Hello I want to program a good multi-platform game engine, i have already done some basic DOS djgpp game programming, but now i want to create a proffesional game. I need to know the deal with game engines and APIs. first of all there are several developmental staged game engines which run under DOS batch/linux (CRYSTAL SPACE). Will those "batch" Thingies be supported under future windows, MS seems to getting away from a dos prompt. IF u have an engine why do u need DirectX or OpenGL. and last question how do so many game engines support both OpenGL and DirectX with the same engine and code (Half-Life). MATSTER

They use dll''s to support multiple rendering sub-systems. An alternative is to use a class factory and/or dll''s. Once you have the overhead of dll''s, you may as well use a factory too.

I don''t know what a batch thingie is, but M$ has been dropping certain kinds of DOS support over the years. Some of my DOS games still run (on ME & 2000), some never even ran on 95OSR1...

Game Engines will use either Direct3D or OpenGL, if they''re 3D engines, to render the 3D graphics. An engine conist of more than just graphics - things like sounds & input & maybe networking as well as handling game mechanics like falling due to the (simulated) force of gravity or bouncing off walls or dying from a rail-gun slug.


Magmai Kai Holmlor
- The disgruntled & disillusioned

Microsoft has killed DOS. There is no longer a DOS prompt option in ME, and NT and Windows 2000 have limited DOS functionality (they do not like programs that directly try to access hardware). XP will be based on 2000, and there will be no more OS based on DOS. They have even discontinued Windows 95. That said, I believe that Crystal Space supports Win32 also, so you can compile for DOS and Windows (Linux too) if you want.