Advanced Game Programming A Gamedev Net Collection Rapidshare

Review: Advanced Game Programming: A GameDev.net Collection

If you are looking for a book that covers the latest and greatest techniques in game programming, as well as some of the traditional concepts that form the basis of game technology, you might want to check out Advanced Game Programming: A GameDev.net Collection. This book is the fourth in a series of books published in collaboration with GameDev.net, the online community where game developers worldwide can network and freely exchange information and ideas.

The book is composed of 18 chapters, each written by a different author and covering a different topic. The topics range from optimization, physics and collision detection, scene management, multiplayer gaming, advanced C++ topics, graphics rendering techniques, artificial intelligence, and more. The chapters are based on articles that have appeared on GameDev.net over the past decade, but they have been updated to comply with the latest technology. The book also features exclusive, new content that cannot be found anywhere else.

The book is aimed at intermediate to advanced game programmers who have a solid foundation in game programming concepts and want to learn more about specific areas of game development. The book assumes that the reader is familiar with C++ and some basic graphics and math concepts. The book does not provide a comprehensive introduction to game programming or any specific game engine or library. Rather, it focuses on presenting practical techniques and tips that can be applied to any game project.

The book is well-written and edited, with clear explanations and code examples. The code examples are mostly in C++, but some chapters also use other languages such as C#, Lua, or HLSL. The code examples are available for download from the publisher's website. The book is also well-illustrated with diagrams and screenshots that help to visualize the concepts and results. The book is organized into four parts: General Programming Techniques, Graphics Programming Techniques, Artificial Intelligence Techniques, and Appendices. Each part contains several chapters that can be read independently or in any order.

Some of the highlights of the book include:

A chapter on optimizing game code using various tools and techniques such as profilers, cache optimization, SIMD instructions, multithreading, data-oriented design, and more.

A chapter on implementing a custom physics engine using rigid body dynamics, collision detection and response, constraints, joints, springs, and soft bodies.

A chapter on managing complex game scenes using spatial partitioning structures such as octrees, quadtrees, BSP trees, and portals.

A chapter on creating multiplayer games using sockets, UDP, TCP, NAT traversal, reliable and unreliable messages, serialization, compression, encryption, and more.

A chapter on advanced C++ topics such as templates, smart pointers, exceptions, RTTI, STL containers and algorithms, boost libraries, and more.

A chapter on graphics rendering techniques such as deferred shading, shadow mapping, ambient occlusion, HDR lighting, tone mapping, bloom, depth of field, motion blur, anti-aliasing, post-processing effects, and more.

A chapter on artificial intelligence techniques such as finite state machines, behavior trees,

planning systems,

navigation meshes,

pathfinding algorithms,

steering behaviors,

flocking,

boids,

and more.

The book is not without some drawbacks. Some of the chapters are more theoretical than practical,

and some of the code examples are incomplete or outdated. Some of the topics are too broad or complex to be covered in a single chapter,

and some of the topics are too specific or niche to be useful for most game projects. Some of the chapters are more suitable for reference than for learning,

and some of the chapters are more suitable for beginners than for advanced programmers. The book does not provide any exercises or projects to test or apply the knowledge gained from reading it.

Overall,

Advanced Game Programming: A GameDev.net Collection is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about game programming techniques and expand their game development skills. The book covers a wide range of topics that are relevant and interesting for game programmers of different levels and backgrounds. The book is not a comprehensive guide to game programming or a step-by-step tutorial for creating a game from scratch. Rather,

it is a collection of articles that provide insights and tips on various aspects of game development that can be useful for any aa16f39245