C# for Game Programming

Question

I'm about to start programming a 3D game but i don't know which language to choose. i've read that C# performs slower than C++, but C# is far easier to code, especially for threading and object oriented work. What would the performance difference be between C++ and C++ for .net? However, the crucial point for the choice is obviously performance. How would you rate the following languages performance-wise when it comes to 3D game prgoramming with DirectX or OpenGL? C# :: C++ .net :: C++ :: Java cheers

ssswamii · Answer

Using mixed native C++ and managed C++ can actually be slower than a pure managed app especially for games. The Quake II port over to managed code ran 10 frames per second slower than the native Quake because all they did was turn on the /clr switch. If you use pure managed C# code with the managed DirectX 9 SDK you can achieve 95-98% of the performance you'd get with native C++ and native DirectX. Native C++ is faster than managed code sure. On the other hand C# and other managed languages will give you a big productivity boost due to things like automatic garbage collection a unified type system type safety automatic array bounds checking built-in collections etc. A good example: The managed DirectX 9 samples in the DirectX SDK will have about 20-50% less code than their native counterparts. But they will run slightly slower than the native examples. So it's all up to you - if you demand speed use native C++. If you value rapid application development and high productivity over app performance use C# or another managed language. I'm a hobbyist game programmer but I've been around long enough to offer some advice I suggest you take heed to: small independent games almost NEVER get finished. It's the cold sad truth. The process takes too long and requires too large a commitment. Given that C# would greatly improve productivity and cut down on development time I personally would choose that over a native C++ implementation for that reason alone.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

I would still bet on C++. If you use C++ .NET you can use both managed and unmanaged code. You may also want to look at DirectX 9 and try it with C# and C++.