Programming an RTS Game with Direct3D Book Released

Author: by Beth A.

Thomson Course Technology has announced the release of Programming an RTS Game with Direct3D, which uses C++ and comes with a companion CD-ROM to teach intermediate programmers step-by-step guidelines for programming a complete RTS game. Making a commercial-quality RTS game takes thousands of dollars and a large team of talented people. So is it possible for a book to teach one person how to make their own RTS game? Programming an RTS Game with Direct3D makes the attempt to be such a reference. The book provides intermediate programmers with a step-by-step implementation guide for programming a complete RTS game. In this book, readers will learn how to make a very simple RTS game with all of the core elements. It goes over many general game programming skills, including terrain generation, skinned meshes, path finding, visual effects, sounds, networking, and how to create a user interface. Throughout the book, there is a heavy emphasis on coding and a majority of this code will be found in the example applications on the companion CD-ROM. The text, which uses C++, also includes full code examples, both source code and shader code as well as uses numerous visual renderings to show users how the end results should look. Advanced topics include Skinned Meshes, Fog-of-war implementation, Team-color pixel shaders, AI, and networking. Carl Granberg has been creating computer games since DOS based Model 13 graphics were available. He works as a software engineer and has a degree in computing for which he investigated different learning AI algorithms and implemented an RTS game using DirectDraw. He is currently completing his MS of Computing at Curtin University in Perth Australia, where he is focused on visualization of medical data and computer graphics. For more information, interested parties can visit the Course PTR webpage featuring the book.