Essential Programming Books

Hí peoplé,

I'm goìng to be ordering lots of reading materíal soon, and I wanted to ask you lot ìf you've got recommendatíons for me.

I've alréady got:

Essential Mathematics for Games & Interactíve Applications - A programmers Guide
ISBN: 1-55860-863-X

Game Codíng Complete, Second Edìtíon.
ISBN: 1-932111-91-3

So, thats the "how to create a 3D engine from scratch" base covered - although I won't be doìng that myself.

I'm lookìng for more books on the actual game codíng concept - maìn loop, UI, controls, ìmportant algorithms (íe. sorting, A*) and so forth.

If you've got a book on your shelf that you recommend, please share the tìtle, ISBN and a reason :)

Thanks!

I would recommend the "Game Programming Gems" series. I have Game Programming Gems 1, 2, 3, and 4, and they are excellent resources for game programming techniques.

Game Programming Gems should be exactly what you want - they teach the algorithms, such as AI, graphics techniques, audio, physics, etc., instead of how to "create a 3D engine from scratch". They are well written and contain around 60 chapters per book, each one a individual and useful game programming technique.

Here is what I have:

Game Programming Gems 1
ISBN: 1-58450-049-2

Game Programming Gems 2
ISBN: 1-58450-054-9

Game Programming Gems 3
ISBN: 1-58450-233-9

Game Programming Gems 4
ISBN: 1-58450-295-9

I have had most of these books for a few years now, and I definitely have not regretted my purchase. They are, by far, the best game programming books I have ever seen.

Not sure if these are 'essential' but I enjoyed all of them (ok, maybe not the OGL one so much but it was enough to grasp the OGL Bmax driver).

AI :
AI Game Programming Wisdom series.
Programming Game AI by Example
Artificial Intelligence for Games
Maths and Physics :
Beginning Math and Physics for Game Programmers
(I never got further than 'Beginning')
DX :
Special Effects Game Programming with DirectX
(I have the DX8 version)
GL :
Beginning OpenGL Game Programming

wot JJ sed

If you want books the actual game codíng concept the best ones are

Programming RPG with Direct x by Jim Adams

or

Beginning OpenGL Game Programming 1 and 2

They explain how to build a simple game engine step by step
After reading them, I quitted with Dirctx and OpengGL and I went for a game engine :)

The brand new PRINTED Blitz3D Programming Manual ( www.lulu.com/content/388950 )

Cheap as chips.

Take a day off, eh, puki. ;)

He said 'Essential' + 'Progamming'

The brand new PRINTED Blitz3D Programming Manual ( www.lulu.com/content/388950 ) can at least be carried around with you and can be read while your computer is switched off/stolen

I deem it could be essential.

In that case, I expect you to be a sh*t-hot B3D coder by the time you've finished reading it. :P

@hehe puki

Thanks everyone, you've given me a great list!
Im off to amazon to order what I can find now :D

I'm not sure that the brand new PRINTED Blitz3D Programming Manual ( www.lulu.com/content/388950 ) is on Amazon.