From: Brett Leslie Porter <blp01 AT uow DOT edu DOT au>
Message-Id: <199708050141.LAA17102@wumpus.its.uow.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Check out my demo game!
To: lonniem AT cs DOT utexas DOT edu (Lonnie McCullough)
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 11:41:46 +1000 (EST)
Cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com (DJGPP)
In-Reply-To: <33e66c46.1359089@news.nol.net> from Lonnie McCullough at "Aug 5, 97 00:04:33 am"
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> 
> Well I don't use Allegro but I think libraries like it are good things
> because some people coming over to DJGPP from real mode compilers want
> instant results, and in a protected mode environment that's just not
> very feasible.  Alot of people want to program games, I know I do.
> You see Quake and you know it was done with DJGPP and you want to do
> games because of it.  Allegro provides a library that does not have a
> steep learning curve and provides very good performance.  I myself
> take the DIY approach and I understand alot more about protected mode
> programming than I did just months ago because of it, but some people
> may not want that right away.  Eventually I think all good programmers
> seek to understand how things are accomplished but even the best need
> a springboard sometimes.  Just my $.02
> 
I am of the same opinion. I have not even looked at Allegro yet (I intend 
to though), but I am very worried about using libraries, even if they are 
ones you buy. You are never quite sure what goes into them, which is why 
DJGPP is so great, because almost everything comes with source, so you 
can breathe a little easier :)

Libraries can provide a great springboard, as you say, but is looking 
over documentatio and source, and above all, getting in there and having 
a hack yourself that you learn more about the machines and become able to 
write quicker, task-specific code.

Like you say, Quake (to the best of my knowledge) has its own code for 
sound/video, etc. They wouldn't use many libraries.

Well there's my 2 cents worth. If this continues, soon we'll be a very 
rich newsgroup! ;)

Brett Porter