Re: Question about game-prog libraries

[Philipp Gühring <p.guehring@enemy.org>]

Am Die, 19 Okt 1999 hast Du wahrscheinlich geschrieben:
>Hi,

>I'm an italian newbie linux programmer (sorry for my bad english)
Are you speaking german?

>I came from dos asm/c++ programming, and now I'd like to learn coding under
>linux expecially for game-programming. Reading the e-mails sent to the lgd
>mailinglist I thought to use Clanlib as SDK library.
>I have Debian 2.1 installed and I've downloaded last clanlib package for Debian
>but when I try to install it, dpkg tells me that I've to install Libc6 unstable
>version and stdlibc++2.10 so I've installed the right Libc6 version but
>I cannot find any stdlibc++2.10 package!! In www.debian.org I've only found stdlibc++2.9!

While we are speaking of it: Please provide statically linked
binaries additionally to the normal dynamically linked binaries, if
you provide binaries at all. Having to change a production system
just for playing one game isn´t quite fun.

>What library do you think I should use for game-programming under linux?
>(now I'm only interested in 2D programming).

I suggest GGI for the graphics.

>If Clanlib is the right choice, I'd like to know where can I find stdlibc++2.10
>and I'd like to know what is the best choice between ggi, svgalib, X, ecc.

I would suggest using ggi, because it automatically gives you
svgalib, X and other targets, and you don´t have to worry about it
much. I ported two games from Dos to Linux with ggi, and I am happy
with ggi. I looked at Clanlib and SDL, but both didn´t seem to give
me the things I need. But it might be different for you.

At first you should think about what you want to develop.
Ah, you want 2D programming. Do you need very fast graphics?
Which colormode do you need? Are all your graphics in 8 Bit, but you
want to play it in a higher color resolution? Do you need widgets? How
do you want to handle the input? Mouse? Joystick? Do
you need Sound? Which format? ... Think about those questions and then
take a deep look at all the game libraries that are out there, and
pick the one, which fits your needs. I for example read that SDL
can´t handle 8 Bit graphics. Perhaps it changed, but back then that
meant for me: No, thanks.


--
~ Philipp Gühring              p.guehring@poboxes.com
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