Unit 22 Developing Computer Games

Welcome, Haringey Sixth Form Centre students!

Keyword exercises 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, || Blockbuster Quiz 1, 2, 3 General ICT, thinkuknow? || Samples I prepared || Marking Criteria || my Blockbuster history || The LATEST version || testing || Qs_1 || Qs_2 || Qs_3

Flash CS3 practical Worksheets - Ex1 || Ex2 || Ex3 || Ex4 || Ex5 || Ex6 || Ex7 (Breakout) || Ex8 (Alien) || P3 || test||Drawingboard || Fruits || homework_sheet2_answered || Sample folio ||

IF YOU EVER MISS A LESSON, CATCH UP BEFORE THE NEXT ONE.

 

Level 2 is expected to be "independently created"

Once tested working, the evidence should be presented (part of P4)

Before creating Level 2 of the game

Must collect the evidence for the folio - part of P4.

• The graphics - annotated
• The code - commented FULLY, every line!

See samples

"Level 1 Completed!"

QUESTION: How to complete a level of the game?

ANSWER: This can be broken down to several questions: How to set up the threshold for a level to be completed? How to clean the stage? How to display the message? How to set up buttons for next level or replay?

REAL ANSWERS: check the answers given in booklets.

 

Lesson 8 Hit Test

To check if two objects collided (one hit the other, such as the bullet hits the target)

Use the function hitTestObject(obj); Update information when hit

if(ball.hitTestObject(brick1){
  score += 10;
  scoreDisplay.text = String(score);
  }

When testing, try to move the brick into the course of the ball to ensure it does hit.

Lessonn 7 Display Dynamic Information

• Don't forget to take SCREENSHOTS and save them
• Some information can be predetermined, such as "INSTRUCTIONS". Use STATIC TEXT for this type of information.
• Some information changes during the course of the game, such as the score or the level. Use DYNAMIC TEXT for this type of information.
• Create a layer below "actions" and above "graphcis". Call it "displays"
• Add a TextField by hand, set it as DYNAMIC, and call it "scoreDisplay" (on KF2!)
• In the code panel, write the following code
  • scoreDisplay.text ="You need to write the code if you want to see me updated regularly.";
• Test it and you should see the quoted text displayed on screen.
• Create a display for LIVES and LEVEL, set up the labels for all of them
• Copy the following code
• on KF2, comment out the code for the mouse event (CLICK) handler (e.g. //gotoAndPlay(1);
• Place "var score :int =0; " outside the handler
• Inside the handler, add the following
  • score += 10;
  • scoreDisplay.text = String(score);
• Homework: Annotate your screenshots
• The code should look like:

  button2.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, handleCLICK);
  var score:int = 0;
  function handleCLICK(e:MouseEvent){
             //gotoAndStop(1);
             score += 10;
             scoreDisplay.text = String(score);
  }

Lesson 6 Create Interactivity

• Continue from last lesson,
• Add code to let one object respond to mouse event or mouse movement (see code)

  inside the ENTER_FRAME event handler, add 
  "paddle.x = mouseX; paddle.y = mouseY; "
  
  or 

  paddle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, handleClick);
  function handleClick(e:MouseEvent){
  ballSpeed = ballSpeed/2;
  }

• Add code to let one object respond to keyboard event (see code)

stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, handleKeyDown); 
function handleKeyDown(e:KeyboardEvent){          
  	if(e.keyCode ==32){          
       ballSpeed = ballSpeed/2;
	}
} 

change your original code of movement
ball.x += 5; into ball.x += ballSpeed;

Take screenshots, especially the "Complier Error" ones

Homework: Annotate the screenshots. Annotate all your codes, in detail! Update your pseudo code.

Deadline: 4pm Tuesday 29th, together with your storyboard if not handed in yet.

Lesson 5 Create 2 Key Frames (KF) and Objects

• Ensure you have completed the exercises above, at least 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. Then FOLLOW Ex7
• The menu frame will be similar for everyone, no matter what game you will create.
• Create KF1 for the menu frame - 3 or more movie clips ready for button
• Create KF2 for level 1 of the game - create 1 object (movie clip) for each of your objects in your game. Create one "BACK" button on this KF. The objects will vary according to your game design!
• Then add a layer called ACTIONS to write the code
• Use code to allow "PLAY" button to play the movie to KF2 and "BACK" button to go back to KF1
• Use code to allow the objects move (continuously)
• Ask questions on my web page - SO I CAN HELP YOU ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS WHEN GOOGLING.
• As you are doing the above, take screenshots of the important stuff, save them in a Word document.
• Homework - annotate the Word documents (the screenshots collected)

Lesson 4 Pseudo Code and Choice of language

See the link P3 above

Lesson 3 Complete P3 + more practical skills

IF statement - when to use it and how to use it => to compare and make a decision. For eaxample, if (myBox.x >=550) { myBox.x = 0;} else {//do nothing;}

For loop - when to use and how to use - to repeat certain action. For eaxample, for( var i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {// do something; trace ("The number is : " + i + "\n"}

Lesson 2 Complete P3

Lesson 1 Practical work to prepare for P3 and M1

• More code to use String
• Study the code to identify data types
• M1 - describe the data types and their use: how to declare, assign value, compare -hand in - end of lesson.

  Declare	Assign a value	Comparison
  var i : int;	i = 10;	if(i == 10){trace (i + 100);}
  var myScore : Number;	myScore = 1000;	if(myScore >= 100){trace("Well done! You have more than 100 points!");}
  var msgDisplay : TextField;	msgDisplay = new TextField(); msgDisplay.text = myText;	if(msgDisplay.text !=""){trace ("There is a message");}
  var myText :String;	myText = "This is a string of letters which make up the String object";	if(myText == "Hi"){trace ("You are rude!");}

• P3 - the idea, the promotional pitch (started), the storyboard, the action list, pseudo code for one or two frames, research on Flash and Actionscript 3.0 and detail its pros and cons, test plan (use the template in the book)
• P3 deadline - in 3 lessons + free periods - i.e. 10th November 2pm

Half term holidays

• ExtDip: hand in P1 & P2 printout, email me the flash file - the required interactivities must be working.
• Dip: hand in P1 and P2 draft

Lesson 8 Hand in All completed work

• P1, P2 and part of P3. The practical exercise will be examed in lesson -
• Must have a working file like the demo or better.
• Code should be annotated - identiy the key terms and describe the functions (This is where you get your Pseudo code!)

Lesson 7 Practical Skills - Graphics

• Flash CS3 first Demo and Exercise
• Install the free trial Flash CS5 to practise at home.

Lesson 6 Design A Game (3)

• High concept and Promotion pitch, Plus the storyboard
• Individually - 2 or more game ideas for TEENAGERS to play
• Share with group or pair
• Share with the class
• Compile a list of ideas
• Choose one for your storyboard and sales pitch (promote it to get financial support)
• Before designing anymore - look at the practical skills in Flash CS3 then come back to design the necessary documents.
• the samples and "Flash CS3 TUTORIALS" on google.com and youtube.com
• actionscript tutorials on google.com and youtube.com

Leson 5 Design A Game (2)

Case Study - Metal Gear Solid - how it was designed.

• Staff
• Script
• Chronicle, Instructions and Storyboard
• Sketches (character, background)
• Program
• Sound

Q: Are the job titles different from your research? Try to match those doing the same type of job.

Q: What is the sequence of actions in the development of the game? List them in the right order.

Share with your partner and discuss the differences you might have.

Design Process Tasks (P3 Produce a design for a computer game for a given specification )

 

Leson 5 Design A Game (1)

"Anthophobia is the fear of flowers."

Successful games of large or low budgets have certain common features, such as they are all researched thoroughly before making the game; they all have well planned the necessary actions and components before implementing the codes. There is a system development lifecycle, a methodology, to follow to ensure that kind of success.

Lifecycle

1. Analyse the problem
2. Design the actions
3. Implement the plans
4. Test the product
5. Publish and Support

At each stage the number of people involved and their roles vary. Research the job titles in gaming industry, research their functions and see which stage they are mainly involved with.

 

 

Lesson 4 Psychologic factors of/in games

Psychologic factor

Evidence for the folio: A presentation for the class

Lesson 3 Concerns about games

Click here

Evidence: Discussion recorded in any form -

Lesson 2 Platforms of games

check out this one.

Lesson 1 Genres of games

 

Unit introduction (specification)

Assessment - A working game AND a professional folio.

8 genres - Action Game, Strategy Game, RPG, ... Simulation Game, Educational Game, Sports Game, Adventure Game,

Genres discussion - Describe a game you like, to the group and then class

Create an A3 poster to inform the audience about the genres. (see the worksheet below)

click here

 

Task sheets

http://asgamer.com/2009/as3-flash-games-for-beginners-more-advanced-character-movement

http://playerio.com/documentation/reference/multiplayer/playerio.gamelibrary.game