The Game Maker's Apprentice (eBook)

Jacob Habgood worked in the U.K. games industry for seven years, writing console games for Gremlin Interactive and Infogrames/Atari. During this time, he contributed to a wide range of titles and lead the programming teams on MicroMachines (PS2, X-Box and Game Cube) and Hogs of War (PlayStation). Jacob is now a doctoral student at the University of Nottingham, researching the educational potential of computer games. As part of this research, Jacob runs clubs and workshops teaching children and teenagers how to make their own computer games, providing free activities and resources through his website: www.gamelearning.net.

Contents 7
Foreword 14
About the Authors 16
About the Technical Reviewer 17
About the Illustrator 18
Acknowledgments 19
Introduction 20
Part 1 Getting Started 23
Chapter 1 Welcome to Game Maker 24
Installing the Software 24
Registration 26
The Global User Interface 27
Running a Game 27
How to Get More Information 29
What’s Next? 29
Chapter 2 Your First Game: Devilishly Easy 30
Designing the Game: Evil Clutches 30
Sprites 31
Objects 34
Rooms 41
Save and Run 43
Instances and Objects 45
Demons, Baby Dragons, and Fireballs 45
Backgrounds and Sounds 54
Congratulations 57
Part 2 Action Games 59
Chapter 3 More Actions: A Galaxy of Possibilities 60
Designing the Game: Galactic Mail 60
Sprites and Sounds 61
Moons and Asteroids 64
Flying Around 69
Winning and Losing 75
Finishing Touches 79
Congratulations 82
Chapter 4 Target the Player: It’s Fun Being Squished 83
Designing the Game: Lazarus 83
An Animated Character 84
A Test Environment 90
Falling Boxes 91
Finishing Touches 96
Congratulations 101
Chapter 5 Game Design: Interactive Challenges 102
What Makes a Good Game? 102
Interactive Challenges 104
Challenges 105
Interactivity 109
Summary 113
Part 3 Level Design 115
Chapter 6 Inheriting Events: Mother of Pearl 116
Designing the Game: Super Rainbow Reef 116
A Game Framework 118
Bouncing Starfish 122
Biglegs 128
Parent Power 131
Lives 132
Blocks 135
Polishing the Game 138
Congratulations 141
Chapter 7 Maze Games: More Cute Things in Peril 142
Designing the Game: Koalabr8 142
The Basic Maze 143
Save the Koala 151
Creating Hazards 152
Tiles 155
Adding Additional Hazards 158
Finishing the Game 162
Congratulations 163
Chapter 8 Game Design: Levels and Features 164
Selecting Features 164
Designing Levels 169
Saving the Day 175
Applying It All 175
Summary 178
Part 4 Multiplayer Games 181
Chapter 9 Cooperative Games: Flying Planes 182
Designing the Game: Wingman Sam 182
Variables and Properties 183
The Illusion of Motion 186
Flying Planes 187
Enemies and Weapons 189
Dealing with Damage 192
Time Lines 195
More Enemies 197
End Boss 199
Finishing Touches 201
Congratulations 202
Chapter 10 Competitive Games: Playing Fair with Tanks 203
Designing the Game: Tank War 203
Playing with Tanks 204
Firing Shells 207
Secondary Weapons 211
Views 217
Congratulations 222
Chapter 11 Game Design: Balance in Multiplayer Games 223
Competition and Cooperation 223
Balanced Beginnings 226
Balanced Choice 230
Balanced Computer Opponents 232
Summary 233
Part 5 Enemies and Intelligence 235
Chapter 12 GML: Become a Programmer 236
Hello World 237
Variables 239
Functions 241
Conditional Statements 243
Repeating Things 245
Arrays 248
Dealing with Other Instances 250
Scripts As Functions 251
Debugging Programs 253
Congratulations 255
Chapter 13 Clever Computers: Playing Tic-Tac-Toe 256
Designing the Game: Tic-Tac-Toe 256
The Playing Field 257
Let the Computer Play 262
A Clever Computer Opponent 265
Adaptive Gameplay 267
Congratulations 268
Chapter 14 Intelligent Behavior: Animating the Dead 269
Designing the Game: Pyramid Panic 269
The Basic Framework 270
Creating the Maze and the Explorer 273
Expanding Our Horizons 275
Reactive Behavior 277
Time for Treasure! 279
Movable Blocks 280
Rule-Based Behavior 281
Dealing with States 287
Let There Be Light 294
Looking to the Future 299
Chapter 15 Final Words 300
Creating Resources 300
The Game Maker Community 303
Good Luck 305
Bibliography 306
Index 307