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[Glaiel-Gamer]

Could you describe how you learned Flash, Glaiel? Did you just learn everything yourself based on the reference manual, or did you learn by example, or etc.? I.e. what would you suggest is the best way to learn it?

I learned by reading the sample code in the games that came with flash MX (version 6). I had no previous knowledge of programming, and I was like 12 years old so my brain was a sponge.

I didn't know what the internet was at the time really, other than occasionally using it to look up something.

Then 5 years of practice.

Basically since you probably already know the basics of coding, I would find an open source flash game and look at its code and try to make something DIFFERENT than it.

Also, learn to animate in it first. Their whole engine is based off of their animation structure, so you need to know all the terminology that goes along with it.

[Edmund]

Oh, also: can you use game controllers / joysticks with Flash?

No, unfortunately--that's one of my few complaints about it.

yes you can.. man you guys are out of the loop. tommy made flash joystick about a year ago. i use it on all my games

and alec, you should talk to tommy if you want to play around with flash, he learned it in a few days... hes not happy with it, but he can make anything with it at this point. we will be doing a new flash game in a few weeks.

i think its time tyler and i bridged the gap between indie GM designers and flash designers!!! TO THE FUTURE OF GOOD FLASH GAMES!!!

[Alec]

and alec, you should talk to tommy if you want to play around with flash, he learned it in a few days... hes not happy with it, but he can make anything with it at this point. we will be doing a new flash game in a few weeks.

Sweet, i'll do that.

[Alec]

Blood Omen is great. It was really creepy too, with pretty interesting characters (especially those enemies you had to kill that were associated with those pillars). I need to replay it one day.

Woah, someone else remembers Blood Omen. 

[Glaiel-Gamer]

yes you can.. man you guys are out of the loop. tommy made flash joystick about a year ago. i use it on all my games

way to paraphrase you SOB!

[Craig Stern]

Oh, also: can you use game controllers / joysticks with Flash?

No, unfortunately--that's one of my few complaints about it.

yes you can.. man you guys are out of the loop. tommy made flash joystick about a year ago. i use it on all my games

Interesting. Is something like this what you're talking about?

[Paul Eres]

Who is tommy?

And yes, I still remember that funny Fay Victus! shout that he'd shout every time he killed an enemy (or was it every time he hit four times in a row?). And wow, the FMV opening to that game looks so outdated now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_11r1yE3FI

[Edmund]

Who is tommy?

And yes, I still remember that funny Fay Victus! shout that he'd shout every time he killed an enemy (or was it every time he hit four times in a row?). And wow, the FMV opening to that game looks so outdated now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_11r1yE3FI

Tommy Refenes, he made Goo! and Grey Matter with me.

[Paul Eres]

Thanks, will email him if I get stuck while learning it. Still not sure where to start, though. Perhaps in Wikipedia under actionscript?

[Craig Stern]

Thanks, will email him if I get stuck while learning it. Still not sure where to start, though. Perhaps in Wikipedia under actionscript?

No. This is the best place to get started with tutorials, IMHO:

http://www.gotoandplay.it/

Also very good:

http://www.kirupa.com/

[Edmund]

Thanks, will email him if I get stuck while learning it. Still not sure where to start, though. Perhaps in Wikipedia under actionscript?

Tyler (glaiel) would probably be the guy to ask if you run into anything, he has more experience with flash... but he might just tell you to fuck off... word on the street is hes a huge SOB
 

[increpare]

screw it; there's enough love floating about in here that I'll jump on the bandwagon as well; I think my next game should work reasonably well in flash.  My main reservation is the change in character you get from running a game in a browser window...you can't really establish ambiance in the same ways that you can when fullscreen(I know you can run flash games fullscreen, but I wouldn't be making things in flash to make them fullscreen).  I guess I'll never really try to figure out how to deal with these issues unless I give it a try first-hand.

(though unity is also mighty sexy)

Their whole engine is based off of their animation structure, so you need to know all the terminology that goes along with it.

tweeeeeeeeeen

[I_smell]

Hey look!  A poorly made game created in less than a week with mildly addictive gameplay that almost has 1 million views!

While my Crunchdown only has 0.75 million views to this day. Truly heartbreaking

Can Game Maker draw shapes dynamically? That's an easy job in Flash because it works in vectors, but I can't imagine you'd be able to do the same thing in GM. Like- Check out this prototype. The ball leaves a trail of particles and then Flash draws a shape around them, all scripted. This converssation's turning into a my software's better than yours argument though, which is almost embarrassing.

Oh, side note: There's a program called SWFStudio that can convert a Flash game file into a .exe. This means that anyone can download it, play it full-screen and right-click without the Flash menu coming up. I think it sometimes dents the framerate but I might be wrong. Just sayin.

[Eclipse]

99% of Flash games are indie? As in made by independent developers. Or do you have some special requirements before you can call your game Indie?

no, 99% are crap

[increpare]

Well, thanks for the motivation guys, I got my first flash doodle done today.  Hurrah