2 comments about Mechwarriors Guide to the Clans.

1. This field manual is much like the Comstar one. It tries to cover too many different nations, and as a consequence, feels lacking after you are finished reading it. On the other hand, it provides decent updates of every major periphery nation and excellent information on their armed forces. Also, the manual is written from the point of view of the Word of Blake overall, but incudes sections by the periphery powers themselves, creating an interesting set of viewpoints to compare in the book. As far as new 'mechs and equipment go, the manual has logical developements, but that still didn't hide my disappointment that nothing cooler was coming out of the periphery (I always like to root for the underdogs, especially the Outworlds Alliance). Overall, though, I think that this is a solid book, with regard to its information on periphery leaders and personages, and on periphery militaries (including pirates!). Also, for any Mechwarrior players, the manual excels here, providing over ten life paths with their own individual event tables. The only thing I noticed with that was that many of the next path options list a path called Tour of Duty: Periphery, but the manual (disappointingly) has no such path, so I don't know what to make of that. Like all the other FASA manuals that I've seen so far, this one is well written and layed out, but it falls below the excellence of the Lyran and FedSuns manuals, being more like the Comstar book.



2. The descriptive accounts for gamers and battletech universe readers of Clan life, history and most interesting of all characteristics bring to life the Clan way.The background information is formidable.A few of the early clans that were absorbed or lost are missing but overall an excellent read to pick up time after time.

5 comments about Metal Gear Solid (Prima's Unauthorized Game Secrets).

1. I love Prima Strategy guides because they don't wast there time making up jokes like Versus books do and they tell the last boss and how to beat him. The only wrong thing it is from the Japan version of the game. But the Walkthrough is right..



2. Hey kiddies if you want to kick some butt in MGS this is the book to choose.it gives you outlines of the missions,where the enemys are,and most importantantly,where the guns are.

   (p.s in the first level go in the water,swim to where the pipe is by the wall put your back against the wall and press the attack button one of the enemys will come by the wall but dont be worried he can't shoot you just keep pressing attack and you can annoy the heck out of the enemy.)




3. I got this cheat book for my birthday, when I was stuck at the toutre chamber, And It really helped me



4. I personally think that back then this guide was good for Prima (I really hated their guides when this first came out). But I really hate a lot ofthe things they do in this guide. You should go with the one from Konami or VERSUS BOOKS (but Versus is sold out....).

   On the positive side the guide explains things in detail (a little too much detail if you know what I mean *plot spoilers*).
   Sure, its nice that Prima gets down to business and doesn't joke around but because they get down to business they miss points in the game that could be important.

   The guide has a good walkthrough and the maps are pretty good if you could deal with the soliton radar. Boss strategies aren't as in-depth as VERSUS BOOKS and they don't tell you everthing you can do.

   Also, the guide is full of plot spoilers. You thought BradyGAMES was bad? Try this! They spoil the ending! After going through the game the ending is what we strive for! And if they spoil it I don't know about you but it kinda takes the fun out of the ending.

   OVERALL:
   Positive
   +Map are good
   +Gets down to business

   Negative
   -Spoils plot
   -spoils endings
   -not many secrets
   -not quite as in depth as most other guides




5. When I first read the reviews I was a little skeptical about getting this book, then by accident I bought it by clicking the submit order button, while I was checking out the shipping costs. I decided not to cancel it in hopes that it was good, and I'm very happy I didn't. I am going to give responses to some of the bad reviews I have read on here. On one response it said do not get the book it gives away all the secrets, which I found very amusing. I don't think I would have wanted to get the book without all the secrets. If I wanted to find out a few things on my own and wanted a big challenge while missing alot of the secrets, I would not have bought any walkthrough period for this game. Someone else wrote about the maps being bad. The maps are of the on screen radar map you see in the game, which in my opinion makes it kind of easy to pinpoint where you are and where to go. They also point out to you in what areas of the map you will find a specific item, without actually pinpointing its precise location. But exploring the area and looking for an item is kind of fun, and leaves you to figure out how you are going to obtain the item while sneaking around trying not to get caught. Sure in some ways it would be cool to see a birds eye view of the whole area showing everything in full detail, but out of all the startegy guides I have none of them actually have this. And in some ways I think it would take the fun out of the game to see the whole area before actually exploring it. The one little thing that did bug me about this guide is that it spoils the cinemas and the ending, instead of just telling you to sit back and watch a cinema like other guides do. But this is really not a big deal, you can just skip over these parts and not read them.

   I like this book because it tells where to find everything. It also explains to you about all the various items, and what they are used for, and how to use them, without going overboard on details. This book also gives you strategys for guards and bosses, although they may not be the best. But this only means its open for you to put skills of your own into the strategy, which is what makes the game fun. The book also tells you how to get through the VR missions as well, which I like too. So if you want to get a very good walkthrough for Metal Gear Solid, and don't want to pay a small fortune for it, I highly recommend getting this guide.

5 comments about Age of Mythology: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets.

1. I've bought many strategy books and really none of them are as good as this one. This tell you all that others and MORE. It's not enough writting some tips within all the statistics from the manual to title "strategy guide ..." a book, it's need to have every lesson you need to improve your game. This one has all of these and MORE, i hope this gay write about my favorite game "warcraft iii"
   So, buy it.



2. A GREAT Strategie & Secret book for Age of Mythology. This book gives you step by step directions that realy helps, this book is no ordinary book it is the best stratigie and secret book FOR AGE OF MYTHOLOGY.If you want to win the game you gotta get this FABULOUS book.



3. Most guide books are rushed to press to make a fast buck off of popular games. But this one is actually worth the price on the book cover. This is a must have book for anyone who owns AoM. Wyatt Kaldenberg



4. I personally didn't read or use the book but I haven't seen my husband's face for quite a while since we got this book. He usually reading the book or playing the game. As you might have guessed I purchased the book for him.



5. My 11-year-old son, a huge fan of Age of Mythology, says it's "really helpful". I think you have to be pretty into the CD-Rom game to care much about the info in this book, but if you're as devoted as my son, it helps you play the game more effectively.

2 comments about WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. If you're really looking to learn how to play Smackdown SYM, then this guide isn't for you. I bought it hoping to find out the tricks to actually WINNING matches, and was sorely disappointed. It mentions nothing about effective ways to counter your opponent or score a pinfall. Frankly, it contradicts itself in several places in terms of what button to press to execute a move!

   On the positive side, if you want to just see a full list of moves for each wrestler, then this guide can be helpful. It also lists the different match types and what wins the match for you (pin fall, submit, put opponent through table, etc). Beyond that this really doesn't tell strategies at all.




2. this book gives you details of wrestlers and let you learn of each wrestlers moves.Get yours now

No comments about Inside Game Design.

5 comments about Mechwarrior: Dark Age #17: Heretic's Faith (A BattleTech Novel) (Mech Warrior Dark Age).

1. At one time I looked forward to the release of a new Battletech novel. The writing was, for the most part, enjoyable and the stories were, again for the most part, exciting.
   
   Then came Mechwarrior Dark Age.
   
   I really tried, tried hard to enjoy these books. But each one got progressively worse. The plots, such as they were, became more banal and dull.
   
   Heretic's Faith tries very hard to break the pattern. But, it fails on almost every attempt. By the midpoint of the book, you'll have figured out the ending. By the ending you'll be wishing that you ordered something else. Surrounded by fanboiz and sycophants the current authors fail to realise one important fact:
   
   The magic is gone, and they have no idea how to get it back.
   
   Go buy some of the Original Battletech novels.



2. The back cover spoiler was QUITE annoying, as I always read the jacket/cover stuff.
   
   I like Randall's previous works, but this one was a little too light and fluffy for me. Not enough battle is not always a problem, but since there wasn't much else going on, it definitely showed.
   
   I was intrigued by the mystic concept, but ultimately I feel let down. This was the first time in all the Dark Age books (or any Btech book for that matter... ) I just couldn't seem to latch on to the story...
   
   Note that the interludes were interesting, and did give some unique insights which I liked... but the "breadcrumb"ing of the past is only going to work for so long... :)



3. I've read the book, and I've read the reviews, and I felt compelled to write a review.
   
   I give the book four stars out of five based on the fact that it's a pulp sci-fi book, and not intended to be a great work of fiction. If you want great fiction, look elsewhere, but like I've said in other reviews, if you're wanting a good time to imagine somewhere else...this series is a good bit of fun.
   
   That being said, it's also worth noting I've been a fan of the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe since the 1980's. While I sympathize with some of the reviewers here, I respectfully disagree. Having a long series one exciting battle after another is fun, but if you want a series of books to last beyond five or ten books, you sometimes have to build more background, which isn't always going to be done in the most exciting manner.
   
   As one reviewer noted, members of the clans are almost alien. While much attention has been given to their reasons for fighting and their skill at doing just that, why they think and do things differently than other humans just hasn't really been well developed. This book aims to change that, by taking one individual clan member, and showing us his upbringing, his thoughts, his struggles. In fact, by showing us the "heretic," it gives us a much better view of the psyche of a clanner. One of the chief themes of the book is a universal one, "what is my role in the universe." It's one of those things that almost everyone goes through at some point, but the point of this book is that those in the clans rarely if ever doubt their role. The book not only tells us this, but shows us why by exploring the childhood of those in the clans and interactions between adult members.
   
   In fact, looking at the series as a whole, it's surprising that there are children at all in the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe, as they are so rarely seen.
   
   Why four stars? Well, the book was enjoyable and well written (but with the editorial errors as noted, so minus one star), but more importantly it's given me more insight into the entire universe, so after this book I'll enjoy seeing clans more, and Nova Cats in particular. As a member of the military in real life, knowing why people fight is important to me. It will be fun when they go back to their epic battles, but now I'll care just a little bit more since I have a better appreciation for why. That difference is worth four stars any day.



4. I've been waiting for more background and updates on the current activities of the Nova Cats and the Spirit Cats, and this story elaborates on these factions with a fair amount of detail. The story focuses on Kisho Nova Cat, a mystic that was introduced in "Sword of Sedition". After throwing "Daughter of the Dragon" in the trash, where it belonged, this book was a pleasant surprise to me. The author goes a little overboard on the inner turmoil content, pushing Kisho's behavior slightly beyond believable. However, the story and action provided enough of a foundation to keep my interest. Although not blatantly pornographic, like "Daughter", there is one subtle sex scene that spans chapter 7, so parents, be forewarned. The author aparently also has permission to kill off a couple well-known characters from the MechWarrior miniatures universe. I was very dissapointed in the pointless way they were eliminated. I'm worriedly holding out hope that WizKids and their authors will reveal some actual purpose for these executions, other than to just eliminate factions in their game.
   This book does a nice job of illustrating the nobility and pride of the Nova and Spirit Cats, while also exposing the conflicting nature of their eugenics program; the brutally harsh system that the Nova Cats have swathed in a semi-religious belief system. Although not as good as Loren Coleman's books, or "Target of Opportunity", this is a good read, especially for those interested in the status of the Nova Cats and Spirit Cats.



5. This book hits bottom barrel. The writing style is totally unreadable - its excessive in descrition and not in a good way. Not only that, but twice in the book the author switched from 3rd person to 1st person!
   
   I definatly would not recommend the book. Though it sounded pretty excited and definatly seemed to have an interested character to follow in the end you'll be dissapointed.

1 comments about The Hulk Official Strategy Guide.

1. Awesome! Please buy it if you have the game. It covers the PS2, XBOX AND GameCube versions! Buy.

No comments about Meet the Pokemon (Dk Readers. Level 2).

5 comments about Beginning Mobile Phone Game Programming.

1. This is absolutly the worst programming book i've ever read! Although Michael Morisson shows a lot of techniques and details of MIDP 2.0, he doesn't explain how to use them efficiently and how to integrate them into projects. This is also the way he programs himself. All samples are confuse and against all object-oriented principles. Sure, people learn how to write simple gags, but writing an average game is impossible with this book.



2. At the time of this 'review' there was no Table of Contents available. This is from the publishers Web site.
   
   Table of Contents
   
   Introduction.
   
   I. GETTING STARTED WITH MOBILE GAME PROGRAMMING.
   
   1. Games on the Go.
   
   Essentials of Mobile Gaming
   
   The First Mobile Phone Game
   
   The Market for Mobile Games
   
   The Culture of Mobile Games
   
   The Bleeding Edge of Mobile Gaming
   
   Getting to Know Mobile Platforms
   
   Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME)
   
   Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW)
   
   Symbian
   
   Windows Mobile Smartphone
   
   Java As a Mobile Game Platform
   
   What Is Java?
   
   Why Java?
   
   Java and Mobile Game Programming
   
   A Quick J2ME Primer
   
   Configurations and the Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC)
   
   Profiles and the MIDP
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   2. Mobile Java Game Development Basics.
   
   Game Design Basics
   
   Coming Up with the Basic Idea
   
   Developing the Storyline
   
   Establishing the Play Modes
   
   A J2ME Game Development Primer
   
   Getting to Know the J2ME Wireless Toolkit
   
   Using KToolbar
   
   Managing MIDlet Game Projects
   
   Building a Game MIDlet
   
   Testing a Game MIDlet
   
   The J2ME Emulator and Physical Devices
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   3. Constructing a Mobile Game Skeleton.
   
   Exploring the J2ME APIs
   
   The CLDC API
   
   The MIDP API
   
   Understanding MIDlets
   
   Inside a MIDlet
   
   The Basics of MIDlet Development
   
   Building the Skeleton Example Program
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Preparing the MIDlet for Distribution
   
   Building and Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   II. MOBILE GAME PROGRAMMING ESSENTIALS.
   
   4. Mobile Game Graphics 101.
   
   Mobile Graphics Basics
   
   Understanding the Graphics Coordinate System
   
   Learning the Basics of Color
   
   Working with Graphics in J2ME
   
   Drawing Graphics Primitives
   
   Drawing Text
   
   Drawing Images
   
   Building the Olympics Example Program
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Building the Slideshow Example Program
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   5. Using Sprite Animation.
   
   Understanding Animation
   
   Animation and Frame Rate
   
   Making the Move to Computer Animation
   
   2D Versus 3D Animation
   
   Analyzing 2D Sprite Animation
   
   Frame-Based Animation
   
   Cast-Based Animation
   
   Applying Sprite Animation to Mobile Games
   
   Working with the Layer and Sprite Classes
   
   Achieving Smooth Animation with the GameCanvas Class
   
   Building the UFO Example Program
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   6. Handling Mobile User Input.
   
   Assessing Mobile Game Input
   
   Handling Key Input with the GameCanvas Class
   
   Revisiting the Sprite Class
   
   Detecting Sprite Collisions
   
   Working with Frame-Animated Sprites
   
   Building the UFO 2 Example
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   7. Henway: Paying Tribute to Frogger.
   
   The Scoop on Henway
   
   Designing the Game
   
   Developing the Game
   
   Writing the Game Code
   
   Testing the Game
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   8. Making Noise with Tones.
   
   Sound and Mobile Games
   
   A Tonal Sound and Music Primer
   
   Querying a Phone for Its Audio Capabilities
   
   Playing Tones in Mobile Games
   
   Playing Individual Tones
   
   Playing a Tone Sequence
   
   Building the UFO 3 Example Program
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   9. Playing Digitized Sound and Music.
   
   A Digitized Sound Primer
   
   Getting to Know Wave Sounds
   
   Creating and Editing Wave Sounds
   
   Revisiting the Player Interface
   
   Playing Wave Sounds in Mobile Games
   
   Playing a Wave from a JAR File
   
   Playing a Wave from a URL
   
   Feeling the Music with MIDI
   
   Playing MIDI Music in Mobile Games
   
   Playing a MIDI Song from a JAR File
   
   Playing a MIDI Song from a URL
   
   Building the Henway 2 Example Game
   
   Writing the Game Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   III. VIRTUAL WORLDS AND MOBILE GAME INTELLIGENCE.
   
   10. Creating Tiled Game Layers.
   
   What Is a Tiled Layer?
   
   Creating Maps for Tiled Layers
   
   Using the Mappy Map Editor
   
   Using the Tile Studio Map Editor
   
   Formatting Map Information for Games
   
   Working with the TiledLayer Class
   
   Creating a Tiled Layer
   
   Moving and Drawing a Tiled Layer
   
   Building the Wanderer Example Program
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   11. Managing Multiple Game Layers.
   
   Dealing with Multiple Game Layers
   
   Working with the LayerManager Class
   
   Animating Tiled Layers
   
   Building the Wanderer 2 Example Program
   
   Designing the Tiled Layer Maps
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   12. High Seas: A Game for the Pirate in You.
   
   The Scoop on High Seas
   
   Designing the Game
   
   Putting Together the Water Map
   
   Putting Together the Land Map
   
   Developing the Game
   
   Creating a Drift Sprite
   
   Declaring the Member Variables
   
   Assembling the start() Method
   
   Piecing Together the update() Method
   
   Drawing the Game Screen
   
   Starting a New Game
   
   Safely Placing Sprites
   
   Testing the Game
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   13. Teaching Games to Think.
   
   The Least You Need to Know About AI
   
   Exploring Types of Game AI
   
   Roaming AI
   
   Behavioral AI
   
   Strategic AI
   
   Developing an AI Strategy
   
   Teaching Sprites to Think...Sort Of
   
   Designing the Chase Sprite
   
   Coding the Chase Sprite
   
   Building the High Seas 2 Example Game
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   IV. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE WIRELESS NETWORK.
   
   14. Mobile Game Networking Essentials.
   
   Multiplayer Game Basics
   
   Turn-Based Games
   
   Event-Based Games
   
   Network Game Problems and Solutions
   
   State Synchronization
   
   Input Synchronization
   
   A Hybrid Solution
   
   Communicating over a Network with Sockets
   
   Stream Sockets
   
   Datagram Sockets
   
   Network Programming and J2ME
   
   Creating Datagram Packets
   
   Sending Datagram Packets
   
   Receiving Datagram Packets
   
   Building the Lighthouse Example
   
   Designing the Client and Server
   
   Writing the Program Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   15. Connect 4: A Classic Game Goes Wireless.
   
   The Scoop on Connect 4
   
   Designing the Game
   
   Graphics and User Interface
   
   Game Logic
   
   Networking
   
   Developing the Game
   
   The Connect 4 Client and Server
   
   The Connect 4 Game Canvas
   
   The Connect 4 Game State
   
   Testing the Game
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   16. Debugging and Deploying Mobile Games.
   
   Game Debugging Basics
   
   Single-Stepping Code
   
   Watching Variables
   
   Using Breakpoints
   
   Game Debugging Strategies
   
   Bug Prevention
   
   Bug Detection
   
   Choosing a Debugger
   
   Deploying Mobile Games
   
   Understanding Over-the-Air Provisioning
   
   Preparing Your Game for Deployment
   
   Tweaking Your Web Server
   
   Testing OTA Provisioning with KToolbar
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   V. SPRUCING UP YOUR GAMES.
   
   17. Optimizing Mobile Java Games.
   
   Understanding Mobile Game Optimization
   
   Optimizing for Maintainability
   
   Optimizing for Portability
   
   Optimizing for Size
   
   Optimizing for Speed
   
   General Mobile Game Optimization Tips
   
   Reducing Memory Usage
   
   Minimizing Network Data
   
   Eliminating Unnecessary Graphics
   
   Java Code Optimization Tricks
   
   Compiling Without Debug Information
   
   Eliminating Unnecessary Evaluations
   
   Eliminating Common Subexpressions
   
   Taking Advantage of Local Variables
   
   Expanding Loops
   
   Code Shrinking and Obfuscation
   
   Profiling Your Mobile Game Code
   
   Monitoring Mobile Game Memory Usage
   
   Putting Mobile Game Optimization into Perspective
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   18. Space Out: Paying Tribute to Space Invaders.
   
   The Scoop on Space Out
   
   Designing the Game
   
   Developing the Game
   
   Creating a Moving Sprite
   
   Declaring the Member Variables
   
   Assembling the start() Method
   
   Piecing Together the update() Method
   
   Drawing the Game Screen
   
   Starting a New Game
   
   Adding Aliens, Missiles, and Explosions
   
   Testing the Game
   
   Summary
   
   Extreme Game Makeover
   
   19. Keeping Track of High Scores.
   
   The Importance of Logging Your Achievements
   
   Getting to Know the Java RMS
   
   Understanding Records and Record Stores
   
   Exploring the RecordStore Class
   
   Preparing High Score Data for Storage
   
   Building the Space Out 2 Example Game
   
   Designing the Game Enhancements
   
   Writing the Game Code
   
   Testing the Finished Product
   
   Summary
   
   Field Trip
   
   VI. APPENDIXES.
   
   Appendix A. Java Game API Reference.
   
   The GameCanvas Class
   
   Member Constants
   
   Constructor
   
   Methods
   
   The Layer Class
   
   Methods
   
   The Sprite Class
   
   Member Constants
   
   Constructors
   
   Methods
   
   The TiledLayer Class
   
   Constructor
   
   Methods
   
   The LayerManager Class
   
   Constructor
   
   Methods
   
   Appendix B. Mobile Game Programming Resources.
   
   Micro Dev Net
   
   J2ME Gamer
   
   J2ME.org
   
   Forum Nokia's Mobile Games Community
   
   Wireless Developer Network
   
   GameDev.net
   
   Gamasutra
   
   Game Developer Magazine
   
   Gamelan
   
   JavaWorld
   
   The Official Java Website
   
   Appendix C. Creating Graphics for Mobile Games.
   
   Assessing Game Graphics
   
   Determining the Game Screen Size
   
   Reaching the Target Audience
   
   Establishing a Game Setting and Mood
   
   Adhering to a Graphics Style
   
   Exploring Graphics Tools
   
   Image Alchemy
   
   Paint Shop Pro
   
   Graphic Workshop
   
   Creating and Editing Graphics
   
   Line-Art Graphics
   
   3D Rendered Graphics
   
   Scanned Photography and Video-Captured Graphics
   
   Background Graphics and Textures
   
   Animated Graphics
   
   Finding Graphics
   
   Bonus: Java Programming Primer - CD-ROM.
   
   Index



3. It's the only Java 2 ME game programming book I love ! This book explains all about Java Game in Mobile device and in an easy way. I bought this book on September 2005 and becoz of this book, I grabbed the 3rd national J2ME programming competition in my country on November 2005. Very useful for beginner and intermediete. But this is only a game book, so it doesn't tell u about how to make form, list, choicegroup, textfield, etc. U must have another book that teach u those. Congrats to the author for making this quality book !



4. I have been using this book as a textbook for a one-semester introductory course to game programming. Thanks to the book the students can learn the main principles of game development in an environment that guarantees that they implement their own variations withing a tight time constraint.
   
   The course has a heavy hands-on component based almost completely on the game samples from the book. Amazingly, the students are in the lab when I come, and they stay when I leave.
   
   I used the book successfully in a Linux lab with Eclipse, EclipseME, WTK 2.2, GIMP, Rosegarden, Audacity, and Tiled, with some small help from timidity and awk.



5. This was the book that got me interested in mobile games. I love it. Well written, good examples that are easy to follow, and it covers everything including graphics, audio, and AI. It also uses MIDP 2.0 which is the de facto standard. Another book by Wells is not bad but Wells assumes MIDP 1.0 and teaches from a single game project, Star Assault, which is too big and besides, not always easy to follow. However, Morrison is really straightfoward in comparison. If there is a downside, it might be that Morrison, like all the others I've looked at, assume the Wireless Toolkit. Firstly, the WTK has no debugging facilities which makes learning and fixing games harder. Secondly, games in Morrison are WTK 2.1 which means you'll have problems if using WTK 2.2, the latest version at the time of this writing. If you are serious about learning and writing J2ME games, you need to get Eclipse and the Eclipse plug-in, EclipseME. You'll still have to get the latest WTK since EclipseME depends on it. However, you can import all of Morrison's projects and single-step debug them. (Remember to read the EclipseME pages on setting up the J2ME debugger; otherwise, the debugger won't work.) I've also used Morrison with Sun's NetBeans Mobility Pack. I prefer Eclipse since it seems to have a larger community.

5 comments about Linux Game Programming w/CD (Prima Tech's Game Development).

1. This book is a good overview of what gaming libraries are out there for programming in linux and some fundamentals on getting several of those gaming libraries. But that's it...

   I've found the book to be extremely lacking in depth or finished code samples. It gives snippets on how to accomplish something then leaves you hanging. Plus there are quite a bit of syntax errors in the code that can leave a beginner quite frustrated. Nothing is worse than cutting and pasting code from a book word for word and not having it compile because of poor book editing.

   The author tries to cover everything from sound, to video, to AI, to networking - with several different libraries - in a 300 page book. And a good fifty of those pages are concerning the gpl and other licenses. Knowing about the GPL and about open source is great, but not when I spent money on game programming (video, sound, ai). What this results in is less than 10 pages on one particular topic.

   To sum up: browse this book in the bookstore and then keep moving. Buy yourself a better C++ or OpenGL book instead. Or just go online - better information exists out there.




2. If you are an absolute beginner to programming games in Linux this book might be useful in that it introduces you to some of the main libraries used in Linux game programming but the book lacks any real information. Even if you read it from cover to cover you still won't know enough to make even the simplest game. The best thing you can say about this book is thay it can give you some hints about where you can really learn to do Linux game programming.



3. This book sucks plain and simple. Code samples are incomplete and rife with syntax errors. You can learn more by doing a Google search for a few good tutorials.



4. This book was helpful in many regards. It showed the basic idea of how to use the APIs presented. However, allow me to warn that there are many technical errors. When I went to compile and run the included code snippets _as_they_were_written_ I would run into problems like "unrecognized symbol" because of an incorrect or missing include file or a program exiting because it looked for the wrong return value from a funcition. Sloppiness like that leads me to sum up: it could have been better.



5. Mark Collins, Linux Game Programming (Prima, 2001)
   
   The main problem with reading computer books that are six years old is that, well, they're six years old. This is not a huge problem in the Windows world; as we have seen, sometimes the most current Windows technology will stay around a lot longer than the service contracts mandate. That, however, is almost never the case with Linux, where a massive pool of developers pretty much ensures that things will grow and change on a monthly, if not daily, basis. Still, the basics of the necessary knowledge to get under the hood and tinker with Linux will hold true, so it's not like there's absolutely nothing to gain from a book like this if you're a total newb. (Sorry, I despise that spelling, but if I use the correct one, Amazon filters it for being one letter off from a certain slang term they don't seem to like.)
   
   I am, in fact, that newb. Having finally thrown Microsoft over for good in every aspect of my life I can (I still keep a Windows box around for games, and I have to use it at work), all those database and game projects I was working on will have to be Linux projects now. So I started with what I could get at the library, Collins' six-year-old treatise on Linux game programming. First, let me say that if you're looking for hands-on tutorial stuff, this is not the book for you. Collins is more interested in getting you to understand the concepts--why you want to do something, rather than what it is you want to do. While this is obviously a good thing and leads to programmers who understand more of what they're on about, it's probably worth a caveat emptor for the people who are just looking for shortcuts, or answers to a specific problem. The second thing to be said, then, is that game design itself is the most portable part of any game project. While Collins does delve into some things that are more applicable to Linux development than any other sort (an entire chapter, for example, is devoted to the OpenSource debate), many of the specific tools Collins talks about, and all of the high-level concepts, are applicable to game designers who program for any platform. Thus, I could go two ways here; criticize the book for not really being about Linux specifically, or praise it for being universal?
   
   The problem is, I can't do one or the other. How valuable you'll find it will likely depend on how much reading you've already done on designing games and developing games with C++. If you've done a good deal, you will get the most worth out of the chapters on SDL and openGL/openAL; otherwise, read the whole thing. ***