In the wake of my article on getting started in game programming, I have been taking my own advice and doing some learning. In particular I am getting more familiar with Direct3D. While I’ve known the basics for a while, I want to become a more advanced 3D programmer and I also need to learn vertex and pixel shaders. So I’m working my way through Frank Luna’s Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0. I mentioned this book earlier but I really can’t say enough about it. As far as I’m concerned this is the book to get if you want to learn Direct3D.
Plus, with sections on terrain rendering, particle systems and picking, this book could have been subtitled “How to Program Planitia”.
So, no work will be done on Planitia for a bit while I work my way through this book. I’m currently on page 60 of 376. I am hoping to get through the book by the end of this week, though that will take some serious work.
You’ll have it all Direct X 3d-ed up just in time to put it XNA and develop it for the Xbox 360 dev community.
That is super-duper-cool, but since Planitia will require mouse control, it probably won’t be possible. I have some other ideas, though.
Why not OpenGL? That way this could actually be cross-platform instead of stuck in the Microsoft world. It seems a better use of your time to learn a more flexible 3D system. Either way, your work on Planitia is interesting, keep it up.