With fingers blistered and eyes bloodshot, all your hard work is about to pay off. After one hundred hours of playing the newest computer-based roleplaying game, you’ve managed to reach the end. All that stands between you and victory is a very large, very angry dragon. Not to worry though—you have a couple of tricks up your sleeve to show this sucker who’s boss. After a final climactic battle, your mission is over—the game is defeated.

Your quest was long and difficult, but when all is said and done, it was a very enjoyable quest. The story was compelling, the graphics eye-popping, and the sound and music superb. Sitting back, you might be wondering how you could create such a masterpiece.

Something with a snappy title, a great story, and that neat-o battle engine from that newest game with the kick-butt graphics engine. “Yes,” you say, “I can do that!” Well my friend, I’m here to say that yes, you can do that! Programming Role Playing Games with DirectX, 2nd Edition is your ticket to bringing your ideas to life.Within these pages, I have crammed enough information about general programming and role-playing game topics to give you the help you need to create your own game.

In this book, you find out how to create cool graphics and combat engines, handle players in your game, use scripts and items, and make your game multiplayer-capable.