5 comments about Practical Java Game Programming (Game Development Series).

1. Be careful of your expectations here. This is NOT a 'how to' book with 100+s pages of code samples. This is not a book in the 'java cookbook' series.
   
   What this IS is a book that describes the +/- of the java language and the JVM and talks about PERFORMANCE issues extensively. The author goes out of his way to talk about the issues surrounding the use of Hotspot VM/JIT and benchmarks with math/IO, etc.
   
   The last 1/2 of the book (maybe less) deals with some high-level understanding of rendering and collision detection.
   
   Topics include bindings to OpenGL (jogl), JNI (it's cost vs. benefits in it's use), performance of java.math and where it can be optimized, some simple treatment of sockets vs. datagram/multicast sockets, audio integration, proper use and performance with direct bytebuffers vs. java arrays (java.io/java.nio), also a little on GC collection algorithms. Also a treatment of java's +/- as a scripting language, as well as a good look at rendering and collisions.
   
   Overall a very interesting techical look at the VM and performance challenges that java as a GAME language faces.
   
   The author makes it clear that good java games can be written but good PERFORMANCE games takes an understanding of the JVM and proper code architecture that takes into account java's strengths (as oppsed to it's weaknesses).
   
   I would recommend this a a great starting point for someone interested in making good java games or just learning about java performance issues. If you want a 'cookbook' you'll need to look elsewhere.



2. Hi. First off, id like to state that I am by no means a professional programmer. I am a high school junior, who is currently working through AP computer science. I picked this book up on a trip as reading material, and it has been very informative. The code samples are extremely well written, and easy for me to follow. My only major critisim is that the printed code samples have several typos in them, but if you look through the code included on the cd, then you'll have no problems. Overall, I thought it was well worth the $36.00 I paid for it.



3. I also found this book to be disappointing. I would also agree that the author sees it necessary to discuss the techniques involved rather than talk about a technique and then present the code for that technique.
   I bought this book on the basis that it was going to be "practical" programming, i.e techniques and code, but all i found was a long winded discussion on the topic. The author does show that he has a great knowledge of java game programming but it is poorly presented to the intermediate java programmer, and not recommendable to beginners.
   
   Do not buy this book if you think your going to be getting involved with code, rather, buy it if you do not know what techniques are used in java game programming, and wish to hear a discussion on those techniques.



4. Overall I find this a good book. It has interesting discussion and introduction of several topics that interest me. However it is flawed with typos and misstatements (sometimes contradicted in the next sentence). It's also fairly out of date now (JDK 1.5 comments are somewhat out of date now and JOAL comments are a bit out of date).
   
   Pick it up at a bargain price (under $5) and I do recommend it as a good book on JOAL and several other topics of value for Java programming (not just games).



5. This appears to have been written by a Java evangelist who loves to talk shop about the ins & outs of Java programming. Unfortunately, this is supposed to be about game programming, and in that regard, I found nothing practical about it. A single chapter on 2D graphics? This book goes into great depth providing the mathematics of 3D collision detection (chapter 16), but doesn't get any further in the graphics department than drawing a few static (non-animated) Actors (i.e. "sprites").
   
   The focus of this book is off-point from the start, in my opinion. The chapters toward the end on 3D graphics provide insufficient information to build a 3D game, and yet the material up to that point is insufficient to build a 2D game. What you end up with in the end is a lot of knowledge about Java, but not a single practical program, let alone game.
   
   This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the CD includes .java and .class files, but no explanation on what to do with them (the back cover does say this is a Beginning-Intermediate book, not Advanced).
   
   The Java Developer's Kit comes with much better demos than you will find in this book WITH convenient .html files with code to run the applets, which is something these authors should have included.

No comments about Matrix, The: Path of Neo(tm) Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Signature Series Guide).

2 comments about Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon Official Strategy Guide.

1. AWESOME guide, helps u do all missions and guide to the mobile suits u can use. i would have gave a 100 star... ^_^" if only i could... well thats all i can say! buh bye people



2. AWESOME guide and its shows u all mobile suits and it shows the missions and the mobile suits u get from the missions. i wish i could give it 100 star ^_^" well its reliable and its good. buh bye!

5 comments about Thief: The Dark Project.

1. I read the other reviews on this book before purchasing and can only conclude after receiving the book that those who thought the book was useless were those who wanted somebody to play the game for them! The book gave me more than enough information to get out of tough spots. I don't buy games simply to follow the steps in a book. I only want the book to be a guide in cases where I get stuck and in this case, Thief was well worth the money.



2. Although the book claims to be a comprehensive strategy guide, it is nothing more than an expanded instruction booklet. The walk-thrus are week, and incomplete at best. For example, in the expert level of the Sword you are required to find incriminating evidence. The book fails to tell the reader where find it. The maps are nothing more than screen shots of maps included in the game, not in depth maps that show complete layouts. The strategy portion of the book is material that can be known by reading the read me file on the actual game disk. For these reasons, I think it would be best to not purchase this book and save your money.



3. I see complaints from folks that wanted something that pointed out every item on every level, etc ... that wasn't what I wanted ... I just wanted something that could help if I got stuck and was spinning my wheels ... and this guide did that .. so I am very happy with it .. BTW the game is terrific!



4. Oh, I wish I had the time and the ability to play through Thief without help. I don't, so I bought this guide to save me the hours I would have spent reloading after I died or failed.

   In this respect, this book works for just that purpose. When I felt I had the time, I explored the levels and often found much better ways to play. When I didn't, I skimmed the chapter and found a servicable way through the level.

   As other reviewers stated, it's not what it advertises. (Can I sue Prima for false advertising?) It won't show you all the loot, and the strategy part isn't much better than the manual that came with the game.

   IMHO, it's worth searching for online walkthroughs first.




5. Well, the book isn't what it advertises as many have already stated. I claims (on the cover) to show you the locations of all the loot and such. Inside, however, the author starts off by saying that the book *does not* show all locations! So, if you want to find all the loot, this is not the book to get. It basically shows the quickest (and most boring) way through each level. I'd suggest you look for online guides before you buy this book.

1 comments about The 3DO Game Guide (Secrets of the Games).

1. It's difficult to find good resources and references for the long-out-of-production 3DO system, which was by far the best product to come from the now-bankrupt 3DO corporation. Decent screenshots and good walkthroughs are the main feature of this book, but I especially appreciated the "buyer's guide" at the back of the book which graded all of the then-currently available games. No fan of obscure, obsolete game technology should be without this book. The second in the series is also worth a look, as it follows the same format.

3 comments about Crash Bandicoot 3 Totally Unauthorized Pocket Guide (Brady Games Strategy Guides).

1. This strategy guide tells you how to get all the crystals,gems,and relics.It tells you everything including how to beat Dr.Neo Cortex!It's a really good strategy guide! Bye for now!



2. This strategy guide tells you how to get all the crystals,gems,and relics.It tells you everything including how to beat Dr.Neo Cortex!It's a really good strategy guide! Bye for now!



3. This strategy guide tells you how to get all of the crystals,gems,and reclics!It tells you everything including how to beat Dr.Neo Cortex!

5 comments about Play Winning Chess: An Introduction to the Moves, Strategies, and Philosophy of Chess from the Usa's #1 Ranked Chess Player (Winning Chess).

1. I originally bought this book for my wife as an introduction to chess. I started reading it myself, and became quite hooked. Now I am reading through the entire series and am on book 3, Strategies.
   
   This book has three of the biggest names around behind it: Seirawan, Jerry Silman, and the Microsoft publishing powerhouse. The result as might be expected is as good an introduction to chess as you are likely to find.
   
   The authors break Chess fundamentals into 4 parts:
   
   1.) Force
   2.) Material
   3.) Space
   4.) Time
   
   A final section includes instructive games. There are also quizzes and tests along the way to keep things interesting. The result is you will have a very solid grasp of the basics of this greatest of games after reading this volume.
   
   Another advantage of this book is that it is the right length, you can work through it easily in a couple of weeks, so it is not to overwhelming. It also is insightful while not being too difficult, so it won't discourage the newcomer. But it is perspicacious enough to enlighten the midlevel player as well.
   
   Well written, well thought out, and well edited, this is the introductory chess book for this decade. Recommended for beginning to mid-level players.



2. I have been away from chess for many years. Recently I decided to take it up again. After losing a number of matches against my computer I concluded I needed to go back to basics. This book is easy to follow and includes all the basics one needs to understand to be competitive in chess. Whether you are just beginning or need a refresher course, this is an excellent book for you. The author also includes short biographies and the chess styles of famous grand masters.



3. This is for people who really want to start playing chess like the pros do. If you already know how the pieces move this book steps you through at your own pace with puzzles of increasing difficulty. I recommend this book to all my friends who want to start playing in tournaments like me and they absoluetly love it.



4. This book is a must have for those that are new to the game of chess or that want to start delving into the theory that will be mandatory if one wants to go from losing every game to winning some. The first third of the book was useless for me, because it focused on how the pieces move about the board and chess history. Nothing which i didnt already know or need to know. The book then continues with tactical basics like pins/forks and Seirawan gives sample games where one can see these tactics in action. So, yes I think it is a great book for beginners or newbies, but not for someone who is looking to progress into the intermediate phase of their chess training. His other books provide much more theory and topic specific info than this one.



5. I picked up this book around the age of 13 when I decided that I was going to begin playing competitively. When I first began reading this book, I only knew how to setup the pieces on the chess board, and how different pieces moved. By the time I finished this book, I knew how to write algebraic notation; I understood the purpose of the chess clock; I even learned a few "chess manners", such as tipping over your King if too shamed to state that you wished to resign. This book also gave me a broad and concise overview of chess concepts and tactics (most importantly, the opening) so that I would not be overwhelmed when I would begin to study more advanced chess.
   
   This book is the perfect starting point for any beginner or anyone new to competitive chess. Although this book may not be of much use by players who have been playing competitively for some time, it nonetheless contains some introductory information that may even take an experienced (1700 rated player) player by surprise; it touches on concepts that are usually overlooked by more experienced players. I believe this book can be as valuable to the new player as it can be to the experienced player who's caught in a slump.
   
   The important thing to note is that, although this book contains much useful information in itself, this is only the starting point; this book kindly paves the way for the reader, after finishing this book, to begin tackling more important concepts and tactics.
   
   After finishing this book, I recommend Seirawan's "Winning Chess Openings" then progressing onto Jeremy Silman's "How to Reassess Your Chess" OR "The Amateur's Mind", another one of Silman's works (although I would not recommend reading the two books simultaneously, both of them should be read, one after the other). These books should and will strengthen your game, and they will also create a firm foundation for your playing style.
   
   I hope that you are able to get the same thrill and knowledge that I acquired through this book. Like Jeremy Silman said in one of his books, "May things go so well for you!"

1 comments about Doom: Totally Unauthorized Tips & Secrets (Official Strategy Guides).

1. This book is great for beginners and pros that want to learn the secrets of the different maps. It lacks in a lot of tips and secrets though

5 comments about Mathematics for Game Developers (Game Development).

1. I would love to have given this five stars, but the book has too many editing gaffes for me to do it.
   
   It's too bad, because snafus aside, the author tackles a subject --the mathematics involved in computer graphics and game programming-- that has needed a good beginner's text, and he gives the best coverage that 600 pages allows. The range of topics here could have stretched three volumes or more, but to the author's credit he never runs through important equations or derivations with some "trust me" blurb before hopping to the next stone in the river. Most formulas presented without proof are either special cases or tedious extensions of what we've already learned.
   
   The book's writing is sharp, accesible, but not dumbed down; the mathematical rigor is fairly high, particularly for a survey text. One minor fault; some of the figures and graphs seemed a bit primitive and didn't put their intended points across as well as more elaborate diagrams could have.
   
   Now for the bad part. The editing is poor, almost ridiculous in some parts. In the first 50 pages I counted at least five equation errors, including two pages that mentioned vector cross products using dot product notation-- a missed slam dunk in linear algebra terms. Beginners will be thrown for a loop with mistakes like that, and while they'll probably cope better with the mislabeled and duplicated diagramms, they're no fun either.
   
   Overall, a solid effort, and if you don't mind double-checking someone else's equations then you'll glean a good deal from this. A second, corrected, edition I assume would be much more valuable, and an errata page on the web would make a *big* difference right away. If interested, Eric Lengyel's "Mathematics for 3D Game Programming" is an excellent companion to this book; it covers fewer subjects perhaps, but is more proof-oriented and doesn't have anything like this book's editing troubles.



2. This book covers a lot of good material. Some of which you would never get to know unless you go for a math major in college. The strength of this book is that it makes this complex material accessible. The text is easy to understand and does not provide pages and pages of proofs like many other math books would likely do (at least "Mathematics for 3D Game Programming & Computer Graphics" is pretty heavy on proofs and somewhat short on examples. The chapters on collision detection, visibility, splines, numerical approximationand and space partionning are beyond excellent.
   
   The only complain I have about this book is the mistakes that are particularly visible in the first chapters. I personally don't see that as a big deal, since the author seems pretty keen on posting all the known mistakes on the book's web site. Once/if a second edition/print of the book comes out and fixes the mistakes, it will clearly outshine all of the other ones I have read by a head and shoulder.
   
   I strongly recommend this book despite its mistakes.



3. Good:
   
   Many different topics;
   Topics on optimization;
   
   Bad:
   
   Erros;
   VERY short cover of the topics;
   Only for review of the concepts NOT for study (find a good Calculus book, or you will be lost!);



4. Large parts of this book obviously plagiarize the book Mathematics for 3D Game Programming and Computer Graphics. But the writing style is horrible and there are tons of errors. If you're at all serious about really learning this stuff, you're much better off with the book that Mr. Tremblay stole a lot of his content from. Overall, a very unprofessional piece of work.



5. I found this book thoroughly frustrating.
   
   I assumed that a book with "for Game Developers" would make concepts easier to understand for the less mathematically inclined in this world. Quite the oppposite, I found my Calculus textbook explained vectors much easier.
   
   He spends very little time actually explaining the concepts instead opts to throw formulas at the reader. Understandably, formulas are necessary to be mathematically concise, but he could at least spend time discussing them. Now I could forgive him his obtuse explanations if I had a set of practice problems to work with, but there are none. I wasn't even aware of the calculation errors until I read the other reviews, so this only lowers my esteem for the author.
   
   Now to be fair, I haven't gotten to many of the later topics, so it's possible the book will get better. The few I have looked at, however, do not lend me to such optimism. Purchase at your own risk.

4 comments about Conker's Bad Fur Day Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides).

1. I played this Game earlier this month and it was incredible! My Friend had this stratagy guide, and it made the game a lot less fustrating and a lot more enjoyable, it is a step by step easy to follow guide on how to master this funny and amusing one of a kind game. I liked his guide so much I just bought my own on amazon about 5 minutes ago!



2. This has got to be the worst guide for Conkers Bad Fur Day.When you buy a great game you want a great guide too but thbis guide is abousoloutly [a let-down]...



3. This is the best book on Conker available! I've seen the others in stores and my friend had this one and the game coverage and maps are very detailed. The multiplayer section is unexpected and over the top with information on all the modes.



4. Yo my name is Moises Barajas im from a town called Wilmington in the ca and im a proud owner of this mag , and game. I rated this game 5 because of graphics,sound,and vizualization for me this is the best game ive ever played this is the game of the year and I love it especially when you put the gameshark codes man you are unstopable so this is why im rating this game a five star.