New books from Garage Games
by Hokuto · in General Discussion · 03/14/2006 (1:25 am) · 143 replies
Http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8502
- GarageGames, an independent game publishing label, has announced a partnership with book publishers A K Peters to create game development-focused books. The first one to be published will be "The Game Publisher's Guide to Torque," a tutorial on using GarageGames' proprietary Torque game engine. "Publishing books is an extension of our efforts to teach aspiring programmers the fundamentals of game development," said GarageGames CEO Mark Frohnmeyer. "We could not have a better partner than A K Peters, a global book publisher with a stellar reputation for publishing high quality texts and references."
- GarageGames, an independent game publishing label, has announced a partnership with book publishers A K Peters to create game development-focused books. The first one to be published will be "The Game Publisher's Guide to Torque," a tutorial on using GarageGames' proprietary Torque game engine. "Publishing books is an extension of our efforts to teach aspiring programmers the fundamentals of game development," said GarageGames CEO Mark Frohnmeyer. "We could not have a better partner than A K Peters, a global book publisher with a stellar reputation for publishing high quality texts and references."
#2
Correct title is:
"The Game Programmer's Guide to Torque:Under the Hood of the Torque Game Engine" by Edward F. Maurina III
My copy shipped today and should get it in a day or two. Can't wait!
Here is the link to the publisher. Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, and Wal-Mart is still not shipping as of today.
03/14/2006 (3:02 pm)
AH crap! It deletd my post when I edited it. Correct title is:
"The Game Programmer's Guide to Torque:Under the Hood of the Torque Game Engine" by Edward F. Maurina III
My copy shipped today and should get it in a day or two. Can't wait!
Here is the link to the publisher. Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, and Wal-Mart is still not shipping as of today.
#3
oh well:)
it's all good
03/14/2006 (3:06 pm)
I new about the Maurina book but the wrong title on the GG news made me think it was a different book :)oh well:)
it's all good
#4
Maximum Torque: The Ultimate Guide to Game Scripting
by Kenneth Finney (Paperback - April 30, 2006)
Reinventing Games Indie Style: Advice from the Experts on Building Your Own Games
by Jeff Tunnell, Jay Moore (Paperback - April 30, 2006)
You can find them at the same publisher link as above. They are not released as of yet.
"The Game Programmers Guide to Torque:Under the Hood of the Torque Game Engine" book was released
last Thursday or Friday. More info about the book is on: Hall Of Worlds - For Gamers.
03/14/2006 (3:14 pm)
The other books you might be thinking of are: Maximum Torque: The Ultimate Guide to Game Scripting
by Kenneth Finney (Paperback - April 30, 2006)
Reinventing Games Indie Style: Advice from the Experts on Building Your Own Games
by Jeff Tunnell, Jay Moore (Paperback - April 30, 2006)
You can find them at the same publisher link as above. They are not released as of yet.
"The Game Programmers Guide to Torque:Under the Hood of the Torque Game Engine" book was released
last Thursday or Friday. More info about the book is on: Hall Of Worlds - For Gamers.
#5
03/15/2006 (6:42 am)
Will any book focus specifically on the C++ side of the engine?
#6
03/15/2006 (1:34 pm)
They will be about mainly Torque Script. The c++ side of the engine info will most likely be on TDN because of the license. 
#7
03/15/2006 (1:39 pm)
According to Amazon, Ed's book is not out yet....
#8
The title "The Game Programmer's Guide to Torque Under the Hood of the Torque Game Engine" sounds almost as if it could cover a C++ stuff, if so that'd be real nice ;)
03/15/2006 (1:41 pm)
Is that confirmed Mark or is that just a wild guess?The title "The Game Programmer's Guide to Torque Under the Hood of the Torque Game Engine" sounds almost as if it could cover a C++ stuff, if so that'd be real nice ;)
#9
03/15/2006 (2:06 pm)
I mainly based it on his "Essential Guide to Torque". Most of the C++ discussed was about the interface between the console and the core engine. Here is what the GPGT book covers. Section three covers Torque core classes, basic game classes, gameplay classes, scripting, gui controls and game interfaces. 
#10
03/15/2006 (2:08 pm)
Just to let everyone know, we'll be putting up a SKU for everyone to purchase the book very soon. That way you can purchase it directly from GarageGames.
#11
03/15/2006 (2:20 pm)
@Benjamin: That's great! but too late for me... My copy should be here tomorrow or Friday. Also wanted to say that the publisher A K Peters has a great customer service department. They have been very helpful answering questions... I didn't believe at first that they had it in stock last Friday...LOL. Everyone else had a March 28 to April 15 release dates. 
#12
03/15/2006 (2:58 pm)
Man there are soo many books, I am afraid of dropping more money on an error proned book. Although it will be nice to have something that is 1.4 compliant. Someone speed them all and give some reviews. 
#13
03/15/2006 (3:01 pm)
Ed's book is awesome and fully 1.4 compliant (it is actually 1.4.1 compliant ;). Melv May came by the office last week and he and I were fliiping through the book and agreed that we both wanted a copy to keep on our desks for a quick reference =) 
#14
Hello everyone!
First, I want to say that I am very excited and pleased that my first book will be getting into your hands soon. It feels like this journey has taken just shy of forever.
Second, I want to thank the community and GarageGames for supporting and encouraging this effort. It is my sincerest hope that this book is very useful to those of you who compliment me by purchasing it.
Third, I see that there are some questions in this thread and in the news announcement, so I will post this response in BOTH places. However, if you want to ask new questions, please post them in the thread and we can continue the discussion there. This will supply a better opportunity for new questions and discussions, and I very much want to answer your questions and hear your ideas/feedback. Note: Eventually, there will be a place for discussing the book itself, but till that is in place we can use the regular forums.
Fourth? No, enough with the counting. Instead, let me answer the questions and comments that I have seen so far.
Release Dates / Availability As the publisher, AK Peters has the books first, so if you want to get the book ASAP, your best bet is to order directly from them. Alternately, if you are attending GDC, you can get a copy in your hands next week directly from the AK Peters booth #1746.[/b]
GPGT vs. EGTGE? Some of you will be wondering what the difference is between these two documents. EGTGE is the predecessor to GPGT. However, please be aware that GPGT is far more book than EGTGE is. Also, importantly, GPGT documents TGE 1.4.1, whereas EGTGE is circa 1.2+.
C++ or Torque Script? This book is part of a two book series (although perhaps not of the same title). It was written to serve the new Torque user as a learning tool and the experienced Torque users as a reference. That said, it only covers the Torque Script side of things. The focus of this book is using the engine as it stands to make games (I will explain more shortly). Book 2 then teaches you how to modify the engine and add your own Game, GUI, and other classes.
" What will this book do for me? What makes it special?" I wrote this book with several aims:
1. To speed the novitiate on his or her way to Torque competence.
2. To provide experienced Torque users with a solid reference.
3. To provide not only discussions of features, but to provide a living source of concrete and useful examples.
This book is more than just a printed document. It comes with:
- A large set of e-references,
- The prototype Alpha version of a fully functional game,
- Thousands of lines of sample scripts
- Pre-defined and documented datablocks almost all scriptable classes,
- 23 3D Lessons demonstrating a multitude of shape and interior features,
- Samplers demonstrating the usage of the 22 most commonly used GUI controls,
- Two sets pre-defined game interfaces, three HUD systems,
- More...
Additionally, this book is designed to be non-static. I spent significant time and effort designing an application that comes with the book. Namely, the "GPGT Lesson Kit". This kit has the following features:
- Runs the current content. i.e., It runs the materials provided with the book.
- Provides templates and documentation for designing new lessons and samples. This means book owners can write their own samples and freely distribute them to other owners.
- Provides the ability to auto-detect and auto-load new lessons and samples. This means that when a user drops new content into the same directory as his or her kit, the kit will find it and make it available for running/examination.
- Provides the ability for book owners to host collaborative sessions where one user hosts 3D lesson sessions and the other uses connect as clients. All users can interact and manipulate lessons, but only the host may change the current lesson. This makes the application ideal for classrooms and team collaboration.
" Man there are so many books, I am afraid of dropping more money on an error prone book." No, Donald I am not making fun of you. In fact, this is a really great statement and an entirely valid concern. Let me attempt to dispel your fears.
As part of the final (pre-print) review process, the GG team and I reviewed all of the example code and verified that it did in fact work. This doesn't preclude the possibility of errors, but it significantly reduces the odds as well as the number of said issues. Regardless, I am committed to supporting this book and we will have a proper forum for questions. Furthermore, the included "GPGT Lesson Kit" application provides me with the unique ability to provide fixes and sample content elaborating on troubling issues in an easily used format.
I am sure that there are more questions, but I am currently at work so I will wait and respond to your subsequent requests as they come. Thanks again to everyone who has been involved and who has encouraged me through this process.
Hall Of Worlds - For Gamers
EdM|EGTGE
PS I am currently working on a replacement for the Hall Of Worlds - For Gamers web site. I hope to bring it online this weekend (to be ready for GDC). It will have a far better description of the book and perhaps some downloadable samples for those on the cusp.
-EFM
03/17/2006 (1:50 pm)
@All,Hello everyone!
First, I want to say that I am very excited and pleased that my first book will be getting into your hands soon. It feels like this journey has taken just shy of forever.
Second, I want to thank the community and GarageGames for supporting and encouraging this effort. It is my sincerest hope that this book is very useful to those of you who compliment me by purchasing it.
Third, I see that there are some questions in this thread and in the news announcement, so I will post this response in BOTH places. However, if you want to ask new questions, please post them in the thread and we can continue the discussion there. This will supply a better opportunity for new questions and discussions, and I very much want to answer your questions and hear your ideas/feedback. Note: Eventually, there will be a place for discussing the book itself, but till that is in place we can use the regular forums.
Fourth? No, enough with the counting. Instead, let me answer the questions and comments that I have seen so far.
Release Dates / Availability As the publisher, AK Peters has the books first, so if you want to get the book ASAP, your best bet is to order directly from them. Alternately, if you are attending GDC, you can get a copy in your hands next week directly from the AK Peters booth #1746.[/b]
GPGT vs. EGTGE? Some of you will be wondering what the difference is between these two documents. EGTGE is the predecessor to GPGT. However, please be aware that GPGT is far more book than EGTGE is. Also, importantly, GPGT documents TGE 1.4.1, whereas EGTGE is circa 1.2+.
C++ or Torque Script? This book is part of a two book series (although perhaps not of the same title). It was written to serve the new Torque user as a learning tool and the experienced Torque users as a reference. That said, it only covers the Torque Script side of things. The focus of this book is using the engine as it stands to make games (I will explain more shortly). Book 2 then teaches you how to modify the engine and add your own Game, GUI, and other classes.
" What will this book do for me? What makes it special?" I wrote this book with several aims:
1. To speed the novitiate on his or her way to Torque competence.
2. To provide experienced Torque users with a solid reference.
3. To provide not only discussions of features, but to provide a living source of concrete and useful examples.
This book is more than just a printed document. It comes with:
- A large set of e-references,
- The prototype Alpha version of a fully functional game,
- Thousands of lines of sample scripts
- Pre-defined and documented datablocks almost all scriptable classes,
- 23 3D Lessons demonstrating a multitude of shape and interior features,
- Samplers demonstrating the usage of the 22 most commonly used GUI controls,
- Two sets pre-defined game interfaces, three HUD systems,
- More...
Additionally, this book is designed to be non-static. I spent significant time and effort designing an application that comes with the book. Namely, the "GPGT Lesson Kit". This kit has the following features:
- Runs the current content. i.e., It runs the materials provided with the book.
- Provides templates and documentation for designing new lessons and samples. This means book owners can write their own samples and freely distribute them to other owners.
- Provides the ability to auto-detect and auto-load new lessons and samples. This means that when a user drops new content into the same directory as his or her kit, the kit will find it and make it available for running/examination.
- Provides the ability for book owners to host collaborative sessions where one user hosts 3D lesson sessions and the other uses connect as clients. All users can interact and manipulate lessons, but only the host may change the current lesson. This makes the application ideal for classrooms and team collaboration.
" Man there are so many books, I am afraid of dropping more money on an error prone book." No, Donald I am not making fun of you. In fact, this is a really great statement and an entirely valid concern. Let me attempt to dispel your fears.
As part of the final (pre-print) review process, the GG team and I reviewed all of the example code and verified that it did in fact work. This doesn't preclude the possibility of errors, but it significantly reduces the odds as well as the number of said issues. Regardless, I am committed to supporting this book and we will have a proper forum for questions. Furthermore, the included "GPGT Lesson Kit" application provides me with the unique ability to provide fixes and sample content elaborating on troubling issues in an easily used format.
I am sure that there are more questions, but I am currently at work so I will wait and respond to your subsequent requests as they come. Thanks again to everyone who has been involved and who has encouraged me through this process.
Hall Of Worlds - For GamersEdM|EGTGE
PS I am currently working on a replacement for the
Hall Of Worlds - For Gamers web site. I hope to bring it online this weekend (to be ready for GDC). It will have a far better description of the book and perhaps some downloadable samples for those on the cusp.-EFM
#15
03/17/2006 (2:10 pm)
I am going to buy this book just becuase you mention my name in your post.
#16
I wanted to take a minute to comment on your book. I just got my copy this afternoon and sat down to do a ten minute scan that ended up taking me over an hour(couldn't put it down). This is an awesome book! I had downloaded EGTGE when you first made it available and it is great to see how you progressed to the release of this book.
Also, the GPTP lesson kit is a great addition.
I want to thank you for all the help that you have given me through your website, GG forums, EGTGE, and now this book. I highly recommend this book to those in the GG Community. Awesome job!...now when is book 2 coming out?:)
03/17/2006 (3:24 pm)
@EFM: Congrats on the release of your book! I wanted to take a minute to comment on your book. I just got my copy this afternoon and sat down to do a ten minute scan that ended up taking me over an hour(couldn't put it down). This is an awesome book! I had downloaded EGTGE when you first made it available and it is great to see how you progressed to the release of this book.
Quote:What will this book do for me? What makes it special? I wrote this book with several aims:This describes this book perfectly!
1. To speed the novitiate on his or her way to Torque competence.
2. To provide experienced Torque users with a solid reference.
3. To provide not only discussions of features, but to provide a living source of concrete and useful examples.
Also, the GPTP lesson kit is a great addition.
I want to thank you for all the help that you have given me through your website, GG forums, EGTGE, and now this book. I highly recommend this book to those in the GG Community. Awesome job!...now when is book 2 coming out?:)
#17
The Hall Of Worlds For Gamers site has been officially replaced. It is still very much in the testing phase, but it should serve at least temporarily. Check it out and download the two demo items. They are both on the front page, but while you're at the site check out the GPGT products page AND sling me some feedback if you think anything about the site stinks!
Thanks!
Hall Of Worlds - For Gamers
EdM|EGTGE
03/20/2006 (11:21 pm)
@All,The Hall Of Worlds For Gamers site has been officially replaced. It is still very much in the testing phase, but it should serve at least temporarily. Check it out and download the two demo items. They are both on the front page, but while you're at the site check out the GPGT products page AND sling me some feedback if you think anything about the site stinks!
Thanks!
Hall Of Worlds - For GamersEdM|EGTGE
#18
i wanna learn TGE scripting too
evi
========
www.cubixstudio.com
3D Characters for sale
03/21/2006 (1:43 am)
Woah this books looks very interesting, hopefully my local book store (Borders & BN) will have it, this weekend i'm gonna check it out for sure :Di wanna learn TGE scripting too
evi
========
www.cubixstudio.com
3D Characters for sale
#19
I'm really looking forward to this though, congrats on shipping.
03/21/2006 (2:46 am)
Ordered mine from Amazon UK a month or so ago, I have to wait until May for mine :( I'm really looking forward to this though, congrats on shipping.
#20
@Mark - Thanks for the feedback so far. Please let me know more, good or bad. I want to know both, so I can properly address things and so that I can do better on the second book.
@Evi - Barnes and Noble should carry it and if not, they will special order. Also, If you're a B&N I believe they offer a slight discount.
@Mike - I'm glad to see order's outside CONUS (CONtinental US). I worry about availability and cost for these and if you have any feedback or thoughts on international distro I am interested. Thanks too for the congrats.
For anyone on the cusp, please consider examining the kit and the alpha version of the game you make while reading the book. You can get these off my site.
Hall Of Worlds - For Gamers
EdM|GPGT
03/21/2006 (1:42 pm)
@Donald - :) I'm going to remember this and mention your name every time I have a new product. @Mark - Thanks for the feedback so far. Please let me know more, good or bad. I want to know both, so I can properly address things and so that I can do better on the second book.
@Evi - Barnes and Noble should carry it and if not, they will special order. Also, If you're a B&N I believe they offer a slight discount.
@Mike - I'm glad to see order's outside CONUS (CONtinental US). I worry about availability and cost for these and if you have any feedback or thoughts on international distro I am interested. Thanks too for the congrats.
For anyone on the cusp, please consider examining the kit and the alpha version of the game you make while reading the book. You can get these off my site.
Hall Of Worlds - For GamersEdM|GPGT
Torque 3D Owner Hokuto
I better check it out!
Amazon uk has release date for 30 March 2006....
Amazon.com yes it out