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Visual Basic Game Programming For Teens
written by Jonathan S. Harbour
Studio : Course Technology PTR
by Course Technology PTR
Publisher : Course Technology PTR
Released : 2004-12-21
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9781592005871
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 10 reviews)
List Price : $29.99
Our Price : $7.50
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Product Description |
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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! |
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Tough book to learn from |
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I have tried to wade through this book twice and haven't been able to get far. The explanations are either missing or opaque. The author has you typing commands that you don't understand, then he tells you not to worry if you don't understand what you are doing. Not very helpful! There really is no reason he can't explain what some of the commands mean. In short, this book is a frustrating waste of time and one learns little about game programming. I am now looking for a replacement. |
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Agree with the last review |
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Ok, yes, 2005? VB6??? Are you aware that Microsoft has discontinued selling and supporting this software?? This software was first published in 1999!!! Find a book that is using a little bit more of state of the art technology. This one is a waste of time and money. |
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I have been looking for a book like this, a VB.Net perspective |
Overall I find this book good at what it advertises to be, a tour through the process of making a DirectX game in VB that would be very interesting and appealing to a novice programmer (teen). The game is a simplified 2d rpg/adventure game, called `Celtic Crusader'. While functional, in the interest of simplicity and time by the author's own words it isn't a fully featured game, it lacks features such as character inventory or network play.
If you are looking for detailed information on DirectX, this is not the book. This book does not explain the DirectX methods used, or even display their signatures, it just tells you what the routine you are coding does as a whole, and gives you the code.
I currently work in VB.Net, but I am experienced in the last few incarnations of VB, so the conversion of the provided code examples into VB.Net is not much of a problem. I would say someone familiar with VB.Net but without experience in VB6 will not have much problem; in fact the DirectX method calls in VB.Net are more logical than in VB6.
For example
d3ddev.Present(ByVal 0, ByVal 0, 0, ByVal 0)
becomes
d3ddev.Present(Handle.zero,Handle.zero, 0, Handle.zero)
If you pay attention to the intellisense balloons then the DirectX method calls are fairly easy to figure out.
The author doesn't fully qualify all his references, so be aware and supply the appropriate qualifacation for the constants. Be sure to Imports DxVBLibA
For example
d3dpp.SwapEffect = D3DSWAPEFFECT_DISCARD
becomes
d3dpp.SwapEffect = CONST_D3DSWAPEFFECT.D3DSWAPEFFECT_DISCARD
The VB side of the code is the same (an If-Then is still If-Then) except that you will need to recognize form events as such by their names instead of their handles keyword.
The DirectX8 for Visual Basic type library reference is still available with DirectX9.0c in VB.Net (just look under the Com tab when adding the reference) and seems to work fine in XP (I have tried it on 3 different machines.) I have not worked through the entire book yet, but so far I have not had any problems with compatibility.
This book is thinner than the typical programming book (tome) you normally find. It leads the reader directly through the creation of this adventure game, cutting out many side details as mentioned earlier. However, I find it delivers enough to create a decent working game, and a nice resource for a programmer looking for straightforward code examples.
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VB6 is alive and well! |
Don't believe those that tell you VB is dead, vb is still alive and well! Just look at Microsoft Access 2003(A database program)when you build advance coding in it you are using vb language,even in the latest Access edition, VB is still there. Just visit your local book store, you will still see VB books out there. Another proof that VB is still alive, look at many E-commerce shopping carts, many of them are build in VB, and they are functioning with great precision.
The book is intended for the teenager that wants to explore programming in a fun, and easy method, and Vb can deliver that without advance codes that will make a teenage kid left in the dark. It will give them the opportunity to learn to write simple executable codes, once they do that, then they can move on to Vb.net or C++. And with that, the author would accomplish his/her mission, and that is teaching a young mind.
Go ahead buy the book, play with the codes, and have fun!
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Good Book |
Just started programming and VB seems like a good place.
Johnathan rambles on a bit to much about maps but I learned alot. Rich D |
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