Visual Basic Game Programming with DirectX

by Harbour,Jonathan S.

• ISBN13: 9781931841252
• ISBN10: 193184125X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-02
• Publisher: Cengage Learning Ptr

Summary

This book dispels the myth that Visual Basic is just too slow to write a decent game, giving readers all of the tricks and techniques that they need to create awesome games using Visual Basic. Offering equal parts theory and hands-on exercises, the chapters in this book begin with a discussion of completing a task using Visual Basic, and then move on to enhancing the code. The final section of the book is devoted to developing complete games, including a 3D arcade game, a multiplayer space combat game, and more. Ideal for readers who are new to game programming or simply new to Visual Basic, this book offers everything readers need to create amazing games by combining the hidden power of Visual Basic with DirectX.

Author Biography

Jonathan S. Harbour has been writing games for 14 years, having created his first game on a Tandy 1000 in 1988. He has worked on commercial games and has developed information systems for cellular, aerospace, pharmeceutical, education, and medical research companies. Jonathan is currently living in Phoenix, Arizona, working as a software consultant. In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys writing Pocket PC games, reading science fiction, and spending time with his wife and two children

Table of Contents

Foreword	xxxvii
Introduction	xlii
Part I Introducing Visual Basic and DirectX	1	(194)
Game Programming Basics	3	(18)
Getting Started with Visual Basic	21	(32)
Visual Basic Programming in a Nutshell	53	(36)
Getting to Know the Windows API	89	(42)
Optimizing Visual Basic with Objects	131	(40)
Supercharging Visual Basic with DirectX	171	(24)
Part II The Nuts and Bolts of Game Development	195	(354)
Break Out the Bitmaps	197	(54)
Supersonic Sprites	251	(64)
Let the Animation Begin	315	(58)
Diving into DirectDraw	373	(50)
Playing Sound and Music with DirectX Audio	423	(40)
Getting a Handle on User Input	463	(66)
Building the DirectX Game Library	529	(20)
Part III Advanced Game Programming Techniques	549	(228)
DirectX Graphics and Direct3D	551	(74)
Artificial and Simulated Intelligence	625	(58)
Multiplayer Programming with Windows Sockets	683	(38)
Network Programming with DirectPlay	721	(34)
Effective Game Design Techniques	755	(22)
Part IV Complete Game Projects	777	(216)
Block Attack: Classic Arcade Game	779	(32)
Warbirds 1944: Scrolling Shooter Game	811	(52)
Stellar War: Multiplayer Space Combat Game	863	(96)
Pong 3D: Modern Arcade Game	959	(34)
Part V Appendixes	993	(72)
Appendix A Visual Basic Game Library Reference	995	(14)
Appendix B DirectX for Visual Basic Reference	1009	(34)
Appendix C Windows API Reference	1043	(8)
Appendix D DirectInput Keyboard Codes	1051	(4)
Appendix E Recommended Reading	1055	(4)
Appendix F Visual Basic Gaming Sites	1059	(6)
Epilogue	1065	(4)
Index	1069