Actually, I second Head First Java... My Java has never been too great (my job required MFC's (C++), C, shell-scripting, etc, and no Java), so I'm using it as a fun way to refresh myself (and learn stuff I never covered in class).  I also have the Brackeen book and it looks extremely promising.  Also, Black Art of Java Programming and Java game Programming for Dummies seem okay, but are very heavily applet oriented.   Not java specific, but I'm liking "Data Structures for game programmers" for some data structure knowledge (I plan to go through that and the another "real" data structures book later), too.  And, of course, the OpenGL Red book.

Friggin' A, man.  

Eclipse 3.0.  Just upgraded from 2.0.  Much nicer looking (cleaner).  Still a bit...sluggish on my G4 800 iBook, but completely usable.

For quick stuff, vi + javac.  

Great little game, runs almost fine on my dual PIII 750 w/GeForce4 Ti4200 (128megs DDR).  The only issue I have is that the exit button doesn't seem to do anything after a game is over.  Alt-F4 kills the game, but mouse focus is lost in Windows completely until you ctrl-alt-del a time or two, then everything's okay again.  $1.99?  You'll have my money.

hate to drag this up, but...


<nitpick>
Strategy RPG's aren't exactly a "new" genre.  They borrow pretty heavily from other strategy games (see Advance Wars and then go from there).  Go grab the original FF Tactics (like, $10 at used game store, $20 new at BestBuy or Walmart if you have those around).  It's pretty good.  Then go find the Tactics Ogre (for the PSX and SNES), same developers as FF Tactics (Square bought them out from ENIX, I believe), but twice as deep.  That little pittance of a "hidden" dungeon in FF Tactics is like 100 levels deep in Tactics Ogre.  Then you should check out others in the Ogre Battle series (SNES, PSX, rare on both), they're a bit different, but still have strategy elements.  
Also, you'll probably like:
PSX:
Vandal Hearts 1 & 2

PS2:
Disgaea

Saturn:
Shining Force III
Dragon Force

SNES:
find the Front Mission import, it's supposed to be good.  I dug the import FM2 on the PSX, but the damn cutscenes just took forever and were non-cancellable from what I could see.  FM3, localized USA, I heard terrible things about.  Just terrible.

And go pick up Tactics Ogre: The Knights of the Lodis for the GBA, as well.  

</nitpick>

Now, having said that, yes, I'd much appreciate a FF Tactics or even Advance Wars clone.  In fact, I've got some ideas for both of those on the backburner in case no one else does em.  With turn-based games, it should also be relatively easy to do multiplayer online play!  

Actually, I just dropped that Window.setVSyncEnabled(true); line in the spot that I commented out and it seems to be working just fine.  I think I tried it before and got compile errors, due to something else..

Download the nehe ports from lwjgl site, if you haven't already.  You have to change a couple things, for example:
[CODE]
//sync to monitor
   GLCaps.determineAvailableExtensions();
   if(GLCaps.WGL_EXT_swap_control) {
     GL.wglSwapIntervalEXT(1);
   }
[/CODE]
just comment that block of code out, it's unneeded.  It should be replaced by a [CODE]Window.setVSyncEnabled(true);[/CODE] (I placed it right below the Window.create(..) line, but I found it to be "unnecessary" for the demos.  Maybe in another context I'll find it important..
You may also have to comment out the package line on line 1, but you may not.  I didn't import the filesystems "correctly" in eclipse.  

I would "submit" my fixes, but I lack CVS access nor am I sure that my "fixes" are actually the correct way of doing things.  

Ahh.. now I see.  Yes, commenting out the other lines and using yours, it doesn't completely black out.  As I hadn't read the actual Tutorial or completely through the source, I just assumed L toggled all the lights on and off.  

Dunno..
Here's what I get:
Demo starts, see textured cube on black background.
Press L, everything's black (lights off).
Press L again, everything back to normal.  
Is that the specified behavior?

Just want to make sure I'm not looking for something else...

Which tutorial, btw?  I was thinking it would be Nehe07 that's related to lighting, but I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "not working" because it seems to work fine on both of the machines I have access to (work and home).  I need to read through the Nehe tutorial, but I see a textured cube, pressing L toggles the light.  No changes needed except to comment out the getAvailableExtensions and the line afterwards...  Adding your changes results in no discernable difference..  

What exactly is a moderate God?  Do you go around to Chinese All-You-Can-Eat buffets saying "Now now, everything's good in moderation.  Two plates is plenty, now skeedaddle!"?  Do you chastize chain-smokers (3 packs/day) for their habits?

Which is pretty much exactly what AlienFlux did.  It's also the approach I'm taking to my games programming..

Speaking of which, less talk, more code...

I like #2, and is what I use at my job.  As for wasted "space", folks, 19" monitors are dirt cheap at Best Buy and they handle 1600x1200 just fine.  Or get a used, cheap one from someone upgrading to dual LCD's or something.  Just get one of those and maximize your IDE and any arguments about "wasting vertical space" should be alleviated.   I've never "bought" the whole "wasted space" argument for something as minor as starting the code block on its own line and have always had a problem with #1 style since my earliest tinkerings in C (back in 1991, freshman year of college).  I find skimming through code formatted with #2 is just faster and more efficient from a maintainability standpoint than #1.  But maybe I'm just odd.

Oddly enough, I'm actually *cancelling* my broadband connection this month and am actually going to try going without the internet for awhile.  At least at home.   Basically, the only time I really like having it is Sun releases a new SDK or I'm trying out new Linux iso's.    I think I've a workaround for this, though, as I'm getting a 128meg USB keychain this week so maybe I can use my work's nice pipe to get the "big stuff" and take them home with me when necessary and the lack of "time killers" on my machine at home will cause me to actually do "real" work (like working on my game.. or at least the tools I will be using to work on my game (blender (have you SEEN the interface???), bryce, photoshop, eclipse).  I gave up TV 3 years ago to find myself refreshing /. every 15 minutes.  The internet is a bigger waste of time than TV sometimes..  

Okay..
Since I've resolved myself to live a Linux lifestyle for awhile (with no net connection to reduce the distractions), I've decided to go with:
Blender (too controversial to ignore! hehe.. and so far it's not been so bad, it's a bit confusing but I'm poor (hence no net connection)
Wings3D:  Modeler, even has YafRAY output, which may end up being a better boon than I can imagine for the kind of stuff I want to do.  I may just shelve blender for awhile and just do Wings3D.
GIMP:  Already somewhat familiar with this, but there seems to be a lack of a good seamless procedural tile-generator.  Yeah, most "artists" scoff at the idea of using procedurals, but that really doesn't concern me.  I'm thinking that the apparent lack of this might mean there's room for creating one, which might become my first Script-FU or standalone Linux application, no?
Now I just need Mojoworld for doing some static backgrounds (or Bryce), but it doesn't run on Linux (no one bought the Linux version, says Doc).  I suppose I should pick up Musgrave's procedural book.  

Thanks for the advice!

-Shane

elias:
Since you're the resident Linux guy (am I correct?), maybe you could answer a simple question:  Based upon this thread, I've come to a semi-conclusion that games written that run on Linux using LWJGL will more than likely run on Windows, but not vice versa, in the "unless you're really careful" context?

I'm in the process of switching completely back over to Linux (again), but would still like my "creations" to run on multiple platforms with a minimal of rebooting (although I can foresee that happening anyway...) Actually, now that I've pretty much got 2 systems, I'm probably just going to keep one a strictly Win2k box (mainly for Adobe Premiere and After Effects, but can use it as a testbox) and the other strictly Redhat Linux 9.  LWJGL could always use another Linux tester, right?  

Ahh.. My bad.  I was under the impression that gl4java "hid" the OpenGL calls..  My question might have been a bit misworded or misconstrued in that I was wondering which (lwjgl, gl4java) would be a better tool for learning OpenGL for usage in other languages (like, C++), if necessary.  I have come to the conclusion that LWJGL fits that a bit better (as there's no getting around pointers in C++, might as well get sorta used to them now, right?).

Which would be better for taking away *from* java in terms of learning?  Like, if I wanted to switch to C++ OpenGL development, wouldn't LWJGL be a better choice for keeping "shit straight"?
(just curious)

www.geocities.com/diapteron/firsttile.png

I used that plugin awhile back and that was the result.    My very first seamless tile.  

Yikes!  Forgot about POV-RAY (one of my friends is a BIG POV-RAY fan).

Of course, if we're talking renderers, what renderers do you use in your "pipeline"?   I know a lot of 3DS guys are moving to Brazil, mental ray is now a plugin for Maya, then  you have the standard PRMan and what not.  

And another topic along these veins:  What do you use to create your textures?  I've seen recommendations for everything from PaintShopPro, Gimp, Photoshop, Painter, etc.

I see a lot of postings on IDE's and what not, but I notice that I really don't see much about other tools.
If I'm not mistaken, Cas mentioned that he "prerenders" his "sprites" and then applies the rendered image to a polygon rather than render them in realtime.  I could be wrong or misunderstood him, so that's what brings up the discussion.
From the Free world, I've found:
Wings3D - supposedly an awesome polygon editor
Blender3D

Others?

In Commercial world, of course you'd have to mention the big 4:
Maya
XSI
Lightwave (used rarely in games?)
3D Studio Max

And then there's Cinema4D, Bryce, trueSpace, Animation: Master, etc.  

I'm considering picking up Lightwave (student discount) just so I can get some hands-on in some "pro-tools" (and for nostalgic, Amiga-related reasons).  But I was just wondering what YOU guys use for modeling and maybe stir up some discussion.

Thanks!

Sound and Linux aren't exactly.. friendly to one another.  Lots of well known deficiencies in this area (I personally hate it when I get a crash when someone IM's me while I'm watching something via Xine or Mplayer).  There are some people working on it, though, but then again that's why I'm back on Microsoft for now, too.  "Working on it" just isn't good enough for me right now.  

Also, just installed Eclipse 2.1.  Anything special to do for getting to work well?

System (just in case):
Windows 2000, 512megs RAM sp3
Ti4200 128 meg DDR (dual displays)
Dual PIII 750's
using Java 1.4.2beta
Eclipse 2.1
(also have Textpad)

Thanks again!

Thanks a bundle.  The lwjgl stuff extracted into it's own dir tree, but the other stuff did not (moved now).  

As for the shaven puppy library:
This Project Has Not Released Any Files
is on that page..  I'm assuming CVS only for now?  If so, I'll try and check out the project tonight, but do I need anything else?  I do have VC++6.0 laying around somewhere around here...

And yes, I see the cube!  nifty.  (running 1.4.2beta, too).  I've a renewed fervor for learning this stuff again.

Okay, I've downloaded 3 zips:  the LWJGL win32, the media stuff, and the docs.  I've extracted them to c:\.  

Now what?

I've searched through the sourceforge pages to no avail (search not functioning?) as to "what goes where".  From another thread I gathered that I'd need to at the very least stick OpenAL.dll into WINNT\system32, but what about the rest?  

I like the documentation, but a nice install document would be nifty, as well (and the README doesn't seem to have anything regarding that except for the media stuff for OpenAL).  

:: shrugs ::

And I keep hearing things about the Shaven Puppy libraries, but there don't appear to be any files on the sourceforge site for that, as well.  Will I need to get those via CVS?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the lame-assed questions.

Anyone using OS X as their base development machine?  What do you use?  Can you compare to x86 stuff?  

I'm really considering picking up an iMac (or Powerbook) soon and would like to know I can still do some substantial work with it (java-gamedevelopment-wise).

Thanks!

Indeed, Milkshape is what I'm looking for.    Thanks!

BTW:  Tried blender years ago, hated it.  Very difficult to just figure out and I think the only documentation around was the stuff from the site ($20?  $40?)  Platform independence isn't really that important to me (I use both Linux and Windows 2000.. Don't think I'll go back to Linux for awhile).  I just like stuff that works..

Thanks and I'll check it out some more later.

-Shane

LOL.. Yeah, I haven't actually dug into LWJGL yet (although it is installed..).  And after that post, I also saw some other posts referencing NeHe tutorials that I glossed over before (not knowing what a "NeHe" tutorial was, probably.  

So, it's old news.  If /. can do it...

Just curious, what tools are available for creating models and what not?  3DS seems to have a good marketshare, but I happen to have truespace3 on CD here (came off a magazine cover last month), and I've seen the doc specification for it, anyone know if it's worth working with?  

Jacob's paper now mentions LWJGL.  

http://www.rolemaker.dk/articles/evaljava/errata.htm