DirectX, OpenGL or SDL?

[Zdroyd]

Which of the following should I use for my game development?

DirectX: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX
OpenGL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opengl
SDL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_DirectMedia_Layer
Other?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other (LOL)

Before now I have used GDKs for my development but I am currently considering going more "pure code" so I am not so dependent on the functions and scripts of a GDK... Does anyone know which would be best?

Note that I still only plan to develop for Windows, and that I would prefer C++.

Which language would give me the power but also the ease to develop? Thank you ahead of time...

Edit: Does this fit in the programming board? If not, sorry.

[xPlozion]

Since you said you were going to only program for Windows, Dx is the best, but if you were going to program for multiple os's, then I'd go OpenGL since it's supported on Linux ;)

[Zdroyd]

Since you said you were going to only program for Windows, Dx is the best, but if you were going to program for multiple os's, then I'd go OpenGL since it's supported on Linux ;)

The two problems I have with OpenGL are:
> It is only a Graphics Library; no sound functions.
> There does not seem to be much documentation on it...
But yes I understand that OpenGL would be preferable if I wanted to go multiple OS, but the problem I have with multiple OS is that "there is no such thing as a Mac gamer" and Linux has not reached the Windows/Mac "height" yet...

I am considering DX, knowing that I have had multiple other people tell me to go with it... and it has alot of documentation and support, but: Direct X seems to be the most complicated (and waistful) of the three; even if it is the most powerful of the three...

Anyone know a Programming Library that I have not mentioned that might be good? Or should I just go with DX?

[noerrorsfound]

But yes I understand that OpenGL would be preferable if I wanted to go multiple OS, but the problem I have with multiple OS is that "there is no such thing as a Mac gamer" and Linux has not reached the Windows/Mac "height" yet...

There are plenty of gamers using both platforms. Ubuntu, a very popular Linux distribution, is used by many gamers (gaming section of Ubuntu's forums).

If you use cross-platform libraries from the start, it's no trouble for you to make the games for multiple platforms (the game can run anywhere those libraries can). You've got nothing to lose, and you gain more players, and also more money if you plan to sell what you make. Some types of games exist without a Linux/Mac "equivalent", so depending on what you're making, it could be just what people are looking for. Your game will certainly get more word-of-mouth if it's available for anyone not on Windows.

Instead of using OpenGL directly, consider using a rendering engine such as Irrlicht or OGRE. You'll also need a sound library, possibly networking, etc. An advantage of choosing separate libraries is you can choose what you like the best, and the quality of them can be higher since they have only one purpose. If you choose to use a gaming engine that tries to do everything, it may lack in certain areas, or just be average in all of them due to not having a central focus on any aspect.

Cube Engine 2 is a pretty nice engine but it's FPS focused since it's built for Sauerbraten. Since it's open source, you can do anything with it. A side scrolling game has been made with it, for instance. It's only limited by how much you do with its code. The networking is unique and lets even dial-up users play, which also increases the amount of players, since they don't have many other FPS games to play. The level format and the way levels are created is also unique, plus level editing is done in the game so it's much less complex than other games requiring an external editing program. The graphics are good, and the engine has modern features like bloom and bumpmapping, but that's not the focus of the engine/game. It has pre-built packages for Linux, Mac, and Windows, but it can be built for BSD as well.

[fastidio]

Hi everybody

For my little experience and knowledge, I suggest you the DX environment: it's powerful and easy-to-use (VisualStudio IDE is the best IDE I ever seen for games, web and progs) but you can develop only for Windows and Xbox 360.
It seems a big limit but the biggest part of games are "running" on those platform; developing on PS3 is harder for example and expensive, as I heard.

You should see the DX and the XNA framework.

[mephis]

I would personally go for SDL.
It's a graphics/sound/network API and it is cross-platform. Even if you're only planning on developing for windows (at the moment), if you ever decide to expand to other OS'es it would be easier to just recompile for the target systems than to change the code extensively.