Simulation and Event Modeling for Game Developers [Paperback]

Ph.D. John P Flynt (Author), Benjamin Vinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2005

"Simulation and Event Modeling for Game Developers" addresses the urgent need a for practical, hands-on introduction to developing event models and simulations for computer games. This book provides a comprehensive introduction for understanding, designing, programming, and testing software for models and simulations. Readers will begin with an introduction to the conceptual foundations of simulation and how to gather requirements and design software for simulation. From there, the reader covers a C++/DirectX framework that can be used to develop simulations and learns how to set up worlds and entities for simulation. Readers will also examine AI, physics, and environments for event simulation as well as the development of models for simulating entire systems, such as floods and traffic flows. The book wraps up with coverage of testing simulation software. Throughout, the book provides numerous working examples readers can recreate or run as demonstrations and exposes readers to practical and theoretical considerations involved in the planning, development, and testing of games and system model. Each chapter emphasizes a hand-on approach to learning.

Product Details

• Paperback: 568 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR; 1 edition (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592008488
• ISBN-13: 978-1592008483
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,257,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun and Interesting Approach to Simulation From the Ground and Up, February 27, 2007

By 

Brandon Booth "darkspy5" (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simulation and Event Modeling for Game Developers (Paperback)

This book provides an introduction to some of the basic concepts
involved in using simulation as a part of computer applications and
games. Its content is both conceptual and practical. Conceptually, it
provides extended discussions of some of the theory that might be involved
in simulation design. The theory in part relates to literary and
sociological approaches to cultural criticism, so if you do not do much
reading in this area, you will find the language fairly strange. The
vocabulary goes beyond anything you'll ever find in a standard book on
programming (iconic logic, hermeneutics, phenomenology, and so on). On
a practical level the book provides several MS Studio projects that put
the concepts to use. In most of the chapters it provides extended
discussions of C++ and DirectX, and in this respect it is helpful to
beginning programmers. The last chapter includes a C# project that can
be used for testing games. The testing theory is supported by software
included with SmartDraw.

One of the games included with the book is called Gold Finder. It is a
good start if you want to create a 3-D game. It is complete, so you
can play it and then start modifying it. It includes a 3-D model of a
man. You control the model as it walks around a world and searches for
gold. The book provides a 2-D simulation that shows how a big
retail store can wipe out local economies. If you do not like criticism
of the way corporations do this sort of thing, then you will probably
not like this chapter. The authors don't try to force anything on you,
however. The book also includes a 2-D simulation of a forest fire. The
best thing to do is start with these projects and remake them for
yourself. The authors try to discuss the software in both theoretical
and practical terms so that you can work with it to conceptualize what
you are doing while programming. There are software packages you can
buy to do this sort of thing, but through this approach, you get a chance
to build programs from scratch using Direct X , C++, and C#.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I like this seller, the book is quite good and deliver day is early than expected, October 14, 2009

By 

Tran Son - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simulation and Event Modeling for Game Developers (Paperback)

I like this seller, the book is quite good and deliver day is early than expected

3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book, April 26, 2006

By 

John Nash - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simulation and Event Modeling for Game Developers (Paperback)

Key words: Obscure, vague and unfocused.

Even simple ideas and concepts are presented in an unfocused, hand-waving style. The (vague) signal has a hard time penetrating the noise.

The few things the authors have to say has already been said before and better by other authors.