BlitzMax for Absolute Beginners: Games Programming for the Absolute Beginner

Go through the steps necessary to create high-speed 2D retro-style games. This easy-to-read-and-follow one of a kind book on BlitzMax game programming also covers some 3D programming. BlitzMax for Absolute Beginners includes game application projects such as The Great Escape, Tank Attack, and Paratrooper. These will help you build your skills as you go. Have you ever wanted to program your own computer game? Never felt you could? Well, now you can.

What You’ll Learn

• Program computer games from scratch with BlitzMax
• Produce high-quality arcade games with sound and graphics
• Utilize the power of OpenGL to create fantastic 3D effects

Who This Book Is For

Those new to game programming and those new to BlitzMax.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Computer System
Chapter 2: How BlitzMax Works
Chapter 3: The BlitzMax IDE
Chapter 4: Literals, Constants, and Variables
Chapter 5: The Great Escape
Chapter 6: Reusing Code with Functions
Chapter 7: Using the File System
Chapter 8: Tank Attack: The Second Game
Chapter 9: Object-Oriented Programming
Chapter 10: Project File Management
Chapter 11: Graphics
Chapter 12: User Input
Chapter 13: Keyboard Input
Chapter 14: Joystick
Chapter 15: Common Input Routine
Chapter 16: Collision Detection
Chapter 17: OpenGL Special Effects
Chapter 18: Paratrooper: Retro Involved
Chapter 19: Sound Effects and Audio
Chapter 20: Putting It All Together
Chapter 21: Game Design
Chapter 22: Storyboarding
Chapter 23: Project Management
Appendix A: Web Site Addresses
Appendix B: BlitzMax Key Codes
Appendix C: ASCII Table
Appendix D: Controller Abstraction Classes
Appendix E: Compiler Directives