I''m planning to create a game that will demonstrate that VB is not some prototype language, in which you just create logic, then you write the game in C++. I have negun coding an isometric game, in DX7(plan to move on to DX8) which will demonstrate this. I''m talking about REAL code OPTIMISATION. NO program loop, SIMPLE code. Everybody will see, as I will launch a demo soon. So far I''ve managed to create the map, add the character, detect collision, scroll around. It works very well, just because there is no program loop to slow down the processor. For those who don''t believe, I say one thing, "YOU WILL SEE".

Good for you. Just realize that your code will never be as fast as code written in C++. Without native pointer support certain game programming techniques (object management etc) are not very efficient.

BTW Who the heck prototypes a game in VB and then writes the code in C++? Not a very smart approach if you ask me...

Just my two cents,

Dire Wolf
direwolf@digitalfiends.com

Who said VB was a toy? The math routines are a little slow to make quake3 but theres nothing else wron with it apart from being windows only.

Wow. No program loop. Is it run by a timer event or something?

Considering I''ve seen 3-D engines done in VB, your "ground-breaking" 2D iso game is childs play.

-----------------------------

A wise man once said "A person with half a clue is more dangerous than a person with or without one."

The Micro$haft BSOD T-Shirt

Being a straight C++ programmer, I was curious as to what advanced features VB includes.

1. Does it support pointers?
2. Does it support templates?
3. Does it support polymorphism?
4. Does it support operator overloading?
5. Is it multi-platform?

Personally I couldn''t even THINK about using a language that doesn''t have every single of one these features, otherwise you''re basically limiting yourself (greatly, imo). Dunno tho, maybe VB DOES have them. Anyone know?

1. No
2. Nope, and probably not gonna be added
3. Might, but nothing below VB6 does not have it for sure
4. I really don't think so, im not 100% sure though
5. You gotta be kidding me? No way.

Anyway, VB is for RAD Windows programming, not the same goals C++ strives for.

-----------------------------

A wise man once said "A person with half a clue is more dangerous than a person with or without one."

The Micro$haft BSOD T-Shirt

Edited by - immagnuman on January 7, 2001 11:48:55 AM

Considering the fact that ImmaGNUman answered the Anonymous Poster, I''ll explain SHilbert some of my logic. As I said, I don''t have a program loop. There is a timer event, but which only controls the keys(basically everything). Now this is what it does; when my app detects a key pressed, it changes some parameters(like world position,etc.), then, if necessary, blits the character, and finally blits to the screen. However, I have a serious code optimization problem to solve: my engine blits the whole map again(3000X1600), causing(I think) a serious low work. To my surprise, it works perfect(my spec is Athlon 600Mhz,128 Ram, 32Mb Video Memory). Talk about code optimization, I don''t want to blit the whole map, just a part, the one where the charcater was. But the problem is that my char is longer than one tile and broader than one tile, So I have to blit the tiles surrounding the character, and it somehow frightens me.

Does anybody have comments about my idea(noon-loop program)?

There''s a loop, you just didn''t write it.

What do you suppose the Windows event handler does underneath your app?

-fel

Ahem... if you''re using a timer then your code is far from being optimized... also, anon poster, Java doesn''t have any of these features either (except multiplatform), and still a lot of people are using it (and making great things with it). But then again, that was only your opinion, so... btw, did you ever port any of your C++ programs to a different platform ? I mean, a portable language is cool, but how many of you really uses this feature ? Do you separate the platform-dependent and platform-independ code in your programs ? That means of course, not using any API call in any of the main loops. Oh, and btw, there''s a clone of VB available written in Java, that runs on virtually any platform and generate pure Java code that runs on virtually any platform as well...