Rating: 
Summary: ok
Review: a bit obnoxious...tells you what every rts/t game _has_ to have and how great he and his code is. Some extremely biased opinions. Doesn't explain the tons of code in detail. Not for the inexperienced programmer at all. Puny puny cd...just the code...no game examples...nothing on how to pull it all together to create a game.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful but a bit directionless
Review: I have to admit I can't help but be disappointed with this book. It starts out well with a discussion of the industry (with almost a little too much personal bias for my taste). The author spends a nice chapter discussing some admirable features of some prominent RTS games, but if you've played any of them, you probably picked them out already. Still, nice to have in a single place. Then, the book begins to go downhill, for no real reason other than it seems to lack direction. When you begin reading about DirectX and coding, the author tosses a bunch of information at you, but fails to put together a 'big picture' of how you would apply everything in a coherent vision. Each chapter has its share of useful factoids, but they seem to be scattered rather haphazardly. I will say that the author is very responsive to email, and supplied this reader with the new source code in less than a day. This is a useful book, but could use some extra work in bringing it all together.
Rating: 
Summary: A Big Disappointment
Review: There are many problems with this book. First of all, there is just plain too much code. 3/4 of the book is meaningless code. Why meaningless? Here's why: The average reader bought this book in order to LEARN how to program RTS games. Instead, the author quickly discusses the topics, and then dumps pages and pages of code at you. This is not ordinary code, it's professional code that would be used in a professional game. Why is this bad? Because it's too hard to learn from. The code is complex(the coding style doesn't help), and there are no examples that show you how to use this code. Even an experienced C++ programmer would be more productive if the author did some more explaining, maybe gave some suggestions, and provided some examples. That way, it leaves more for the reader to code themselves. I highly doubt that anyone bought this book because they wanted to analyze someone elses code. It is true that most game programming book authors present a lot of code. But this is different. Instead of giving a nicely organized set of classes/functions and providing small examples on how to use them, the author dumps pages of code at you. Real game programmers don't want to copy other peoples code. The code is just too overwhelming. The author seems to think that all he has to do is do a little explaining, then just give you code and it'll explain everything. This book is more of a display of his code that it is a teacher of the theory of RTS games with examples, which is what people were looking for. Another problem that I noticed was that the book and the code were a little too specific. The author seems to tailer the discussion and code to making Command & Conquer type games. But, war games are only half of what you can do. He should have been a little more general in that area. For example, I didn't see any mention in the book of non war oriented games, such as games like the new Roller Coaster Tycoon, which can be just as fun as war games. If you want to learn how to make your own RTS games, do not buy this book. It doesn't teach you anything, it is simply an archive of his code that will not help you with anything.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book - contact author for corrected source code
Review: Covers the topic well. Could have spent more time on actually creating a full game, instead of dangling carrots. Also, he mentions a lot of tools that he has written to facilitate his programming, but gives no advice on how to go about creating your own tools - only that 'You should'. All in all, it covers the topic of DirectX - excellent coverage of pathing and tile-based games.
Rating:
Summary: Misleading title......
Review: I found some good things in this book i've searched for, so it's not all bad , the iso drawing routines, the raised tile code, but i was hoping the book would work up to developing a game engine and mabey even a small game... Like andre lamoth book's do.. No luck, the book throws all the code on the cd clumped together, some topic's arent even covered!! Like fine cordinate tile based scrolling, these are simple thing's that should of been covered.. I think alot of the book has too much code in it as well, seemed to be trying to fill pages??.. Most of this info is available on the net, or if your looking to learn DX and make a simple game in the process, get Game Programming for Dummies by Andre Lamoth, much much better book, as far as developing a game engine and learning DX in the process... Mickey if ya write another book, stick strickly to the topic make it all about RTS programming take the user's step by step and make a small game with them as you go, this is the best method i've seen on a rather difficult subject...Leave the the teaching of DX for another book...
Rating: 
Summary: Revising my review after being contacted by the author.
Review: This book covers some advanced topics not necessarily suitable for beginning Visual C++ programmers or avid real-time strategy game players looking to assemble a RTS game of their own based on this book. The author's insights into the gaming industry are very interesting, as are his comments on the development of Age of Empires, which I found fascinating. I wrote an e-mail to the editor of WordWare Publishing, and she forwarded my message to Mickey Kawick, who then contacted me about the problems with the source code. The original code does NOT compile under Visual C++ 6! You must get an updated copy of the code that was included on the CD, or else you will have a frustrating time getting it to compile correctly. Mickey sent me an updated copy of the library for Visual C++ 6 and the samples compiled successfully. Since a large portion of my previous review was based on my frustration with the source code, I must amend my comments and say that the author was very kind and eager to help. If you have a hard time with the source code that came with the book, simply send Mickey Kawick a message. He responds to e-mail quickly and will do everything he can to help his readers. I'm giving this book a 5-star review to counter my previous 1-star review, to end up with an average of 3 stars. I think you will find this book a great addition to your DirectX programming library. Keep in mind that no single volume can encompass the complexities of DirectX and teach the basics as well as advanced topics of game programming at the same time. There is simply too much information to cover. I will state again, however, that the author is very friendly. After you purchase the book, send him a message, as I'm sure he will be pleased to hear from another reader.
Rating:
Summary: It has something that separates it from the rest of the lot.
Review: The thing that separates this from the other books available is that it gives you the DirectX code properly nested in a C++ class! It wisely steers clear of the awful mess and unnecessary headache of MFC. If I may be allowed a comparison with some of the other books, the "For Dummies" book is good but uses C instead of C++, which is a mistaken approach as DirectX is coded using an object oriented methodology. DirectX is messier in C and you are bucking the design. The "DirectX Complete" book has a chapter about wrapping your DirectX code in a C++ Class, but their ideas don't have the scope of the Class description you'll find in this book by Mickey Kawick. The code is more complex than the code you'll find in these other books and therefore more difficult to comprehend but you are getting to see a professional style of VIDEOGAME CODE that is not present in the other books. The distinction I am making is that the other books present DIRECTX CODE, rather than videogame code. The price of this is complexity; it will take more effort to understand and use the code, which did not compile for me on the first try either. Beginning programmers (I do not want to be disparaging, but a mere two years of programming in C/C++, qualifies you as only a little better than a raw recruit) will indeed have some difficulty understanding the code and getting or getting it to work. You can get help via email from Mickey and the effort will improve your skills. It has a lot to say as well about the design of videogames that one can learn a great deal from, and that you will not find in any other book I've seen (for instance "Pathing" or the transparency of explosion effects). You should have more than one book on this topic, but I think this book should be in your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Very well communicated book
Review: I must admit up front, I am relatively new to C++ (and thus have been reading, well rather referancing, several other books along-side Mickey's) but even still this book is helping me grasp the concept of DirectX and what is going on. The writing style is also in need of comment, it feels like a book written in the late nineties, rather than a tome of outdated knowledge; I had even mentioned to Mickey that while reading this book I often feel as though it was written by a friend of mine, as the wording he uses is much like I communicate with people. I feel this makes for better communication. I almost would have knocked off a star for company bashing, and opinions of that nature, but being in this industry I remembered that we are all like that... very few computer people are content in the grey area without hating any particular computer company (typically Microsoft). So, all in all... this has been a great book so far, and definately worth the money (not to mention the first technical book that I actually can *read* cover to cover, without getting overly tired of reading and skipping to 'the good stuff'). I would recommend this book to anyone, at any level of learning, just be aware, you may need a couple other books if your C knowledge is low. Thanks go out to you Mickey for this book... and your help!
Rating:
Summary: Good Read, Even if You've Only Thought about Coding a Game
Review: I picked up this book at the local bookstore, not really sure what to expect. I guess I've always thought about coding a game, and this seemed like a place to start. First, the author does an excellent job encapsulating the game industry as a whole and explain the evolution of a game from the idea to the reality. Second, the code actually explains many elements of game coding that I had never really thought about. Third he uses details examples in code to demonstrate most of these elements. The only minus to this book is that I fear many of the people that pick it up will be college kids with no coding experience. This book hits the mark for its target audience, but might miss the audience that receives it. The book does however at least give these readers a background, even if they can't understand the code yet. The Author's pure enthusiasm for the industry also is a bonus to this book. Overall one of the few "How-to's" I've enjoyed reading.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best book to learn more about game
Review: If you want to learn more about how to create a real time strategy game, buy this book. Mickey give a lot of good trick. This is my favorite book. Thanx Mickey for this good book.
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