Preface

Game development is one of the most interesting career choices to date. Apart from the many other fields that are incorporated in this process, it's also a realm where pure imagination comes to life. Even during the times when one may think that there's nothing new under the sun, ground-breaking ideas are still cemented in this medium, both as revolutionary milestones and exciting adventures that will make us feel child-like excitement yet again.

Getting started with game programming is easier now than ever before! Documentation and tutorials aside, there even exist enthusiasts out there who actually put together libraries of code that can be used to eliminate the redundant or difficult parts of building different types of applications. As it so happens, one of these libraries is titled "Simple and Fast Multimedia Library", and it is the focal point of this publication.

Throughout the course of this book, three projects are built from scratch, with each one having increased complexity compared to its preceding project. We will start with a basic clone of the classical arcade game—Snake, which introduces the basics of SFML and some of the framework that is going to persist until the very end. As difficult subjects are addressed, we will begin to cobble the second project together, turning it into a side-scrolling platformer. The remaining chapters of this book focus on building and polishing an online RPG-style game that can be played with your friends! No detail of any of these projects will remain undiscussed, as you will be guided through the entire process of planning and implementing every single aspect of these projects.

If the vast array of features that need to be worked on hasn't scared you away yet, congratulations! You are about to embark on a journey of tremendous proportions. So don't let the odds intimidate you. We hope to see you at the finish line!