[...]... flavors of programming This book teaches game programming Game programming is very different from the other types of programming When you turn on your computer, you often see static programs—programs that sit there and wait for you to do something Not with games Games are running constantly, and they don’t need the player to do anything to keep it running Of course, does this mean that game programming. .. for help whenever necessary I use some rudimentary algebra, but those instances are few and far between, and should be easy to comprehend You don’t need to have any knowledge of other programming languages Not that it won’t help if you do, of course If you do know any other languages, you can learn from this book as well But, Game Programming for Teens, Second Edition teaches the language of game programming. .. amazing world of game programming! This book will show you the ins and outs of video games and teach you to develop your own Game programming is a huge topic, however, and we are going to hurry through the boring material in order to get to the fun stuff In other words, let's start right away! The easiest language for learning programming (at least in my opinion) is BASIC BASIC stands for Beginner's... along with the ability to actually implement games If you are the parent of a child who wants to learn programming, this book is the way to go General programming is a long and boring subject, but game programming allows your child to create things that are fun Help your child with programming while he or she reads this book, as well Not only will you both learn programming, but who knows, it may strengthen... other teens learn about programming I began programming in 1999 in C and Introduction C++ Two years ago I discovered BlitzPlus and I have studied it ever since BlitzPlus seems to be the easiest way for any novice to begin writing games, and I want to help the reader progress as fast as possible The Web site for this book is located on www.maneeshsethi.com, and you can e-mail me with any questions (before... 384 Introduction H ey, reader Thanks for buying my book I am really thankful for it What is programming? Programming, according to Dictionary.com, is “a set of coded instructions that enables a machine, especially a computer, to perform a desired sequence of operations.” In other words, programming allows you to make your computer do whatever you want it to do Programming is used in everything related... Figure 1.10 for a description of initialization, the game loop (also known as the main loop), and shutdown in KONG The shutdown sequence is the final part of the game, and it runs just before and during the end of the game It closes all open files, deletes any running variables, and quits the game 17 18 Chapter 1 ■ Getting Started Of course, there are a few other important parts to any game, but I... contains all the appendixes for the book You will find all of the scan codes (for handling input), a list of Web sites to further your knowledge in the field, and what is on the CD Who Are You? I suppose you can answer this question better than I, but let me tell you what I am looking for in a reader First of all, I am guessing that you are either a teenager who is interested in game programming or a parent... bit tougher than other styles of programming? Yes and no Although game programming can be difficult at times, this book strives to turn the difficult into second nature We use a language of programming called BASIC, which, as you can probably guess, is pretty darn basic What’s in the Book? This book is meant to be a guide to teach any beginner how to design and develop games Inside the book you will... the game If KeyHit(PAUSEKEY) ;make screen blank Cls Text 400,300,"Press 'P' to Unpause Game" Flip ;wait for player to unpause While Not KeyHit(PAUSEKEY) Wend EndIf End Function This function determines what keys the user pressed, if any If it doesn’t make sense to you, try reading the following pseudocode: The First Game: KONG What Is Pseudocode? Big word, huh? Pseudocode is a very helpful device in game . taught game programming on TechTV’s Call for Help and at game programming conferences such as the XGDX. He is the author of Game Programming for Teens (First Edition) and Web Design for Teens, . But, Game Programming for Teens, Second Edition teaches the language of game programming along with the ability to actually implement games. If you are the parent of a child who wants to learn programming, . computer, but there are many distinct flavors of programming. This book teaches game programming. Game programming is very different from the other types of programming. When you turn on your computer,