ForumsProgramming ForumLearning AS3

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NZJoe
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NZJoe
1 posts
Nomad

Hiya,
I've been thinking about doing this for a while, but have had no motivation. I tried a couple of years ago but it was quite difficult learning just from internet tutorials. I was thinking the best way would most likely buying a book or similar so I can learn base knowledge. I have Flash CS5.5 Professional to use, but I'm unsure how to start. Is there any tutorials, books etc that you recommend? Or how did you learn?

Thanks

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Darkroot
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Darkroot
2,763 posts
Peasant

Essential ActionScript 3.0. Also it's easy to start learning anything. It's like study habits really, if you have problems getting started then just tell yourself I'll just study for 5 mins really hard then I'll stop just for 5 mins. In reality you will probably keep reading since it will be novel information that is interesting and these book have a good continuous flow of information and interesting examples.

You can try project Euler if you have like grade 12 math and you can learn new simple mathematical concepts yourself otherwise just play with the language and most importantly actually try to code things and keep pushing yourself it's not enough you read the book you actually have to apply it.

manny6574
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manny6574
922 posts
Nomad

I wouldn't actually recommend that book for a starter in AS3, as it covers too much detail before you can understand it.

I used Learning ActionScript 3.0. I wanted to do games, so I also used http://www.amazon.com/ActionScript-Game-Programming-University-Edition/dp/0789747324/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337194767&sr=1-1 which uses examples applied to fully functional games. Only lately did I find the Moock book useful for more detailed understanding, and more complex parts of the language.

manny6574
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manny6574
922 posts
Nomad

oops

I also used Flash Game University which uses examples applied to fully functional games. Only lately did I find the Moock book useful for more detailed understanding, and more complex parts of the language.

Darkroot
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Darkroot
2,763 posts
Peasant

You're absolutely right I linked the wrong book but from my experience on the other hand learning as3 doesn't really have enough content.

manny6574
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manny6574
922 posts
Nomad

yes that's true, but it has enough to cover what you need to move on to the details of Moock's book

jasonjie88
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jasonjie88
28 posts
Nomad

AdvancED Actionscript 3.0. It's the sequel to Essential Actionscript 3.0. It teaches how to make isometric worlds, how to make 3D, how to use the Flash Drawing API, integrate advanced physics (including the stuff you find in those games where you chuck stuff around, that's ragdoll physics) and use Pixel Bender. It is an absolutely incredible book. I have only read half of it. You will never get bored of it.

jasonjie88
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jasonjie88
28 posts
Nomad

Flash Game University is an okay book. It does teach how to build a fully functional game. To be quite frank, though, it is more of a game instructions manual than a functional Actionscript tutorial/ AS3 textbook. I don't think it would be of great use to a wannabe game developer, particularly one who must introduce new concepts to stun his/her audiences. However, it does build the foundations for the games, although I question some of its methods. I suggest using it with other tutorial books/textbooks.

jasonjie88
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jasonjie88
28 posts
Nomad

Flash Game University is an okay book. It does teach how to build a fully functional game. To be quite frank, though, it is more of a game instructions manual than a functional Actionscript tutorial/ AS3 textbook. I don't think it would be of great use to a wannabe game developer, particularly one who must introduce new concepts to stun his/her audiences. However, it does build the foundations for the games, although I question some of its methods. I suggest using it with other tutorial books/textbooks.

Carlytoon
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Carlytoon
324 posts
Nomad

Well, I didnt use any books to learn AS3, but most of the part of my experiencie goes to experimentation. When you learn something (books or tutorials) play with it, I dont know if this is a good learning technique, but I do it and now I have my moderate habilities in AS3.

Another tip is being patient, specialy when you try to learn your first language. Learning a language can took weeks or months.

Another tip is check THIS when you have trouble with something.

Anyway, if you have more questions feel free to ask me

Darkroot
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Darkroot
2,763 posts
Peasant

Learning a language can take weeks or months.


If you are learning programming for the first time it will take you quite a while maybe half a year or more to become semi-decent with the language itself and know some low level paradigms to it. But to actually program at a high level it will take you probably 10 years.

Flash Game University is an okay book. It does teach how to build a fully functional game. To be quite frank, though, it is more of a game instructions manual than a functional Actionscript tutorial/ AS3 textbook.


Well opening the book up you will see it's just a dissection of different games and tons of comments on how stuff works on a practical level. There will never be a functional actionscript book that is good because you can just borrow a java one and it's the same deal.
jasonjie88
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jasonjie88
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Nomad

Well opening the book up you will see it's just a dissection of different games and tons of comments on how stuff works on a practical level. There will never be a functional actionscript book that is good because you can just borrow a java one and it's the same deal.


I guess you're right.. it's just I've found better books to help program games, and while they were in AS3, they didn't necessarily deal with game development. I think this is not really a book one that is learning AS3 should start with. That's all. I'm not saying it's not a good book, it's just I wouldn't suggest it for beginners.

Learning a language can take weeks or months.


Well... not if you go to the right places. I started learning AS3 a year ago, and while I am still learning, I probably had the skills to code a month after learning how to use AS3. (Even now I'm only fourteen going fifteen in a couple of months, which I'm guessing would be a lot younger than most game devs on this forum.) It all boils down to sheer determination and just how much you want to learn it. It also depends on your past experience with languages. If you've learnt a language before, chances are, depending on the language, you could learn a second one. (I flipped through a beginner's book to C++ the other day, and while I haven't coded in C++ ever before, the language was relatively simple to understand, apart from a few things to understand.) Also, don't forget, all languages have some form of learning curve. From what I've heard from other devs, Actionscript has been generally considered to have a lower learning curve than Microsoft languages (C, C#, C++, Basic, etc.), which seem to be on average lower than Java. In other words, AS3 < C < Java. (However, I'm quoting other people and that's what they said. Also, don't take my word for it. Who knows, someone may pick up a Java book and understand it first try.)
manny6574
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manny6574
922 posts
Nomad

I found that Flash Game NIversity helped me a lot to understand the basic of actually making a gmae and various basic concepts that I somhow wasn't able to come up with myself. It was probably the book that taught me how to apply actionscript to a practical situation.

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