The Essential Guide to Flash Games


Book Description

The Essential Guide to Flash Games is a unique tool for Flash game developers. Rather than focusing on a bunch of low-level how-to material, this book dives straight into building games. The book is divided into specific game genre projects, covering everything from old classics such as a Missile Command-style game, to hot new genres such as retro evolved. The chapters build in complexity through the book, and new tools are introduced along the way that can be reused for other games. The game projects covered start simple and increase in complexity as more and more tools are added to your tool chest. Ten full game projects are discussed in detail. Each solves a very different game development problem and builds on the knowledge gained from the previous project. Many advanced game development techniques are covered, including particle systems, advanced controls, artificial intelligence, blitting, scrolling, and more.




The Essential Guide to Flash Games


Book Description

The Essential Guide to Flash Games is a unique tool for Flash game developers. Rather than focusing on a bunch of low-level how-to material, this book dives straight into building games. The book is divided into specific game genre projects, covering everything from old classics such as a Missile Command-style game, to hot new genres such as retro evolved. The chapters build in complexity through the book, and new tools are introduced along the way that can be reused for other games. The game projects covered start simple and increase in complexity as more and more tools are added to your tool chest. Ten full game projects are discussed in detail. Each solves a very different game development problem and builds on the knowledge gained from the previous project. Many advanced game development techniques are covered, including particle systems, advanced controls, artificial intelligence, blitting, scrolling, and more.




Real-World Flash Game Development


Book Description

This book covers Flash for the everyday developer. The average Flash developer doesn't have luxurious timelines, employers who understand the value of reusability, or the help of an information architect to design a usable experience. This book helps bridge the gap for these coders who may be used to C++, Java, or C# and want to move over to Flash. Griffith covers real-world scenarios pulled from his own experiences developing games for over 8 years in the industry. Gifts from Griffith's REAL-WORLD experiences include: Game design templates and pre-written scripts to automate tasks within Flash; Classes for handling common math computations used in gaming, so that game developers can see how to set up a simple game flow; Powerful debugging tools for your games(debuggers for Flash games are hard to come by, and this book provides them for you). The associated web site offers: Code from the game examples in the book with fully build-able source files. Additional code snippets, classes, and utilities. Scripts for automating tedious and repetitive tasks within Flash. Template game-design documents for planning game proposals in the same manner outlined in the book. Links to other helpful online resources for both Flash and game development.




The Essential Guide to Flash CS4 AIR Development


Book Description

We all know what a great tool Flash is for creating dynamic, engaging web content, and Adobe's CS4 release just makes it even better. Among the newer features is the ability to take all the power of Flash for the Web and put in on the desktop using AIR. AIR capability is built right into the Flash CS4 integrated development environment, which means you can start writing desktop applications right away. This book not only covers the essentials of using Flash with AIR (and AIR with Flash), but also shows you how to extend application functionality in new ways. Once you've got Flash on the desktop, you're no longer constrained by the limitations of running inside a web browser. You'll have access to the local desktop file system, and AIR adds SQLite functionality for native database support. And just as Flash animations have a consistent look and feel across browsers, AIR allows you to create applications that work consistently across operating systems—Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. For any Flash developer who wants to go from the Web to the desktop (and who doesn't?), this book is required reading. It not only tells you how to do it, but is full of practical, easy-to-follow examples that will have you building desktop AIR applications with Flash in no time. Expanding your existing Flash skills with the Essential Guide to Flash CS4 AIR Development will make you an even more potent and indispensable force on any development team!




AdvancED Game Design with Flash


Book Description

Creating games in Flash is a never-ending journey of exploration, learning, and most of all, fun. Once you’ve mastered the basics, a new world is opened up to you, enabling you to take your existing skills to the next level and discover new skills that will in turn open new doors. This book is a direct continuation of Foundation Game Design with Flash, and is a complete point-by-point roundup of the most important skills a Flash game designer needs to know. You’ll increase your ActionScript knowledge and your game design skills while creating some excellent example games. You’ll learn advanced collision detection skills; professional AI and pathfinding; and how to load and save game data, create destructible environments, and build and switch game levels. Each chapter highlights a new advanced technique illustrated by practical examples. Examples of games are given in a variety of genres, all of which take an object-oriented programming approach. Advanced game design topics are covered, including vector-based collision reaction, pathfinding, billiard ball physics, and modeling game data.




Box2d for Flash Games


Book Description

This book is a step by step guide to create games with Box2D explained in a simple and friendly way. Are you familiar with ActionScript3 and want to explore the capabilities of physics in game design using Box2D, then this book is for you. You don't have to be an AS3 hero: if you know how to create classes and functions with AS3, then you can make your first physics game!




Flash Multiplayer Virtual Worlds


Book Description

Build immersive, full-featured interactive worlds for games, online communities, and more.




The Essential Guide to Flex 2 with ActionScript 3.0


Book Description

This is a comprehensive tutorial and reference guide to ActionScript 3, Flex, and Flexbuilder 2 that teaches readers everything they need to know about these new technologies, from the very beginning, right through advanced topics. Readers will need general web development experience, and ideally have Flash and ActionScripting experience, although this isn't essential. This book is one of the first to offer thorough coverage of these new technologies. The author, Charles E. Brown, is an acknowledged expert in Flash development and training. His in-depth knowledge of application development and effective teaching methods is evident on every page of this essential handbook.




The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction


Book Description

FEATURING ESSAYS FROM: Barrie Jean Borich • Jenny Boully • Norma Elia Cantú • Rigoberto González • Philip Graham • Carol Guess • Jeff Gundy • Robin Hemley • Barbara Hurd • Judith Kitchen •Eric LeMay • Dinah Lenney • Bret Lott • Patrick Madden• Lee Martin • Maggie McKnight • Brenda Miller •Kyle Minor • Aimee Nezhukumatathil • Anne Panning • Lia Purpura • Peggy Shumaker • Sue William Silverman • Jennifer Sinor • Ira Sukrungruang • Nicole Walker Unmatched in its focus on a concise and popular emerging genre, The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction features 26 eminent writers, editors, and teachers offering expert analysis, focused exercises, and helpful examples of what make the brief essay form such a perfect medium for experimentation, insight, and illumination. With a comprehensive introduction to the genre and book by editor Dinty W. Moore, this guide is perfect for both the classroom and the individual writer’s desk—an essential handbook for anyone interested in the scintillating and succinct flash nonfiction form. How many words does it take to tell a compelling true story? The answer might surprise you.




Beginning Game Programming with Flash


Book Description

If you are new to game programming and want to learn how to create dynamic, robust, and fun 2D games, "Beginning Game Programming with Flash" is the book for you! Written for introductory game programming students and other enthusiasts, the book begins with an overview of the Flash graphical user interface (GUI), explaining the four main components of the Flash authoring environment: the stage, timeline, tools and panels, and symbols. Once you are comfortable working with the GUI, you'll dive into using ActionScript, the language used to write code in Flash, which controls the graphics, sound files, and interactivity between the player and the game assets. As you work through the book you'll discover how to create a storyboard for a game, add animation and visual effects, insert movie clips and sound files, apply math and physics concepts to make game objects move, and develop and test a Flash game. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions walk you through each step of the game-building process, and end-of-chapter exercises, tutorials, and games-based projects help you reinforce and apply the concepts you have learned. "Beginning Game Programming with Flash" covers all the essential elements of game programming, making it a comprehensive and fun guide for beginning game programmers.