Hey, reader. Thanks for reading and/or buying my book. I am really thankful for it.
What is programming? Programming, according to Dictionary.com, is ‘‘a set of coded instructions that enables a machine, especially a computer, to perform a desired sequence of operations.’’ In other words, programming allows you to make your computer do whatever you want it to do. Programming is used in everything related to the computer, but there are many distinct flavors of programming. This book teaches Game Programming.
Game programming is very different from the other types of programming.When you turn on your computer, you often see static programs—programs that sit there and wait for you to do something. Not with games. Games are running constantly, and they don’t need the player to do anything to keep it running.
Of course, does this mean that game programming is a bit tougher than other styles of programming? Yes and no. While it can be difficult at times, this book strives to turn the difficult into second nature. We use a language of programming called BASIC, which, as you can probably guess, is pretty darn basic.
Do you enjoy playing video games and want to learn how to create your own? "Game Programming for Teens, Third Edition" shows you how to design and develop a complete video game from start to finish, no prior programming knowledge required. You'll begin by learning the basics of BlitzMax, a simple cross-platform game programming language that can be used on Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems. Once you understand how to write the programming code, you'll begin to incorporate all the graphical elements of games including varying colors, loading and displaying images, and creating scrolling backgrounds. Finally, you'll learn how to add sound and music, use keyboard input codes, and even integrate artificial intelligence. New skills are taught step-by-step, and each chapter builds upon the techniques you learned in the previous, so by the end of the book you'll have built your very own fully functioning video game. And the CD-ROM contains all the source code, art and sound files, and demo versions of BlitzMax and the other programs used in the book. So don't just play video games, build your own, with "Game Programming for Teens, Third Edition!"
