Ok well I looked at the two sticky notes and I think we should have something a little more indepth. So here I go!
Step #1: Getting flash!
This will just be for using a payed for flash program, unfortunately I don't count Game Maker as a flash program because if you really want to get into game making you won't go near it. You will have to buy Adobe Flash CS3. Adobe is the best and smoothest program. It is absolutely necessary to have a program like this to help or thing will become unmanagable!
Unfortunately Flash comes at a hefty fee of $700
And I believe there is also a student price of $400 but I have only heard of this not seen this so don't count on it if you are a student.
Is Adobe Flash CS3 worth paying $700?
If you want to go into flash, it's necessary and you will have to get it. if you are not sure it is best to get the trial for which is good for 30 days, unfortunately that doesn't give you a good idea at all. I used flash for a month and thought it was hopeless... it only became cool and awesome after a few months of learning so I find it sad that they only give you a month.. it gives off the wrong impression of complication and confusion at first. But if you want to make real flash games this is 100% necessary and no way around it!
So in the end its up to you. Make sure you want to really get into it if you pay the price, or that you are rich enough that it won't matter!
Step #2: I have flash/flash trial! Now lets make games?
No.
Now it is time to start learning what you want to do. It might not be best to start with games and coding. It is probably better to start learning about the flash program itself and not game making. Understanding how the program works is important! I personally started by making little movies and slowly learned about Tweening and Buttons. Once I was decently good at this I started coding. But you might do different and just start gaming.
Should I buy a book about the flash program?
No. There is no need to learn from a book how to use flash, maybe a book for coding but if you need a book to learn how to use the program you shouldn't be using it. There is enough online to learn from, especially at the adobe site itself you find all you need. I learned by myself and I am stupid so I know you can too.
Step #3: Learning Actionscript!
I know how to use flash! Can I make age of war 2?
Yes.
Really?
No. Now it is time to learn how to do simple things! Like making an object move with arrow keys and such. It will take you a long time to be any good. A million problems will hit you in the face at once. There is no easy way to make gravity, ground walls and everything. Everything is done by scratch by you! It's time to decide what actionscript to use! Actionscript 2.0 is much easier to learn and is better for simple programs whereas Actionscript 3.0 is much more advanced and complicated and makes simple things harder to do, but in the end the results are a million times more amazing then AS2.
Ah! Actionscript 2.0 is easier? So use that of course?
NO! Lord no.
If you plan on making a decent game the help and orginization of Actionscript 3 will be needed! Although more work, it becomes easier for you and makes your life easier once you understand Actionscript 3.0. Also since it is newer and better every good coder is moving to AS3, and you can get much more help for it now.
So should I buy an Actionscript 3.0 book?
I would suggest one but some people have no capability to read an entire book full of boring explanations and would be better off learning from online. In the end it's your decision.
I would suggest it as it is a hard concept to grasp for a lot of people. I am about to buy a AS3 book called "ActionScript 3.0 Game Programming University" by Gary Rosenzweig which teaches simple game mechanics for as3 aswell as the basics of as3. There are many other books that teach AS3 and people will suggest other books and just choose whatever fits your needs.
I found code online! I will copy paste and just use it!
Nononononononononono.
People do this all the time and its not what you are suppose to do.
People do not put code online for you to steal it blatantly. The code is there to help you learn certain functions and ways to use it. Your game won't go far if you just steal the code and change the graphics. The code is there for you to learn from and one day maybe use a bit of it for you're game. Never base a game off code you took online. Because you will come into errors and not understand why because you just stole code and do not understand what it really does.
Where can I get tutorials to help me?
http://www.tutorialized.com/
http://www.kirupa.com/
I lived off these two guys for most coding I learned. And if you can't find what to need there then just go to google, type what you want and add as3 tutorial to it or as3 or actionscript 3 tut or whatever, try different combos. You tend to find what you need.
Example: I want to know how to make a ball bounce and cant find it on kirupa OR turorialized or anything!
Go to google and search 'ball bounce as3 tutorial' or How to make a ball bounce as3 tutorial' try different words!
I have a problem with my code and didn't steal it. Or a question on how to use a certain command, or if a certain command exists or how to do something?
There are many forums that you can ask if you can't find what you want on google or any sites:
http://www.actionscript.org/forums/
There are some very good people here, although you might get shunned and no one will answer you, that happened to me a few times. But when I get an answer it tends to be good.
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/
Although I have not posted here I have found some very helpful topics here that had interesting code for me to learn from and I am sure it is very good forum.
http://board.flashkit.com/board/
This is the second forum I use if AS.org forums fail. Also very smart people here that tend to answer me with very helpful info!
ArmorGames Programming Help Forums!(this one)
If all else fails post here. Sometimes someone knows something, I try to help as much as possible but there aren't the masses of actionscript people here like the other forums. Use us as a last resort! :D
Step #4: Graphics
This step is simple. You either learn to animate and draw yourself or get someone to do it for you. Alot of good graphics people exist in the Armorgames community. If you want to make something and can't draw, ask around
Step #5: What to put in game
Now you have the ability to make a game but what do you put in it? Well here is a few things you should have in a game that make it pleasant:
-Music
-Decent Graphics
-A Preloader
-A Menu
-A "How To Play" Section
-Mute button
-Highscore tables
-Pause button
-Ability to customize!
Step #6: Test and submit!
Once you believe you finished what you think is a complete game, get different people to test it and make sure it is fun, and that there are no errors. I personally just come here and ask AG'ers to play and give me opinions on what to do. They give me feedback and then you fix it to their liking. Once you think you have a complete game submit it to AG! Or anywhere to like!
Well that's all I can think of, hope people find this useful and hope I didn't forget anything important(which I probably did).
If you need any other information or help with anything(what books to buy, where to start, ANYTHING!) just send me an email(klaushouse@gmail.com) or send me a private message here on armorgames! Hope this was helpful, and good luck!
By the way this cost me another 10 euros of internet to write so appreciate it! >:D
