CS638 - Computer Game Technology

Resources

C++

All the programs you write in this class will be in C++. The primary reason is that the game engine used in class requires C++, and the primary reason for that is because most 3D games are written in C++. If you do not know C++ you will have a very hard time succeeding in this class, and there is no way to work around it.

You will require what I consider a moderate level of C++ proficiency for the course including comfort with things like subclassing and memory management. You will need this proficiency in the first week of class.

There are many books on C++. Two common ones for computer scientists are:

Stanley Lippman and Josee Lajoie. "C++ Primer", 3rd Edition. Addison Wesley, 1998
Bjarne Stroustrup. The C++ Programming Language

Your project for this class must run under Visual C++ on the Windows 2000 machines in the various labs.

LithTech v3.1

LithTech is both a company and a game engine. In this class it will form the substrate onto which the project is built. LithTech provides modelling software and a run-time engine, making it relatively simple to get complex games up and running. It also implements many utility functions, such as a network interface.

LithTech runs on Windows 2000 machines, only. Additional details will be forthcoming, including a tutorial on getting started.

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