HPCPro Game Programming

I am interested in programming games for Windows CE 2.11. Does anyone know what language would be best for this task? If so any advice? Thank you.

You've got two real choices: C, or C++. VB isn't really a goer for games programming. Also check out some of the frameworks that people have developed for PocketPC, etc, as you'll find that there's portions of these that will be usable.

Unfortunately, I don't think that there's GAPI available for HPCPro: you need HPC2000 to use the one from WinCESoft.de. There may be another implementation that works?

What is it you're thinking of? You might find some source out there to give you a leg up...

Thank you. I am thinking of developing a(n) RPG similar to Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger. Do you know of any places where I could get source code of this nature? Thanks

Have a google around; there's lots of sites dedicated to game programming. You should be able to find examples to get you started on the core, and also examples to get you started on how to get graphics working.

WinCE's native API is quite limited on the graphics side of things, and rather than having multiple ways to chuck stuff to a window, you're limited to using DIBs in some places. CreateDIBSection will soon be your best mate

An alternative is to use a toolkit or framework. I've looked (very) briefly at PocketFrog, and you might want to cehck that out before diving into the GDI stuff yourself? http://pocketfrog.droneship.com/

Further documentation available here -
http://www.sundialsoft.freeserve.co.uk/pocket_frog.htm

I guess that, being RPG, the graphics won't be hugely intensive 3D stuff?

Google around and you'll no doubt find source for RPGs kicking about to get you started on that front.

I keep telling people that PONG is the grand daddy of all games and that eye-candy Halo is really just using a very similar game structure as PONG!

Chiark, thanks for the link. I'm downloading it now, I hope it works. As for the graphics I am very new to HPC game programming, but with time I hope to push the graphics to their limits.

No worries. If you're feeling brave, would you mind updating us as to how you get on? It'd be interesting to others (well, me certainly ), and if you get stuck then another pair of eyes might help?

Good luck. It looks fairly straightforward...

Forum user, and outstanding Gent 'PocketDVD' is also reseraching Game API's and game programming technigues for the H/PC.
He may be worth trying to flag down into this thread.

I'm keeping an eye on this thread, but so far nothing new has been suggested, and I have no comments to offer yet either. Sorry.
I have spend a lot of time on finding proper game libraries, and have basicaly given up on using them. PocketFrog relies heavely on PocketHal, and is basicaly using GAPI for the graphics. There is something for VB called aspritece that might help you,(www.spritehand.com) but again, it relies on gapi.

I did contact Sean O'Conner from HPC Slay/PocketSlay fame (awesome game) for some information on what he uses for programming, and he was very nice to point me in the direction I'm aiming for as soon as some updates to PocketDVD have been implemented.

He uses c/c++ without any additional libraries, and this way he can basicaly program on windows desktops and test the program, and then use minor modifications to port his code over to other platforms. Since I'm quite agrevated on the emulators for wince/ppc, this seem to be the better way for me to go.
ALso, since I'm new to c/c++ it makes life a lot easier to troubleshoot too.


Edited by PocketDVD 2005-06-27 8:24 AM

Bumping an old thread here but . . .

ASpriteCE isn't under devlopment any longer apparently but it does have an H/PC version that does *not* require GAPI. I've downloaded it and just started working with it but it might be a good option for anyone still interested in programming on the H/PC.

ASpriteCE

Edit: the H/PC version is included in the Pocket PC download, not the .net download.

Edited by carld 2006-08-25 10:11 AM

hmm, interesting