QA

Q&A

Q1:	Why is screen resolution such a big deal for games ?
A1:	Screen resolution is the physical size of the screen, not in inches, but in pixels. Most screens these days are set at a resolution of 800x600 or greater. You can check your own resolution in Windows by right-clicking on the Desktop and then selecting Properties in the drop-down menu. Click the Settings tab in the Display Properties dialog box, and you'll be able to see your screen resolution in the lower portion of the box. You can experiment with different resolutions by dragging the slider control around. Games you develop later in the book avoid the varying resolution problem by focusing on a specific game screen size.
Q2:	Should I invest in game development tools?
A2:	The answer to this question has a lot to do with how serious you are about developing games and how much money you have to spend . There is no arguing that good development tools can make certain parts of the game development process much easier. However, I would recommend spending some time with free or inexpensive tools initially so that you can gain an appreciation for what the higher end tools have to offer. Having said that, you certainly won't go wrong by investing in a quality development environment with a C++ compiler, such as Microsoft Visual C++. If there is one tool to recommend buying, the compiler would be the one; this is mainly because you can find surprisingly good shareware graphics and sound editors out there. Please see Appendix B for more information about the different compilers and development environments available for Windows game development.