Real-Time Strategy Game Programming Using MS DIRECTX 6.0 (Wordware Game Developer's Library) [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Mickey Kawick (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wordware Game Developer's Library | Publication Date: March 25, 1999

Delving into the concept of real-time strategy, this guide includes practical, hands-on programming and use of artificial intelligence; a unique graphics engine developed by the author; and multiple game design strategies along with programming code.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Real-Time Strategy Game Programming Using MS DirectX 6.0 should probably be read by any aspiring C/C++ game developer for its real-world perspective on the process of designing successful strategy games. Filled with tips on what works and what doesn't, this book not only provides a perspective on the working lives of game programmers, but it also shows how to simplify working with DirectDraw and DirectSound--two important parts of Microsoft's DirectX game platform--using the author's custom C++ classes.

The most interesting aspect of this book has to be its real-world insight on the realities of game development from someone who's been there. (As the author notes, a game programmer's lifestyle offers plenty of challenges, insane work schedules, and, of course, potential rewards.) Early chapters sketch out the game development cycle, from initial idea to proposal, and then onward to staffing, project scheduling, coding, and testing. (If anything, these chapters will demystify how some of your favorite games were designed.)

The heart of this book is the author's C++ framework that simplifies DirectX programming using DirectDraw (for 2-D graphics) and later, DirectSound (for sound). The author presents his own code and classes for essential aspects of DirectDraw programming from drawing shapes and images to creating professional animations. Additional sections cover the fundamentals of building strategy games (where players command armies, for instance, and place them on various tiles, or game terrains). There's much expert knowledge here on writing games in this vein, but the principles of animation--plus the reusable C++ code that simplifies DirectX--will certainly justify the price of this book.

Written for the C/C++ programmer who wants an introduction to game programming, this is actually more than a technical book. Besides a good introduction to DirectX, this text provides a nuts-and-bolts perspective that shows how some of today's successful games are designed and coded. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Real-Time Strategy game basics, gameplay, design and project management for games, programming style and tips, Windows programming fundamentals, design documents, the development cycle, macros and data types, DirectX and DirectDraw basics, bitmaps and color modes, drawing lines, rectangles, images and clipping, text output in DirectDraw, loading graphics files, LLE compression, animation overview, AI and characters, animated backgrounds and effects, landscapes, game interfaces, objects and creatures, pathing (BFS, DFS, and A* algorithms), DirectSound.

From Library Journal

Kawick, who has worked on a number of game titles, assumes the reader is wildly interested in real-time strategy (RTS) and real-time tactical (RTT) games and has a strong working knowledge of the C++ programming language. This is not a simple introductory guide, as he covers everything from graphics to artificial intelligence and tile management to game engine design. While useful to advanced-level programmers, the book will also attract ambitious novices who want to learn how to design games.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 712 pages
• Publisher: Wordware Publishing, Inc. (March 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556226446
• ISBN-13: 978-1556226441
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,962,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia > DirectX

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revising my review after being contacted by the author., July 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Real-Time Strategy Game Programming Using MS DIRECTX 6.0 (Wordware Game Developer's Library) (Paperback)

This book covers some advanced topics not necessarily suitable for beginning Visual C++ programmers or avid real-time strategy game players looking to assemble a RTS game of their own based on this book. The author's insights into the gaming industry are very interesting, as are his comments on the development of Age of Empires, which I found fascinating.

I wrote an e-mail to the editor of WordWare Publishing, and she forwarded my message to Mickey Kawick, who then contacted me about the problems with the source code. The original code does NOT compile under Visual C++ 6! You must get an updated copy of the code that was included on the CD, or else you will have a frustrating time getting it to compile correctly. Mickey sent me an updated copy of the library for Visual C++ 6 and the samples compiled successfully. Since a large portion of my previous review was based on my frustration with the source code, I must amend my comments and say that the author was very kind and eager to help. If you have a hard time with the source code that came with the book, simply send Mickey Kawick a message. He responds to e-mail quickly and will do everything he can to help his readers. I'm giving this book a 5-star review to counter my previous 1-star review, to end up with an average of 3 stars.

I think you will find this book a great addition to your DirectX programming library. Keep in mind that no single volume can encompass the complexities of DirectX and teach the basics as well as advanced topics of game programming at the same time. There is simply too much information to cover.

I will state again, however, that the author is very friendly. After you purchase the book, send him a message, as I'm sure he will be pleased to hear from another reader.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Misleading title......, July 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Real-Time Strategy Game Programming Using MS DIRECTX 6.0 (Wordware Game Developer's Library) (Paperback)

I found some good things in this book i've searched for, so it's not all bad , the iso drawing routines, the raised tile code, but i was hoping the book would work up to developing a game engine and mabey even a small game... Like andre lamoth book's do.. No luck, the book throws all the code on the cd clumped together, some topic's arent even covered!! Like fine cordinate tile based scrolling, these are simple thing's that should of been covered.. I think alot of the book has too much code in it as well, seemed to be trying to fill pages??.. Most of this info is available on the net, or if your looking to learn DX and make a simple game in the process, get Game Programming for Dummies by Andre Lamoth, much much better book, as far as developing a game engine and learning DX in the process... Mickey if ya write another book, stick strickly to the topic make it all about RTS programming take the user's step by step and make a small game with them as you go, this is the best method i've seen on a rather difficult subject...Leave the the teaching of DX for another book...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, Could Have Been Better, July 3, 1999

By 

Michael Henson (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Real-Time Strategy Game Programming Using MS DIRECTX 6.0 (Wordware Game Developer's Library) (Paperback)

I agree with everyone who said this book could have been much better. It is an average book until chapter 13, then it becomes a great book. If he had compressed some of the earlier chapters, he could have put in so much more. I would have given this book a rating of 4.5, but I rounded up.

What this book is: This is an advanced book. It has tons of code snippets, and more ideas on how to expand and personalize the code. It has a few chapters that could be shorten or taken out completely, namely the first 8 chapters, except chapter 5. These chapters have a lot of ideas, but if you are familiar with games and/or programming, you already know a lot of it.

Chapter 9 briefly describes DirectDraw, for more see a differant book (I have found Windows Game Programming for Dummies good), but it doesn't claim to be a DirectX tutorial either.

Chapter 10 has some good stuff on drawing lines and rectangles, not used too much in RTS games though.

Chapter 11 teaches font and text building, could have been better, but has a lot of good information in it.

Chapter 12 puts 10 and 11 together in a single class for you. Could have been shortened but oh well.

Chapter 13 describes how to load graphics and keep track of them.

Chapter 14 has some very good stuff on blitting graphics to the screen. He teaches LLE compression which is one of the best ways to blit to the screen(compiled sprites are still a bit faster).

Chapter 15 has a lot of good information on keeping track of animations.

In chapter 16 He does a very good job of teaching landscape. He has a lot of good code examples, and suggestions on how we could add more to it.

Chapter 17 is on the interface. Lots of good stuff in there.

Chapters 18 and 19 talk about creatures and pathing. Good stuff.

Chapter 20 is kind of an addon chapter. It describes DirectSound Overall, this is a very well written book by an author with a lot of experiance programming. I suggest buying it.

Things i would have liked to see: More on DirectX,especially DDraw and DInput. Networking.

Can you find some of this on the internet? Yes you can find some of it. I have found nothign on the internet that can compare to some of these chapters though. Buy it, its worth it.