Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
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and how it fits into the grand scheme of things. After that, I
ll talk about strategies
for using a scripting language, including comparing two of the most popular ones.
Then the time will be right to dig into the internals of the Lua scripting language.
I
ll also show you not only the mechanics of how to get it up and running in your
game, but also some best practices in using a scripting language, including how to
decouple your engine code from your scripting code and figure out what should live
in C++ and what should live in the script. This is done by extending systems you
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ve
already worked with in previous chapters.
Way back in 1946, the ENIAC was completed at the University of Pennsylvania. This
is considered the first general-purpose electronic computer, able to be reprogrammed
to solve any number of complex operations. The process of programming this mas-
sive machine involved setting a series of switches and changing cables, which often
took days even for simple tasks. Input and output were handled with punch cards, a
far cry from the modern keyboard and monitor we all know and love. There are a
few pieces of the ENIAC on display at various museums. It
'
s worth the trip to get
an appreciation of our programming forefathers.
One of the very first video games was called Tennis for Two and was first seen in
1958 at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. It was created on an oscilloscope screen
and showed a tennis court on its side. The brightly lit ball bounced from one end to
the other, simulating the physics of a ball bouncing in real time. Players would use
controllers with buttons and rotating dials to control the angle of an invisible racquet.
If you do a quick search online, you can find video of this grandfather of modern
gaming. It
s quite remarkable.
Tennis for Two was created on a small analog computer. By using resistors, capaci-
tors, and relays, it was possible to generate various curves on the oscilloscope. In fact,
the computer was made to perform tasks like calculating trajectories for bullets, mis-
siles, and yes, even a ball. The programming for the game was largely done by build-
ing the actual circuitry for it, which sent input to the analog computer, received the
output, and displayed it on the oscilloscope.
The dawn of video games as an industry occurred in 1972 with the release of the
Magnavox Odyssey and, shortly afterwards,
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the Atari VCS (renamed the Atari
2600). I
m sure many of you have never even heard of the Magnavox Odyssey. It
was only marginally successful, but it undoubtedly shaped the video games industry
as we know it today by being the first dedicated home video game console you could
hook up to your TV.
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