Game Programming and Development Tools

Bible verses in game – Jari

Jari

Member

Posts: 1471
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 03-11-2005
Hey, has any one ever used or knows a decent way to display Bible verses in your game fetching the verses from a file or external resource?
I mean instead of using copy and paste to include Bible verses where needed you would only have book name and chapter and verse number like: Matthew: 1 1 then the right text would be fetch from some sort of database?

This would be very useful if let the player decide in which Bible translation the verses are based on, from game options.

I have been doing some googling to figure what are commanly used e-Bible formats but I'm still unsure what would be the best way.

Thanks.

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Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

fingolfin

Member

Posts: 197
From: IL
Registered: 03-19-2005
yeah,It's called "ZIPscript" I got it in a CD that came with my bible... It only had the version that my bible is (ESV) and the KJV, but if you get the full version, it has all translations. Just type in the book and referance.
http://www.wordsearchbible.com/WORDsearch.htm
but it seems you have to buy the whole package...

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Try to explain divine election, and you may lose your mind, try to explain it away and you could lose your soul (my youth pastor quoting somebaody he can't remeber)

CoolJ

Member

Posts: 354
From: ny
Registered: 07-11-2004
What are you coding with?

I'm sure someone here has exactly what you need, but here's another way...

Check http://www.kitebird.com/mysql-cookbook/downloads.php, they have an example of using MySQL database with text and indexs for the KJV bible. The zip file include a KJV.txt file that is in probably the exact format you want for use or importing into the database. Each row of the file is like: O/N BOOK CHAPTER VERSE format
You might want to confirm that it is ok for you to use this file. It also gives files for easy setup and index setup into a MySQL database.

Or get a similarly preformatted bible version from:
http://unbound.biola.edu/

You could also use SQLLite (its public domain C based SQL database, people might have ported this to other languages as well) http://www.sqlite.org/

I don't know if this helps any...

Jari

Member

Posts: 1471
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 03-11-2005
Thanks for the replies. I'm coding with c++ and using mySQL since I'm making a MMOG.
I didn't get is that ZIPScript an API or what but those preformatted Bibles from http://unbound.biola.edu/ look like the best option at this point.

EDIT:
On a closer look to those preformatted Bible I realized that there is only one KJV Bible and the format is invalid when compared to others... And no NIV. =/

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Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

[This message has been edited by Jari (edited May 12, 2005).]

Jari

Member

Posts: 1471
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 03-11-2005
The SWORD seems like a decent option, has any one used it?

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Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

CoolJ

Member

Posts: 354
From: ny
Registered: 07-11-2004
The SWORD API looks really cool! Your probably right, this seems like a good choice. Here's an example they use of retrieving a verse:

RawText webster("modules/texts/rawtext/webster/", "Webster", "Webster Text");
webster.SetKey("jas 1:19");
cout << (const char *) webster;

short and sweet! nice!

I noticed that it supports compressed texts too. Very nice.

btw, you'll probably have to negotiate a license for NIV, they want $$$$$ usually (I wonder what royalties they pay to God?)

Jari

Member

Posts: 1471
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 03-11-2005
quote:
Originally posted by coolj:

btw, you'll probably have to negotiate a license for NIV, they want $$$$$ usually (I wonder what royalties they pay to God?)

Yeah all Bibles should be free.

I think I have to make a converter from SWORD format to my own since I'm using torque and it doesn't like STL not one bit.

Though e-Sword has many Bibles so covering that format too would probably be best. But e-Sword Bibles are actually MS access databases which I know nothing about.

EDIT:
Better start learning then...


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Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

[This message has been edited by Jari (edited May 12, 2005).]