Ok guys, Needing to start somewhere - books?

[Mattedatten]

@Karmington

Short-term : the one in which an example complete game is similar to the one you want to do.

That’s not that easy for me, right now I do not have any idea what game type to make, mostly because I’ve got no idea where I will be in a half year (counting in knowledge)

@Karmington

Long-term : the one with the most diverse range of subjects, and least platform specific OR totally problem specific.

I find Ive bought quite a few code books but they were more useful in the days before the internetz.
Now they are all semi-obsolete, for example DirectX7 specific books. They make great doorstops.
But yeah, they did their part in helping out to advance. The more theoretical ones are often the ones
I end up returning to, ones which dont care what language youre using, and which have often been too
hard to even understand half of. In the end it’s you making the things tick the way you want is where you learn the most.

I’ve also thought like that, but a book is easier to follow. I mean, I’ve subscibed to numerous guides on (for example) youtube, that I’ll use. But I’d also like (or prefer) a book, it’s simply easier to learn from according to me

Thanks for a answer
I think I’ll choose book on Monday/Tuesday next week (Monday morning do we meet with the teachers and discuss how our work is going)

I hope for at least one more answer still :
It seems like there aren’t any good comparisons “up-to-date” with the books mentioned…

So I rely a little on people responses here

EDIT: As I said, I found another book today, from 2010, “Introduction to Java Programming with Games - Ladd, B C”, does anyone know anything? :-\

[dime]

I’m a hobbyist game programmer. I found this book probably most helpful: Java-How-Program -Harvey-Deitel

Killer Game Programming in Java is ok.
I really like the concepts and him explaining them. I didn’t like the code examples and stuff like that.
Also lots of the book seemed like cheap filler. He has a chapter on “Networking for games”, but it’s really weak.
He creates a very basic text client/server and some how that is considered “Killer Game Programming” to him?
It would of been a lot better if he just explained concepts and “common problems” with networking in games. Like how to deal with lag in a real time games or never trust to client, verify on server, etc, etc. Tons of things he could of talked about, but instead he went with a very basic example of sending text over the wire.
I also forgot what, but remember that something in the audio chapters also bugged me too.

I wasn’t to found of the graphics stuff either. The book seemed dated when I read it a year or two ago. Again, if he would of just stuck with concepts it would of been good; but he went with these awkward examples of using outdated and really slow graphics libraries to load sprites, etc.

[Mattedatten]

@dime

I’m a hobbyist game programmer. I found this book probably most helpful: Java-How-Program -Harvey-Deitel

Killer Game Programming in Java is ok.
I really like the concepts and him explaining them. I didn’t like the code examples and stuff like that.
Also lots of the book seemed like cheap filler. He has a chapter on “Networking for games”, but it’s really weak.
He creates a very basic text client/server and some how that is considered “Killer Game Programming” to him?
It would of been a lot better if he just explained concepts and “common problems” with networking in games. Like how to deal with lag in a real time games or never trust to client, verify on server, etc, etc. Tons of things he could of talked about, but instead he went with a very basic example of sending text over the wire.
I also forgot what, but remember that something in the audio chapters also bugged me too.

I wasn’t to found of the graphics stuff either. The book seemed dated when I read it a year or two ago. Again, if he would of just stuck with concepts it would of been good; but he went with these awkward examples of using outdated and really slow graphics libraries to load sprites, etc.

Hmm, the release date of that book keeps me from beein 100% sure that it’s the best one… :
The question stands then, if I was to choose one book, just one
Would it be some of them listed above, or, the 2010 one (which I think most positive about now, because, after all, it’s new)

A preview of “Introductory Programming with Simple Games” (The book that I call the “2010 book”) is available at google books, can anyone with knowledge or experience give it a look?
http://books.google.se/books?id=EMuxvH65pW8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Introduction+to+Java+Programming+with+Games+review&source=bl&ots=i4GY8zU3vB&sig=UuAOH6wOm6iMYwixOI-bDQoq1qQ&hl=sv&ei=P42DTK6aC4yQOM-i9f8N&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Mattedatten]

Dam’
I’ll get myself banned here :
I’ve still not chosen book
I’ve contacted my libaries here, to check if they can get any of the books
It’s down to three now:
Killer Game Programming in Java - Andrew Davison | ISBN: 0596007302
Introductory Programming with Simple Games: Using Java and the Freely Available Networked Gaming Engine - Ladd, B C | ISBN: 0470212845
Developing Games in Java - David Brackeen | ISBN: 1592730051

I have no idea, I can afford, at best, 2 of them.

Sorry for spamming your forum like this, but I’d like to get started, and don’t know where :persecutioncomplex:

Ehm’, can anyone recommend anything? Last chance kind of, and then you’ll get rid of me for a while ;D

Killer game programming in Java - Preview
Introductory Programming with Simple Games: Using Java and the Freely Available Networked Gaming Engine - Preview
Developing Games in Java - Preview

[OverKill]

Davison & Brackeen

Sure, they might not be perfect, but what book really is?
A book should never do everything for you, but show you how stuff could be done.

I have like 7 or so game dev books at home and so far have never just copied out code (ok, the code for reading md3 iirc files I did just copy).
If you just copy down, you only learn how to copy.

oh btw:
If you are looking for other resources, gamdev.net is a really good place to start.
Nehe is one of THE places to go for OpenGL stuff.
Also gamasutra.com has some good articles.

[xoria]

@kapta

my favorite java games book is Developing Games in Java by David Brackeen and do highly recommend it.

I have also heard alot of good things about that book… http://www.brackeen.com/javagamebook/