Product Description

Learn to write 2D and 3D games without any programming experience by harnessing the advanced 2D/3D graphics features of DarkBasic Professional. This easy-to-use language handles the entire game engine for you, so you are free to focus on designing and playing your own games. Written for beginners with no programming experience, DarkBASIC Pro Game Programming, Second Edition is a welcome change of pace from traditional game programming books. You won't need to spend time figuring out how the game engine works, but only what the game is supposed to do. You will be able to create self-contained executable games with the graphics and sound files stored inside the exe file. No DarkBasic runtime library is needed: compiled programs are self-contained and require only that DirectX is installed. Finally, a book for complete beginners who want to learn to write games!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #231054 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 616 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781598632873
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Jonathan S. Harbour is an Associate Professor of Game Development at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona. His current game project is “Starflight: The Lost Colony” (www.starflightgame.com).

Joshua R. Smith is a full-time professional game developer at Semi-Logic Entertainments in Palo Cedro, California. He has worked on several commercial games, such as Real War and Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Driver 2. Joshua is an avid C programmer but finds BASIC intriguing. He is currently living in Redding, California. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games and spending time with his wife.

Customer Reviews

DarkBASIC Pro Game Programming, 2nd Ed.
An invaluable resource for the aspiring game programmer, as a beginner's reference. This great book explains, simply, the needed utility programs to draw and animate your graphics, PLUS many well-written examples to help you in to right direction.

I found myself refering back to some of the Sprite-related chapters and some of the simple 3D examples for building some games.

I really think this book is a great asset for those of you who want to start programming games for the PC, but do not have any experience in programming. Even for me, I have a rather extensive programming background, but DarkBASIC Professional is not your father's BASIC from decades ago. This is one awesomely-powerful 2D and 3D game development environment is explained rather quickly, but succintly and never leaves you feeling lost or out-of-the-loop.

I've read other books that are supposed to teach you the programming language with examples, but they were filled with unfamiliar computer jargon and the examples were shoehorned into the book in what seemed an afterthought. Here in "DarkBASIC Pro Game Programming, 2nd Ed.", the examples were actually a refreshing resource that I still peruse.

I rated this book highly. There were some small ambiguities, but after reading the passage or paragraph over, I actually understood the methodology of the examples and their commands use. Extensively researched, "DBPro Game Programming, 2nd Ed." has taken graphic game development in a new direction: a genuinely creative one.

Not a bad book, but I'd buy it from one of the affiliates for less
I'm a professional programmer, and so decided to play with DarkBasic and Blitz3D to tinker at 3D games. Hands down, my preference is Blitz3D, but that does not have anything to do with my review. I purchased this book from Amazon a couple of years ago.

Both DB and B3D are dialects of basic geared specifically toward 2D and 3D game development. They essentially include everything you need, minus the assets to create your own game. Apparently there have been commercial games produced with both languages.

DarkBasic is a large language. The author gives fairly adequate coverage to the basics of what one would need to know to start programming in DB. It's hard to quantify where this book falls short for me. Some books "have it", and some don't.

The book is worth reading, but not for the price. Were I to do it over again, I'd purchase it from one of Amazons affiliates for a couple bucks. Add in the $3.99 shipping, keep the cost under 10 dollars, and it's worth owning.

Great 2D book
This was a great book for starting game programming with Dark Basic Pro. I use this book all of the time when I am writing games. My only complaint is the 3D stuff. it seems a little rushed and I didn't see anything about 3d collision detection. I am not confident you could create a 3D game using this book exclusively. I would love to see a second volume to this book that was just 3D programming. However Hands On DarkBasic Pro - Volume 2 does just that so if your library included these two books I think you'd be set.