Hi... I am looking for an online tutorial or a book that goes over writing a 2D overhead square tile based game. Something like you'd use in an RPG. Something that covers pixel to pixel scrolling as well as tile to tile, and collision detection. It would be with C++ or C and use DirectX, either DirectDraw or Direct3D. I'd also like it to cover displaying/animating sprites, NPC's (Non Player Characters), that kind of stuff. Maybe battle animation. To sum it all up, I'm looking for a book on how to write a 2D overhead tile engine for an RPG, place sprites on the screen, move them using user input, and also have battle animations and the like. Thanks! Edited by - flyguy on June 10, 2001 11:43:56 AM

The guy named TANSTAFL here released a nice book called Isometric Game Programing. Its exactly what you want.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761530894/gamedev/104-6940316-5307105

Possibility

Edited by - Possibility on June 10, 2001 9:29:01 PM

Currently, TAN''s book is about the best out there for what you want. If I recall, there is another book in that series coming out soon on creating an RPG in DirectX. That baby would be everything you are after (I''m guessing).

My recommendation? Get TAN''s book. Then when the other one comes out, get it. By then, you will already have some groundwork put in.

Hope this helps
Eboz

I also recommend TANSTAFL book. It´s the best programming book I have read since "Petzolds". On the CD that comes with the book there is plently of good demo games with full source code.

When the stars are right they will awake...

Well, i''m making a tutorial about CRPG''s. It''s "a little obscure (due to its bad english ^_-) & for newbies", but can help you on certain areas. And it''s free ^_^

http://www.geocities.com/rrc2soft (programming section)

...also, you can look at my CRPG sources (download section).
Anyway, for what i''ve read in the net, TAN book is a good start point. I can''t say if TAN book is good, but i''m going to buy it, so imagine ^_-

See ya!!!!

PD: TANSTAAFL, i _Hope_ your book will be a good one ^_-, ''cause for me, buying it means a lot of money ^_^

Thanks for your help everybody. I just bought "Real Time Strategy Game Programming" at Borders, which is very good. It has most information about what I''m trying to make. When the book about writing RPG''s comes out, I''ll get that too. Like I said, thanks for your help!