Ultimately...
... not that good. It's unfortunate that the only book dedicated to php game programming really falls short on many levels. The main problem with this book, is it jumps from the very basics of php and mysql to extremely advanced topics all within a matter of a few pages... entirely omitting users of intermediate php/mysql knowledge. The book has a chapter about creating a MMO (my sole purpose for buying the book).. yet it doesn't tell you anything about HOW to make the MMO. The source code for the MMO has 150+ files, yet the chapter is only 20 pages long...
The author does a great job explaining how to use php and mysql.. including great instructions for installation... the problem is that other books dedicated to learning these subjects do it better. This book should be about learning how to program a game in php/mysql, and it's not. This book is a book about learning the basics of php/mysql with some source code WAY more advanced than anything the book will cover. If you're advanced enough to decipher the authors code, then you don't need this book in the first place becaues you could already make games if you wanted. This book contains no content on game planning or design.
The author write effectively.. I'd love for him to take a second pass at writing this... perhaps sit down and write a book dedicated to teaching you how to program a game. The MMO that comes within the book is certainly complex enough to deserve a book of it's own. Ultimately, this book is 280 pages long.. you cannot teach someone how to make a game in php/mysql in 280 pages.
I'd love to see an author write a book that illustrates making a game from concept to design to code... the how and the why of the processes, and have it return a good game you can use as a foundation for creating other game.
I really looked forward to getting this book before it was published. Now almost a year later, having been through the book 3 times fully, I can say I'm no closer to having any idea how to make a game than when I started.
