Synopses & Reviews
"Visual Basic Game Programming for Teens" teaches the younger reader how to write games with the easily approachable and popular Visual Basic 6.0 and utilizing DirectX 8.1 for the game library. It devotes little time to the fundamentals of the language, focusing instead on complete game projects to teach the subject of game programming. As a "for Teens" title, this book explains the game development topics in detail. It does not explain every aspect of DirectX, but rather, uses those components needed to teach a lesson in each chapter, focusing on game programming subjects first and foremost. The focus is concentrated on creating games rather than the logistics of game programming. For instance, several chapters will cover artwork, level editing, 3D modeling, and world building-subjects seldom covered in books of this type for the beginner/teen market. It shows how just a little more work and a few more lines of code can produce a really great game. The reader will finish this book with a satisfying sense of completion, a solid feeling of closure, and a desire to tweak and modify the sample games in the book
Synopsis
Get ready to create your first complete 2D-based role-playing game using Visual Basic 6.0. If you have experience using Visual Basic, you already have the essential skills that you need. You will learn, step by step, how to construct each part of an RPG game using DirectX components such as Direct3D. As you work your way through the book, you will write short programs that demonstrate the major topics in each chapter. Dive into the exciting world of game programming, learn how to write your own code, and take complete creative control over how your game operates. Let your imagination loose as you create amazing new adventures!
Synopsis
If you have basic programming experience, this book is your ideal guide for writing games using Visual Basic .NET and Managed DirectX 9. This Second Edition includes almost entirely new coverage. While coverage of game design and 2D artwork remain, this edition includes more detailed coverage of the DirectX game code and utilizes the free Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition compiler. A true beginner's guide, this book covers each essential step for creating your own complete role playing game, including a character creation screen and a combat system. This book serves as a comprehensive introductory guide for readers who are new to programming or new to programming for games.
About the Author
Jonathan S. Harbour has been an avid gamer and programmer for 17 years, having started with a Ti-99, Commodore PET, and a Tandy 1000. In 1994, he earned a B.S. in computer science. He has since earned the position of senior programmer with 7 years of formal programming experience. Jonathan is a member of the "Starflight III"team, working with the original designers and other volunteers on a sequel to the first two Starflight games (using Allegro), originally published by Electronic Arts in 1985 and 1989, respectively. He has professional-level experience in graphical user interface design and 2D and 3D graphics programming, as well as TCP/IP socket programming and Internet protocols. In addition, he has released the retail Pocket PC games "Pocket Trivia"and "Perfect Match". Harbour has also authored "Pocket PC Game Programming"(0761530576), "Visual Basic Game Programming with DirectX"(193184125X), "Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Programming for the Absolute Beginner"(1592000029), and "Beginner's Guide to DarkBASIC Game Programming"(1592000096), and his most recent "Game Programming All In One, 2nd Edition"
Table of Contents
Part I: Core Techniques--Building Your Own Game Engine Chapter 1: Getting Started with Visual Basic Chapter 2: Bitmaps Chapter 3: Drawing Text Chapter 4: User Input Chapter 5: Basic Sprites Chapter 6: Animated Sprites Chapter 7: Collision Detection Chapter 8: Sound and Music Chapter 9: Tile-Based Scrolling Part II: Creating Your Own Game World Chapter x: Designing The Game--Celtic Crusader Chapter x: Creating The Game World--Medieval Ireland Chapter x: Level Editing with Mappy Chapter x: Scrolling The Game World Chapter x: Adding Scenery and Solid Objects Chapter x: Adding Event Gates--Entering Dungeons! Part III: The Player and Other Characters Chapter x: Creating The Player and Character Classes Chapter x: Walking Around and Interacting with the Game World Chapter x: Managing The Player's Inventory Chapter x: Adding People to the Game World Chapter x: Artificial Intelligence--Giving Behaviors to People Chapter x: Shooting The Breeze--Creating a Dialog System Part IV: Quests and Combat Chapter x: Creating Quests--Advancing The Story Chapter x: Engaging in Combat Chapter x: Leveling Up and Upgrading Player Skills Chapter x: Completing The Game Appendix