   Getting back into game programming - for serious, this time, maybe
  Hello.  I''m sort of an intermediate programmer who has made games for Windows before, but did a hack job of it.  For about two years I flipflopped from failed project to failed project.  I stopped the madness about a year and a half ago and haven''t done much programming since.  But now I feel compelled to pick it up again. This time ''round I''m a little older and little wiser.  I''m also eager to try something more challenging and applicable to a career in game programming (one can dream, right?).  So I know the ins and outs of C/C++ pretty well.  I own Windows Game Programming for Dummies by Andre Lamoth - that''s the book that got me started so long ago.  I fear it is now obsolete.  I hear DirectDraw is dead, win32 is dead, etc.  Basically I need to relearn how to build a windows application and use it in tandem with DirectX or OpenGL to run a game, possibly a 3D one. IN SHORT: I need a new book!  Any recommendations?  Suggestions?  Tips for avoiding another cycle of failed projects? 
  I would say look no further than nehe.gamedev.net!I am poor, and I don''t buy many books, so here are some good sites for tutorials (most have Direct3D and OpenGL). I would say, that if you haven''t used either (Direct3D or OpenGL), start with OpenGL. I stumbled through Direct3D for about a year, never learning anything. I found nehe.gamedev.net and never turned back. Anyway, once you understand the basics with OpenGL you can easily apply them to Direct3D (sorry about my long speal).www.gametutorials.comwww.ultimategameprogramming.com ;  It''s best to get information and do your own research from as many sources as possible, especially with things like the basics of win32. Eventually you''ll understand it enough to make your own version of it rather than using someone else''s style. This is especially the case for direct3D books.. ;  << Tips for avoiding another cycle of failed projects? >>Don''t shoot too high. Work your way up. The game industry will be here another 50 years at least. Don''t worry its not going anywhere.I''m 38 and was out of computers for most of the 1990s, so I''m rushing to catch up and beat all the teens already doing 3D.  Just got my B.S. Comp Sci Dec 2003.VazGames.com  Phil P ;  I am 38 myself,and started programming using VB 3.0. I wrote a Quake map loader as my first real application.As for book recommendations, I have pretty much all the books on C++! I am sucker for buy books on C++ and game programming, though now I make sure I really need the book as odds are, I already own one that is just as good.Right now, I am reading "Teach yourself game programming with DirectX in 21 days" and I think it is great! I also am reading, concurrently, "Beginning Visual C++" by Ivor Horton,as I am kinda weak on pointers and how they relate to classes, functions, etc.So, those two books I recommend as well as "C++ Primer Plus" by Stephen Prata.I am Canadian also Dalton. Hail from Nova Scotia!Thanks;  I find the best way to make sure that you don''t drop your project half way through is via a programming method called Feature Driven Development (FDD). The method is all about breaking your project up into features, so you complete one feature then move on to the next. And if you do quit on the program half way through, you can at least rip out some of the base code from your project into your new project (Make sure you document your code well so you can apply this method).Also as PhilVaz said, aim small and work your way up. Start with a simple program - ie. tetris or naughts and crosses, then add more features and build it up. So make it into naughts and crosses multiplayer or add more visual effects. Maybe make characters for the AI that you have to play against.In short, aim small and build up. ----MikePortfolio: Http://members.iinet.net.au/~slyonsTeam AI: Http://members.iinet.net.au/~slyons/teamai;  Andre Lamothe has a more recent book release, Tips&Tricks of the 3D Game programming gurus. it basically starts off where the windows book left off, and it covers basically everything youll ever need for 3d game programming. to help out your motivation, let people know about your project, like your family and freinds, and talk about it with em! say, hey, my games going great, i can render the monsters and such now... even if they dont care, talk about it, and they might even ask you stuff about it.the most sure way to lose sight of ur project is to keep it in the closet! ;  To be honest, I wouldn''t recommend any of LaMothe''s books any more, especially not to anyone who already owns one (he has a habit of copy&pasting text between his books. Don''t believe me? Look for stuff on Bresenham''s line algorithm).I''d recommend you begin by taking stock of what you know and what you don''t. From your original post, I''m gathering:Competent C/C++Some Win32Some DirectDrawThat''s actually a pretty damn good starting point, compared to some people.The next thing is to decide where you want to be. While DirectDraw may be ''dead'' (that is, it got dropped from DirectX8), that doesn''t mean you can''t use it. There are still many, many people here making 2D games, and one of the most important skills as a software developer is using the right tool for the job. If you want to make 2D games, then DirectDraw may well suffice.(Of course, it''s missing all the alpha blending and rotation type effects that you''d get if you switch to orthographic 3D...)If you want to produce apps at the forefront of the graphics sector, I''d recommend a copy of Real-Time Rendering. If you want to get up to speed on the latest version of DirectX, there''s  16 or so listed in our ''Books'' section. If your math or newtonian physics is rusty, something like Bourg''s Physics for Game Developers might be worth looking into.It''s very unlikely that you''ll find a single book that covers all the information you''ll need in a satisfactory way; IMO you''re better off getting books that specialize in particular subjects, which when combined give a pretty good cross-section of the entire field. ; DirectDraw isn''t dead! ;quote:Original post by alnite   DirectDraw isn''t dead!  Neither is COBOL.   "Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke 