and optionally a pointer to the previous item in the list, in c++ it looks like (i think)

struct item
{
item *pnext
item *plast
long data
}

it's usually implemented as a class though.
its faster than arrays because in arrays, to access say:
item[3], the pointer to the 1st item has to be deferenced, then it has to go 3 * sizeof(item) into the array - so doing:
item[3] = 999;
is quite a lot of internal work
With linked lists, to access the next item the pointer pnext just has to be deferenced. however, you can't jump around linked lists like arrays, you have to go through one by one (it seems so anyway) bcause every item only points to the next/last.

in VB, you *could* do them at a pinch with VarPtr and CopyMemory, but arrays would be a lot lot lot faster..

[stjepan]

Just go to download center and you will find it under the graphics and multimedia stuff.

[stjepan]

Just go to download center and you will find it under the graphics and multimedia stuff.

[Fox]

In fact LLs are a bit slower than just arrays... but much easier to handle in some cases ;)

[KENNNY]

not what i heard!
why they slower