Publishers:    WILEY-Dreamtech India Pvt. Ltd.

Contents at a glance

Table of contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction

1. Game Programming
2. Graphics in C/C++
3. Scanning Input Devices
4. GUI Fundamentals
5. Animation
6. TetrisX (Tetris game)
7. Glutton (Pac-Man type game)
8. Tank (Side scroller action paced game)
9. Mine detector (Minesweeper game)
10. Tryster (Othello game)
11. Chess, the drosophilae of AI  (Name says it all!)
12. Try to make them
13. Review and tips
14. What's ahead?

Preface

There is no denying to the fact that the charisma and challenge of game development fascinates many programmers. Exploration in this field requires good knowledge and great imagination. This book and the game described herein are result of two years of sleepless nights. The first thing while programming games that tasked me was to figure out "How to begin?" In this book I have tried my level best to explain the very basics of graphics and game programming, and have also tried to workout the guidelines for becoming a game programmer. I have dealt with the important concepts for programming  as well as different genre of games. The book doesn't explain the basics of C/C++, so the reader is supposed to have some acquaintance with the basics of C/C++ programming before beginning with this book. Moreover this book doesn't cover the complex topics like 3D game design either.

I believe on the belief that if you can develop games, you can develop anything.

This book is divided into three parts. The first part carries the raw material required for programming a game. It talks about game programming in general and covers the basic concepts of graphics, scanning input devices, user interfaces and animation. The second part contains a detailed account of three arcade and three board games. The source code of my version of those games is provided in this part. The third part sums up all that is explained throughout in this book and discusses a few games that you may try to make. It also puts some light on the current game industry, technology and game programming as a profession.

The book should open the gates for anyone who aspires to develop his or her own games. To consummate the discussion, Albert Einstein's quote perhaps sums up essence of game programming, 'Imagination is more important than knowledge!" So, once the imagination is worked out, the technical part is easier bit of the job.

You may refer to my website www.suneetsmausil.com for learning more about my activities and about game programming.

Suneet Singh Mausil

Sonipat, Haryana,

Feb, 2003

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Cyber Oscar (software contest) 

Logiciel Concours (s/w contest) 

Evolution, (original software)

Pulsar, (game s/w contest) 

Kriti, (software design)  

N-CODE (predefined software)

GameworX (original game design)

Apex (S/w Project Presentation)

Project display(CSE/IT)

Spectrum(graphics design) 

Literati ’03,   NIT-Kurukshetra

Sanganak ’03,  NIT-Jalandhar

Technova '03, CRSCE Murthal

Technova '03, CRSCE Murthal

Mystica 03, TIT&S Bhiwani

TRYST’02,   IIT-Delhi

Innovision ‘02, NSIT-Delhi

InfoXpression ’02, SIT-GGSIPU-Delhi

Elements... Culmyca ’02,  YMCA IE Haryana

Horizons Unlimited ‘02, CITM Fbd. Haryana

Software Projects

                                        Chaturangam v1
                                        Chaturangam v2
                                        Devilworks v1
                                        Devilworks v2                                        (click on project's name to download it)

It is the First Indian Chess software. It was in news at famous Indian chess website www.chathurangam.com (Similarity in name of the software and the website is coincidental). See the URL… http://www.chathurangam.com/news/newslist2k2.asp. It was distributed as freeware at the webpage: http://suneet_singh0.tripod.com/,around 2500 downloads have been made there. Now its is available at this website.

Artificial Intelligence:   It allows you to play against computer with any color. Computer-Computer match is also possible. The computer play is rather weak, and is implemented using 2-ply search. Largely bettered in second version. Only valid moves are allowed to be made.

Interface Options:    New game (human v/s computer etc.), Save Game (saves in its own format (not PGN)), Load Game (Shows the database of stored games for selecting a game to be loaded), Replay game, Forward Move, Take back Move, Exit, Flip Board, Chess clock, sounds, colors (262144 colors available),Etc.

Interfaces:    This version contains three interfaces with separate board design and advanced artificial intelligence for computer’s play. The interfaces are normal, compact and 3D Board. Normal contains all general options, compact shows the working of artificial intelligence with evaluation and the 3D board simulates a real 3D chessboard.

Interface Options:    New game (human v/s computer etc.), Save Game (saves in its own format (not PGN)), Load Game (Shows the database of stored games for selecting a game to be loaded), Replay game, Forward Move, Take back Move, Exit, Flip Board, Chess clock, sounds, colors (262144 colors available; Skin can be saved), Board setup (Makes available the two set of pieces and the three board setups). Etc.

Artificial Intelligence:

Silent features…

1. Minimax tree search with alpha-beta pruning is implemented for computer’s play. Strong evaluation function compliments them.
2. Opening book is installed for faster and accurate opening moves of computer.
3. Only valid moves from the player are allowed
4. Threatened pieces, evaluation, opening played can be shown.
5. Alarms on Check and Checkmate.
6. Much stronger than previous version

It is a compilation of games and other software. It has won many technical competitions. It contains the following...

    Single interface for running all the contained games etc.  
    Tryster
    Tank
    Tetrisx
    Glutton
    Devil's Hunt (Spacewar of v1)
    Typing tutor v2
    Chitrakaar