Mastering SFML Game Development

SFML is a cross-platform software development library written in C++ with bindings available for many programming languages. It provides a simple interface to the various components of your PC, to ease the development of games and multimedia applications.

This book will help you become an expert of SFML by using all of its features to its full potential. It begins by going over some of the foundational code necessary in order to make our RPG project run. By the end of chapter 3, we will have successfully picked up and deployed a fast and efficient particle system that makes the game look much more ‘alive’. Throughout the next couple of chapters, you will be successfully editing the game maps with ease, all thanks to the custom tools we’re going to be building. From this point on, it’s all about making the game look good. After being introduced to the use of shaders and raw OpenGL, you will be guided through implementing dynamic scene lighting, the use of normal and specular maps, and dynamic soft shadows. However, no project is complete without being optimized first. The very last chapter will wrap up our project by making it lightning fast and efficient.

What You Will Learn

• Dive deep into creating complex and visually stunning games using SFML, as well as advanced OpenGL rendering and shading techniques
• Build an advanced, dynamic lighting and shadowing system to add an extra graphical kick to your games and make them feel a lot more dynamic
• Craft your own custom tools for editing game media, such as maps, and speed up the process of content creation
• Optimize your code to make it blazing fast and robust for the users, even with visually demanding scenes
• Get a complete grip on the best practices and industry grade game development design patterns used for AAA projects

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Under the Hood – Setting up the Backend
Chapter 2. Its Game Time! – Designing the Project
Chapter 3. Make It Rain! – Building a Particle System
Chapter 4. Have Thy Gear Ready – Building Game Tools
Chapter 5. Filling the Tool Belt – a few More Gadgets
Chapter 6. Adding Some Finishing Touches – Using Shaders
Chapter 7. One Step Forward, One Level Down – OpenGL Basics
Chapter 8. Let There Be Light – An Introduction to Advanced Lighting
Chapter 9. The Speed of Dark – Lighting and Shadows
Chapter 10. A Chapter You Shouldnt Skip – Final Optimizations