the best 3d game development language

[justplaingreg]

for game development (max payne, unreal tournament) quality graphics that will not be played online what is the best development language in your opinion??

please consider
-ease of use
-popularity
-limitations
-resources
-etc


thank you for your responses

[doctorgonzo]

Almost all game development is done in C++.

[justplaingreg]

Ive heard from many people that if you want to learn c++, learn java instead.

I am thinking Direct X game programming is the way to go.

what are some other opinions?

[doctorgonzo]

Java and C++ are not the same. For trivial games, you may be able to use Java, but Java is not compiled to binary code like C++. It is run in a virtual machine. For big games, that won't cut it.

DirectX is a way to do graphics and sound. It is not a programming language per se, but an API that provides you the ability in C++ to access DirectX features.

[justplaingreg]

thanks I have decided to learn C++. Now what is C#? If I was to buy a book on developing games in the C language should I buy one on C++ or C#?


an exact book title would be great also


Thanks in advance

[doctorgonzo]

C# is an M$ language for .NET development. It takes pieces of C++, Java, and Visual Basic. It is an interesting language, but you should probably start out with C++ first.

The Sams Teach Yourself books are good. So are books from O'Reilly. Just go to Amazon.com and search for some C++ books. Read the reviews and see which books fit your needs best. There are so many of them it is impossible to recommend just one as being "the one."

[TheJackal]

From what I understand C# is a Object Oriented Microsoft-ized version of C++. If you are looking at game programming C++ is still the way to go. As for a book, I would suggest Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days, or Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 24 Hours, Complete Starter Kit.

Here's the link to Microsoft's site for Visual C#...
http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/dis...11510&x=40&y=8

[Trick000]

To learn the basics, go to online tutorials and forums, then get this book: C++ The Complete Reference by Herbert Schildt published by Osborne. You should be able to get it used at amazon for around $30.

[Dreamscape]

Well, you might need a few graphics books too. That might help if you are gonna code games. While dx and opengl are similar to C in syntax, they have some subtle yet crucial differences.

Not to scare you, but if you are new to programming, you might be disappointed to realize it'll probably take a while before you can do anything neat. Personally, I would start with a 3d flight simulator to get you grounded.

[kstatefan40]

What would be a good graphics book, preferablely Direct X?