ForumsProgramming ForumProgramming beginner help?

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Xhosant
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Xhosant
4 posts
Blacksmith

Long story short: Most i know of programming is basic algorithms (to which i'm pretty fluent), i want to start working on flash games, I've got the whole summer to invest on at least getting myself started, but i'm not planning to spend money to that end.

Anyone think they have any tips and info and/or a link to help my case?

  • 10 Replies
arobegamr
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arobegamr
130 posts
Nomad

If you really want to learn flash extensively, you are going to have to be willing to put a little money into it.

However, the flash help documentation does give you everything you need to know to understand the language, but implementation is a different story. I learned alot from this:

Tile Based Games

It only gives you information of tile based games, but you can do alot with it, and it is a great place to start. Give yourself time to learn, and don't give up! Wish you luck.

Darkroot
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Darkroot
2,763 posts
Peasant

Most i know of programming is basic algorithms (to which i'm pretty fluent)


There is something deeply wrong about this statement in general. You might want to look up algorithms.

i want to start working on flash games
but i'm not planning to spend money to that end.


Those two sentences don't work together unless you want to use some website where you slap together a flash game without really coding.
I would recommend a different language if you don't want to spend any money and I wouldn't think that in 3 months you would be able to make anything but the most simplest of games.

My Recommendation: learn python then make a simple text rpg and maybe move up to pygame later. - cost: free
Secretmapper
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Secretmapper
1,748 posts
Nomad

Flash Develop is Free.

Darkroot
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Darkroot
2,763 posts
Peasant

Flash Develop for a beginner and make a game with it? I haven't see many flash develop games period.

pirateplatypusgames
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pirateplatypusgames
37 posts
Nomad

You can use the Flex SDK to make games. It's completely free. As far as I know, there's really no limit to what you can do with the Flex SDK in terms of programming. I'd recommend looking into some Flixel tutorials.

jasonjie88
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jasonjie88
28 posts
Nomad

You can try Stencyl, that is also free. Visit Kongregate for tutorials.

Flash is not that costly, it only makes itself out to be that way. Though, if you want to monetize your games, you probably should buy the full version. You could learn with the student-educator version, then when you are ready, you could buy the full version.

The full version of Flash is US $699.

The student-educator version is less than a third of that price, at US $199.

Oh yeah, and if you still want Flash, you could get Flash for neither $699 or $199, heh heh. (And no, I'm not helping you if you choose this option. Truth be told, you might want to give this option a miss. Especially if you don't want to be pulled out of your house feet first and put in a 6 by 4 foot room with barred windows.)

jasonjie88
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jasonjie88
28 posts
Nomad

I bought my full Flash version for $699 US and I do not regret it. Flash is expensive for a reason, and the potential profit you can make from it is unlimited. The sky is the limit. Literally. The only real limit is how creative you are. Trust me, if you are not willing to pay a lot for Flash, then you underestimate Flash's potential. (Either that, or you're broke.) Try a 30-day free trial of Flash. I only needed 10 to understand Flash's capability.

Secretmapper
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Secretmapper
1,748 posts
Nomad

Flash Develop for a beginner and make a game with it? I haven't see many flash develop games period.


Actually, a lot of flash developers use flash develop to make games, because it is quite robust. Even some people who have Flash Cs5 use Flash Develop, because it is an easier programming platform.
Darkroot
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Darkroot
2,763 posts
Peasant

Especially if you don't want to be pulled out of your house feet first and put in a 6 by 4 foot room with barred windows.)


Doesn't work like that :P.

@Secrematmapper suprising you are correct in the aspect of it being useful but like I said using it as the only tool to make flash game is not a good idea. Even better than Flash Develop is FDT which is development toolkit for Eclipse for flash and flex coding. But it's as expensive as Flash itself.
Secretmapper
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Secretmapper
1,748 posts
Nomad

Well, to recap, Xhosant yes Flash is probably what you want if you want to create a flash game as it contains 'everything' you need.
Flash Develop is free, but you are going to need more knowledge if you're going to make a game with it. While in Flash, 'everything' is in a single file (+classes), in Flash Develop, you have a folder structure like this:

Game
-assets
-bin-debug
-engine
-src

Because unlike flash that has a GUI for everything, you're going to need code for it to do everything.

So in a sense, Darkroot is correct, since it's not really a good idea if you are just starting out. However, if you do not mind the extra hassle (of studying) then it's a viable choice, especially so if you consider the fact that it is free.

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