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[Draknek]

I'll either be giving a talk on this soon or helping someone else do so.

I think I've got everything out of my head and into a presentation now: http://www.draknek.org/games/gameinaweek.pdf

The intended audience is people who haven't done game development previously, but hopefully it should all be equally applicable for the more experienced.

Feedback would be very much appreciated!

[dcco]

In a specific PL, or just all languages in general?

[Draknek]

Any language: it's about the planning rather than the actual programming aspects.

[SelfTitled]

Slides are well written, short and simple.

[pen]

"If it doesn't look impressive, add particles"
I lol'd - and also agreed. Because every time I see particles in pixel games I go  . Seriously, since I havn't made any games yet I'm in the dark when it comes to how easy/hard it is to add particles. They're simply amazing and wonderful!

[Martin 2BAM]

I would recommend FlashDevelop+Flixel instead of GM.
It's way more useful on the long run (i.e. you can work doing Flash games)

I also liked the particle comment  :D, it's completly true. And as SelfTitled said, it's short, simple and really useful.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

but their goal isn't to learn something that's useful in the long run, it's to make a game in a week. and if you want to make your first game in a week gm is probably one of the best choices and learning a full language like as3 probably one of the worst choices, even with flixel

[dbb]

This is really cool. I loved

"Think of something REALLY simple. - no, simpler."

Personally, I had to learn this the hard way, after starting and abandoning six or seven ridiculously over-ambitious projects. Since then I've lowered my sights repeatedly, and as a result am actually learning how to make games, rather than how to make mockups of games in Photoshop.

[Martin 2BAM]

I think the presentation aims at current developers.

If you don't have any knowledge in developing at all, it will be really hard to make a game in a week anyway.

If you don't know GM already, it's better to learn a more usable language... and afterwards make a game in a week.

Regards

[mirosurabu]

GM is a bad language for a first game (in a week or not). KnP and Construct are better choices.

But, in any case, if you want more freedom I think learning Flixel would be better than learning GM. Flixel and AS3 are really really simple.

[Draknek]

I actually run Linux, so have no experience using Game Maker/Construct myself...

But since this is targeted at people who may have no programming experience, I feel that Game Maker/Construct are a significantly better choice than "learn a programming language".

Even if you can program, if you've not made games before then I think you'll still be more productive in a week-long timeframe using a game-making tool (although maybe Flixel could match them: I must take another look at it).

[Wilson Saunders]

Nice presentation. I like the fact you are encouraging them to keep it simple. I think the time line is important especially for first time game developers. That whole not knowing where to start can be kind of intimidating.

I suggest the following sequence:
Open a blank window in your language/library of choice
Take user input and do something on screen with it. ( ball following mouse around)
Handle timer events (ball in continuous motion bouncing off walls)
Implement one game play mechanic simple ones first
*paddle follows mouse
*ball bounces off paddle uniformly
*ball bounces off paddle relative to where on the paddle it hits
*check for loss state (ball passes paddle and off back side of screen
*check for win state (ball passes opponent's paddle)
*score keeping
*menu, instructions, and credit screens.

Don't set a time frame for them but stress that each step while small is vital for the next step to succeed. 

[rogerlevy]

I hate particles.

I'm gonna read this now.



Edit: That was great.  I think I'm gonna use this.  Thanks for making it!

[Gagege]

I think this is all great advice but I love the timeline part. I'd like to hear the actual talk.

[ChevyRay]

GM was a great choice for a first game, you guys are nuts. I'm way glad I started working with GM before anything else. It's easy to learn new languages for me now, but if I had tried making games in AS3 or C++ way back when I started with GM, they never would have happened. Perhaps this is dependent on your age and level of intelligence/experience with coding/games when you start, but if so, say that, don't go saying that GM is a bad start when it's not.

At all.

[Martin 2BAM]

Yeah well, I started with Visual Basic

So your point is valid.

[dbb]

Yeah, speaking as someone who's good at graphics and crap at progamming, Game Maker rocks. Before I encountered GM my only experience of programming was writing scripts in VBA for work, and, way back, a bit of basic on the Spectrum. I'd pretty much given up on ever being able to see my own graphics in games; I mean, yeah, I knew that in theory I could sit down and spend a couple of years learning C++, but the prospect of such epic slog put me off even starting. Now I've been using GM for a bit and am starting to appreciate its limitations, and yeah, if I keep going with this indie gaming thing there may come a day when I want to try more powerful languages or engines, but for now, GM is fine.

[ChevyRay]

I have to say, AS3 + Flixel IS also a good idea, a lot of the back-end work is done for you, and it can't take that long to pick up either. But, like he said, this is about the planning more than the programming, so doing this in Game Maker is just as good as anything else.

Haha, I like your short + sweet bullet points in this...

● Networking
● Physics
● 3D graphics

Odd that you put mtPaint (if you hate yourself) in there, instead of something like Paint.NET, which is quite reputable and nice to use.

● Your priority is to make it fun immediately
– Then you make it funner
● Don't spend too long on graphics
● Don't underestimate sound/music
● If it doesn't look impressive, add particles
● Don't be afraid to fail

Haha, excellent. But please, in the future, try to avoid usage of the word funner, it makes me twitch.

Cool read.

[Draknek]

Odd that you put mtPaint (if you hate yourself) in there, instead of something like Paint.NET, which is quite reputable and nice to use.

Haha, my friend loves mtPaint so I put that in mostly to rib on him. Personally I can't work out how the hell to do anything with it, but it does make a lot of pixel art stuff really convenient (if you can get past the inaccessibility).

Haha, excellent. But please, in the future, try to avoid usage of the word funner, it makes me twitch.

It's meant to be ironic? Or something...

[ChevyRay]

Oh okay, if it was a joke then it's all fine heheh.

Also, I've never personally tried mtPaint, so I can't comment on it. But Paint.NET is quite handy, starts up fast, and is quite easy to use in general.