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Community => Creative Outlets => Topic started by: Distind on June 21, 2012, 11:02:11 am

Title: A good intro to a good game engine
Post by: Distind on June 21, 2012, 11:02:11 am
http://www.packtpub.com/unity-3-x-game-development-essentials-with-c-and-javascript-will-goldstone/book

I'm about 3/4ths the way through this and I'm reasonably sure that anyone capable of high school math should be able to write basic games after finishing it. No programming experience really needed, as they go well into detail on every script they cover, what it is and what it does. Honestly I think it teaches some of the basics better than the books on the basics I had to go through. But you're on your own for advanced programming. Fortunately you shouldn't really need it because the engine this runs on, Unity, doesn't particularly suck.

I may be commandeering a thread or forum for personal projects before much longer, but if anyone wanted a good book to start off with get this. And then download blender, because the 3d modeling is going to be your biggest barrier after that. Fortunately they work together and both have at least a free version.
Title: Re: A good intro to a good game engine
Post by: Cerim Treascair on June 21, 2012, 10:38:08 pm
COOL! I might actually be able to get back into programming... after the atrocity that was Visual Basic 6 back in my college days a decade ago...
Title: Re: A good intro to a good game engine
Post by: Distind on June 22, 2012, 06:21:35 am
Quote from: Priestling on June 21, 2012, 10:38:08 pm
COOL! I might actually be able to get back into programming... after the atrocity that was Visual Basic 6 back in my college days a decade ago...
This covers two languages, C# and Javascript, both take a few liberties with the original languages, but any background at all and you should be able to cruise right through them.
Title: Re: A good intro to a good game engine
Post by: Cerim Treascair on June 22, 2012, 12:52:22 pm
Sorry, I should have specified... my programming teacher all but REFUSED to teach.  And she had tenure.  And her family was a huge donor to the college.

You can imagine, then, how the class ACTUALLY went.
Title: Re: A good intro to a good game engine
Post by: Sleepy on June 22, 2012, 07:38:48 pm
Ooh, I want to try this out. I've done mostly Java and R so far, but I've been eager to see more C#. And I'd definitely love to be able to write basic games.
Title: Re: A good intro to a good game engine
Post by: Distind on June 23, 2012, 05:34:19 am
Obviously due to my promotion of the product we have this:
http://www.packtpub.com/news/learn-games-programming-offer?utm_source=homepage_banner&utm_medium=games_programming_beginners_offer&utm_term=campaign_page&utm_campaign=homepage_banner_june

All of their starter gaming e-books are on sale for 5 bucks. Personally I ordered the combo pack, but not everyone has the habits of reading the phsyical books I do.

Hookay, looks like I need to look into things deeper, apparently the sale is on all of the other books they have... which may say something about this one.

But, promo code is GPBG5, you can get any of their other books for five bucks.
Title: Re: A good intro to a good game engine
Post by: Distind on July 15, 2012, 12:26:06 pm
For anyone who gets this, I'm going to go ahead and say don't waste your money on the Unity 3.x Scripting book.

I'm twitching at the lousy organization, bad practices and from the reviews I've seen now the sample code doesn't even always work. I had hoped it was a good follow up. Right now I'm thinking I may write a revised edition and see if I can't get it published.

I've heard good things about another book I may pick up, but if anyone finds a good follow up I'd love to know about it.