I start coding just after I read this book... 2 times. )) Because I like to see all picture before going deeper.
But you could start code thisng right after chapter 5.
This book is not a step to step manual about 3D game creating, but about game architecture and usefull tips and tools.

Here my advice: Download source code of game, described in the book, and try to understand how does it works step by step according to chapters of book.
And stop complaining and just try to make some games - 2d, 3d, using Unity3D or GameMaker, whatever. This book assume, that you already haves some experience in gamedev or just programming experience in common.

This is NOT a "I just create my first HelloWorld"-level book.

but i havent started in c++ so i wanted to get to know how to work on c++ with games

This ts not C++ guide book. You could read some good C++ book first. I recommend you amazon.com/Primer-Plus-6th-Developers-Library/dp/0321776402

And then go for making games. Try to something easier. Like this:
Tutorial: Basic Game Engine

And THEN, you could try to read GameCodingComplete.

"but i havent started in c++ so i wanted to get to know how to work on c++ with games"

This book might be a little painful for you if you don't know c++ that well. The book makes the assumption that you already are fairly proficient in c++. I'd recommend spending sometime learning c++ before you crack open this book.

This book, for better or worse, is structured more as a theory book. I suspect you would be interested in a book like amazon.com/Beginning-Game-Prog…eginning+game+programming

GCC assumes that you will read the book so that you first understand the theory and then browse through the sample code to understand the practical implementation. Beginning Game Programming takes you step by step through the process of setting up a project, initializing Direct3D, and so on. Game Coding Complete covers far too many topics to allow Mr Mike and Rez to structure the text as a step by step instructional. If they did so then then GCC would probably be 2000 pages long.

Its a trade off, and unfortunately in your case this book might not be the best place for to start. GCC, however, is a fantastic book once you get your feet wet with c++

I think everyone else answered this question really well, but since you called me out in a private message, I feel like I should respond.

OK so i read the book until page 149. and still don;t understand where we start coding because most books I've got for e/g an action-script book shows me how to start up a project but this book so far i haven't seen one thing that explains how to compile the code... and i got bored of it quickly because of this.

We never talk about how to start up a project or compile a program. The book is an intermediate-level book and not intended for beginners. We assume a working knowledge of C++, which means that we don't go into OOP, syntax, virtual methods, statically allocated vs dynamically allocated memory, templates, the STL, how to compile or build programs, or any other C++ stuff. By "working knowledge", we mean that you should be comfortable writing a complete and relatively complex C++ program from scratch.

idk what else i can do .. cant one of you tell me what page i should start reading form to actually start building a 3d game becuase i really just want to get on with coding nd not hear about rez story;s or micheals storys.... please help.. i don;t reccomend this book for anyone with low attention span because the story of these 2 guys just make you bored like hell and it doesnt teach me nothing for the c++ coding i got for...

You're correct, we don't teach C++ programming. We don't even teach the "hello world" of game development, we teach video game architecture. I actually recommend that people create a couple of simple games in DirectX or OpenGL before digging into our book. You usually have to build a few small games to experience the frustration of what a poor architecture can cost you. Simple changes will end up causing you to rewrite large portions of code. Very few game programming books teach you anything about architecture, they tend to start much simpler. It sounds like one of those books would be more appropriate.

As for our tales from the pixel mines, they take up a very small percentage of the book overall. Most people really enjoy hearing them. But, more importantly, the stories serve to ground the stuff we're teaching in the reality of working at a professional studio. A lot of books are written by academia and other people who have never worked at a professional studio, which tends to fall into having the blind lead the blind.

edit: also when i compile this teastory war it just doesnt work it give me 1000 of errors in visual 2010 for example: Unable to start program c:..../gamecode4/source/teapotwars/msvc/,,,,./lib/win32debug/teapotwars_2010win32debug.exe the ststem cannot find the file specified.....

It sounds like the project is set up incorrectly. There's a readme file that's part of the download which explains how to set up your project. You need to set up your working directory so it can find the executable and you may need to add the 3rd Party Libs to the appropriate place. This is a great example of why you should have a working knowledge of C++ and how to create programs before jumping into this book.

my background in coding is i have done html5 game flash game xna game c(gba) game in university. but i havent started in c++ so i wanted to get to know how to work on c++ with games so i can create awsome game for the university work but i hav eno luck because of this book make me spend money but teach nothing but rez micheals story...

It sounds like you're not the target audience for this book. As you said, you have a low attention span and want to jump straight into programming. If that's true, there are plenty of books out there that will enable you to do that. Ours is not one of them. Our book is for programmers who have gone down that road and experienced first-hand the trouble that it can bring. This usually requires a level of experience and a desire to make complex games. It's not a big deal when the game is only a few thousand lines of code, but when you try to make something very complex like FTL, Braid, or any other successful indie game, you'll find that it falls flat. Simple features will take you weeks to do because the architecture can't grow with the design.

Mike and I have seen this happen time and time again. It's one of the most common things that cause people to fail at creating their game. It's one of the big things I screen for when interviewing new people. Can they write code that stands the test of time? Can a system they write be used in a shipping product? Can it easily be changed 20 times because a designer changed their mind, or will it have to be rewritten each time?

The key is to take a step back, take some time, and truly understand the problem you are trying to solve. Most books don't teach this. They teach you how to blast out some textured triangles, which is cool, but it will only get you so far. So in answer to this, Mike and I decided to write a book that teaches people how to take that step back and see the big picture of putting all the pieces together. We don't go into massive detail about the inner guts of those pieces, we teach you how to put them all together so you can easily swap out the pieces you don't want for pieces that you do.

Architecture is a funny thing. Most beginners don't understand why it's important. Why should I go through the trouble of creating this interface class, or abstracting my rendering code from my game logic? In order to help explain why, we tell stories about how we were burned by it in the past, or how well it worked out for us. Sometimes explaining with an example is the most powerful way to drive a point home.

i have amazon.com/Introduction-Game-...+with+directx11 this book also but i just wanted to complain about why dont make easier for me thats all..

Yes, that book looks like it's more of what you're looking for. Why don't we make things easier for you? Because game programming is really, really hard. If made our book easier, we'd have to sacrifice the entire purpose of the book.

-Rez

Originally posted by rezination
Why don't we make things easier for you? Because game programming is really, really hard.

Exactly this. If you can't be bothered to understand "why" and instead only wanting to know "how", I think that will eventually limit the software you are able create.

James

Have GCC4 to. I am a beginning C++ programmer. So I don't know much. Not enough to make something simple.
Recently bought a C++11 book as I don't want to relearn old bad habits. Have older C++ book.
I am one of those cases that read to much but does not code.
I also have the impression that I need a book about large scale software engineering with C++.

Yes GCC4 fills in a gap. With many good advises I can use.
But first learn C++11 by code something.

Most c++ book examples are so limited and often a subject that I don't care about. So got this litte idea to mod example to something similar but I can relate to.