| DarkBASIC (The Ultimate 3D Game Creator) | 
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| From: FastTrak
Category: Software
Buy New: £49.95
Buy New/Used from £24.99
Avg. Customer Rating:   (61 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1994
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows Me
Media: CD-ROM
Number Of Items: 1
EAN: 5032197000711
ASIN: B00005ABYV
Release Date: March 30, 2001
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
DarkBASIC 3-D Game Creator Kit gives you the chance to create a rival if you're hooked on Quake III, Gran Turismo or Star Wars and can't wait for the next instalment to come out. If you're an experienced programmer then you will be making games in a matter of minutes, but don't worry if you're not: this utility will guide even novices through the basics of game making, allowing you to have fun creating while expanding your knowledge. Its simple-to-use interface allows you to go from command-line programming to game-play testing in one easy function-key press. The 25 in-programme tutorials guide you through all the different elements of the programme, using 45 demos to show you line by line how to make your creation. You will be playing your own first-person shooter or flight simulator in a matter of hours. The package includes many features to make your games even better, such as the ability to add music and import your own graphics for use within games. Included within the DarkBASIC package is Microsoft's Direct X: this powerful utility handles all the hardware in your PC, such as the graphics card and sound card, allowing you more time to concentrate on creating the game. Also included are tools for making music and animating graphics, so everything that you need to get going is here on the two-disk set. There are more than 45 demos included on the disk so you can see how some working programmes operate. Also included are 600 textures, 120 sound effects and 900 3-D models to bring your games to life. Games can be saved as single, executable files so you don't need DarkBASIC to run them, allowing you to share them with your friends and give the professionals a good run for their money. --Robert Hyde Find out more in our Games Programming Buying Guide
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| Customer Reviews: Read 56 more reviews...
DarkBasic...The Ultimate 3D Game Creator? December 2, 2004
The answer to that question depends on whether you have programming experience. If you do, you'll probably find that the tutorials and help files included will give you a good grounding from which you can progress. However, if you don't, you might find them quite confusing and not progress as you would expect.
Equally, mathematical knowledge provides a good starting block from which to progress. If you're looking for a straightforward, simple 'throw-a-few-things-together-and-create-a-game' approach, you'll not find it. However, this is where the strength of Darkbasic lies. If you're prepared to master some fairly basic programming, you can escape the limits of such programmes and create something truly magnificent. If, like me, you enjoy the challenge of solving problems, rather than the atmosphere and plot creation of game creating, DarkBasic is really good. But, if you're good at both...the sky's the limit.
 not for beginners May 7, 2004
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
We got this thinking it would be an easy way into games programming. It isn't. As a professional programmer, I found the old fashioned Basic frustrating. My children found the whole thing incomprehensible.Guess games programming's not easy. If you know what you're doing, have the time to master it, but don't want to spend more money - then go ahead!
The review that would help me when I was looking October 1, 2003
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
I was trying to figure out if spending money for DBClasic would worth the trouble. I found reviews that seemed to be very much around the edges, empathy, for or against, was like tasting marmite.
DarkBasic is a good program. It is a wrapper around DirectX and helps learn the basic ropes around game design. You will learn programing if not the best techniques or skills of programming.
I am a professional programmer my self but not on games. I program business solutions. I have good knowledge of structure and the works of programming. With that I started right away putting 3d objects together and planning my game. I found limitations and ways around them. I found dead ends and compromised sometimes but I keep trying to make the 'game' complete. I do learn new skills, mainly on the 3D graphics and motion area, heck I revisited my old trigonometry maths books.
DBClassic will keep you interested in what you do. But do search the web for tools and a better editor than the default one. xEdit is included with the cd, find it! It is miles better.
The community of DarkBasic is very much alive if not too alive sometimes.
I took a decision back then to buy it, i thought it looks ok for the money and if it flops then at least i gave it a try. I did not regret it the least!
Now I am happy to move soon to DBPro. More powerfull and more proper to say the least.
As I said, personaly I like it. Will I ever make a game, i dont know and dont care. I think I will have to learn lots more and DB only helps.
I hope I helped you too.
Dark Basic, Easy AND Powerful September 21, 2003
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Dark Basic, it's right ther in the name, the language is basic. At first the tutorials take you through very basic things and you upload the 'cave runner' demo. some people say there's no point in just copying a demo but it is helpful as an example of how to use various features and the soundtrack could become of use to you (it will do for me).
Though the 3d modelling on it isn't great get dark matter or something like that that allows you to load and manipulate or create 3d images. After a week you should have learned to make a landscape, textured characters, cameras and some kind of objective in your game, but you will progress. You may get confused but just take a little time and enjoy!
Well, its good and its bad (and its mostly bad) July 5, 2002
10 out of 15 found this review helpful
For beginners, this is quite a good package, though this means doing a lot of reading over things in that half-baked manual.The first game "you write" you dont really write your self, you copy the code into the editor, and your playing a game, but you get nowhere and havn't a clue how to do anything yet (apart from copy and paste, which is useless) Speed wise, DB is VERY good, my useless, 450mhz laptop with 8 meg video card, will run all DB games at the speed my 700Mhz PC with Voodoo 3 3000 does. Now, the 3D models. The stuff that you are provided with is, frankly, third rate. Mainly because they havn't been bothered to texture 97% off the 3D models given, giving quite an ugly game. And when I imported my beautifully created user models from 3DStudioMax4, DB stretched my models to high heaven, with means that when ever I load one of my models I must add about 3 omre lines of code to get the sizes right, very time consuming I tell you. Also, the language isn't very large, you are given basic 3D commands and that's it really. DB interface is nasty! When I use programs such as DIV Games Studio (My fave to use I might add) I have acces to everything and the interface is really bright and inviting, and I feel like, "Yeh, lets make games!" But DB interface, you are only limited to two code windows open at a time, and thats your lot. Also, the interface is very large, dark and quite scary to first time users. I know this is *DARK*Basic, but the interface takes the buiscuit. Overall, DB is quite easy to get into. But then you imediatly see the limitations, then realise "Oh wait a minute, Blitz3D looks much better" And you would be right. (and I havnt' even used Blitz3D properly :D )
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