RE:

[Marc Hernandez <marc@ias.jb.com>]

On Tue, 16 Nov 1999, Idahosa I. Edokpayi wrote:

> Depending on the type of games you plan on doing, you might want to learn
> C++ instead. Java and C++ are both object oriented (well actually Java
> imposes object oriented design and C++ is a hybrid free-form language
> allowing you to write anyway you please) C++ yields faster code and is what
> all the commercial people use.

	Actually no matter what game you wish to write, most any language
will do.  The key is to write the CPU intensive parts as close to the
metal as possible.  Typically this would be your sprite/tile blitter and
sound.  For 3d it will be your path to sending a 3d card triangles.  With
the various options for 3d rendering in Java this could all be in java.
	Take Quake I and III.  Both of these have interpreting engines
inferior to most JVMs driving them, yet they are hailed as the epitome of
optimized programming.  Why?  Because all the parts that need to be fast
are close to the metal.
	Abuse was written with a scheme interpreter to drive it.
Ruthless.com (from Redstorm entertainment) had a java back end.  Certain
console projects were written in some sort of lisp (Crash Bandicoot being
one of them.
	This is all ignoring any sort of JIT on the java end.  It is also
ignoring Cygnus' java -> native compiler.

	Design your project so that you can get a nice prototype out to
play with, then rip out the slow parts and put fast native calls (in C,
C++, assembly) in.
	Realistically java is plenty fast for many projects, either
commercial, shareware or freeware.

--
Marc Hernandez

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