Blitz 3D

Want to learn how to program games, have maybe tried Visual Basic or C++ but can't make head nor tail of them? Tried Dark Basic or DIV Games Studio or similar game writing languages, but either hate the interface or the lack of power (or both)? Well Blitz3D is the answer! What can it do?

Blitz 3D can enable you to write games (both 2D AND 3D - don't let the title fool you) with as much ease as you are going to find on todays PC's. Let me restate this - you will NOT FIND an easier way to write HIGH QUALITY games on a PC. I've tried them all - if you want the best, this is it.

The language uses a sort of hybrid between BASIC and C, but the best thing about it, because it is mainly based on BASIC, is that it is FAR easier to understand and get started with than most other languages! An illustration - with this you can have a simplistic 3D game done in a day, and I'm talking about from scratch here - if you've NEVER touched programming before! If you HAVE had some programming experience before then you could have something done in just 2 or 3 hours! If you are a total beginner then you simply need to follow the excellent tutorials that are found in the included 322 page ring bound manual. You will also find dozens and dozens of example programs (that you can look at and modify and learn from) on the CD.

A quick word on the interface - it is Windows based which, if you have tried some of these other languages that use their own quirky (and hard to get used to!) interface, is a real blessing! The code editor is simple to use, fast loading, easy on the eye and well thought out. Having said that, if you don't like it for some reason then you can use your own text editor to create the code and import it into Blitz3D! Flexible? Yep! One disadvantage of doing this though is you miss out on the built in help system, which really is superb! You have a complete language and command reference at your fingertips. Not sure what a command does or how to use it properly? Type in the command name and press F1 and you instantly are taken to a help page which tells you all about that command, and also often has a small example listing to help you fully understand how it works. Brilliant!

Another benefit of this language is the amazing support it has online. Blitz3D is also regularly updated with FREE patches (as it should be) to add new features and support. An example of a recently added update is the ability to use the Quake 3 BSP map format to design Quake 3 style maps for use your OWN games!

I guess I'd better soon because this is getting pretty long, but a word about speed. Blitz3D is FAST! Some other languages (naming no names) slow down to a crawl when you begin to write games that are a little bit more complex. Not Blitz3D though! It flies along, even on my PII 350. Obviously it helps if you have a good 3D card (if you are doing 3D games, the 2D side is really fast regardless), but I only have a (now out-dated) Voodoo 3 2000 and it still zips along! An extra bit of info - as I am writing, the creator of Blitz3D is writing another update that will make it even faster! As if it needs it! You just don't get this level of support with other packages.

Lastly, any games you write in Blitz3D are yours - free to do what you want with. You can sell them, give them away or whatever, you will never have to pay royalties to anyone. You also don't have to put up with an annoying "This was written in Blitz3D." banner or intro/exit screen - anything you write stays as YOU intended it!

Final words - if you are even half interested in writing a game, or simply want to write a fancy demo or something to impress your friends (and believe me, they WILL be impressed!) - buy it now! It is worth every single penny, and for the sheer power and ease of use that it gives you, I think it is actually under-priced! If Microsoft or Macromedia had this product, I'm sure they would charge you HUNDREDS of pounds! Buy it now and start enjoying creating your OWN games with this superb package.

At first glance, Blitz3D might appear to be a simple BASIC-style language for writing DirectX 3d games, and, you'd be right!

Following on from the success of Blitz Basic, Blitz3D adds a host of 3D features like cameras, lights, models, primitives, 3D sprites, meshes, collisions, terrains and textures, as well as the ability to use animated MD2 models and Quake style BSP maps!

Like it's predecessor, it's not a simple point-and-click affair, but a complete programming language to create 3D games. And speed hasn't been sacrificed with the additions, still achieving hundreds of frames per second (hardware permitting!)

You still have all of the previous editions' easy to use 2D features, but you now have the ability to add 3D into the mix, or make complete 3D-only games.

Sound has also been 3D-ified, with the ability to place sounds in 3D space and create 3D listerers to hear those sounds (or not) depending on proximity.

And, for the gamer that wants to play with others, there's now complete TCP and UDP networking support, as well as the previously available DirectPlay.

All in all a great tool to make headway into the PC games development market, or just write games for you and your mates.

Given a little time and patience, you can create some 3D great games. You won't be disappointed.