Creating Adventure Games for Teens

by Darby, Jason

• ISBN13: 9781133728023
• ISBN10: 1133728022
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-11-05
• Publisher: Cengage Learning PTR

Summary

If you're ready to learn all about making your own adventure games, CREATING ADVENTURE GAMES FOR TEENS is ready to show you how--and no prior programming skills are required! After being introduced to the history and principles of adventure game creation, and learning what makes a good game, you'll immediately put your new knowledge into practice by making adventure games for the PC and web platforms. Using the latest version of Multimedia Fusion, the user-friendly drag-and-drop game and application creation program, CREATING ADVENTURE GAMES FOR TEENS will also teach you how to make today's popular hidden object games--whether you're an experienced programmer or are just getting started. The book also includes an engine that you can use to make your own games. With this book's easy, step-by-step instructions, you'll be on your way to creating great adventure games in no time.

Author Biography

Jason Darby is currently a games designer for one of Europe's leading game developers and publishers, working on a leading AAA game title for the PS3, PC and Xbox platforms. Jason is the author of many game-creation books, including Make Amazing Games in Minutes; Power User's Guide to Windows Development; Awesome Game Creation, Third Edition; Game Creation for Teens; Going to War: Creating Computer War Games; Picture Yourself Creating Video Games; and Wizards and Warriors: Massively Multiplayer Online Game Creation, all published by Cengage Learning. He has also published articles in the UK press, including several in Retro Gamer and PC Format, both leading magazines in their field.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Adventure Games Through Time	p. 1
What an Adventure	p. 2
A Brief History of Adventure Games	p. 2
Board Games	p. 3
Role-Playing Games-Dungeons & Dragons	p. 3
Books and Choose Your Own Stories	p. 4
Computer Games	p. 6
Chapter Summary	p. 12
Introduction to Multimedia Fusion 2 and SAM	p. 13
What Is Multimedia Fusion 2?	p. 13
Installing MMF2	p. 14
Creating Games in Multimedia Fusion	p. 21
Program Walkthrough	p. 22
Program Areas	p. 22
The Editors	p. 26
Storyboard Editor	p. 27
Frame Editor	p. 28
Event Editor	p. 28
Event List Editor	p. 33
Picture Editor	p. 34
Expression Evaluator	p. 35
Objects	p. 37
System Objects	p. 43
Game Design Process	p. 44
Team, Tools, Skills, and Budget	p. 45
Ideas and Brainstorming	p. 48
Market	p. 49
Idea in More Detail	p. 50
Design Document and Storyboarding	p. 51
Alpha and Beta	p. 54
Release	p. 54
What Is SAM?	p. 56
Chapter Summary	p. 57
Choose Your Own Path	p. 59
Features of an Adventure Book	p. 59
Moon Traveller	p. 60
How to Map Out Your Game	p. 61
Story Flow and Map	p. 62
Links and Story Text	p. 64
Creating the Game	p. 66
Creating the Application File	p. 66
Placing of Objects	p. 67
Running Your Game	p. 79
Adding All the Topic Text	p. 81
Creating the Code	p. 81
Further Features	p. 104
Chapter Summary	p. 105
Adventure Game Objects	p. 107
The Text Adventure Map Object	p. 108
Properties	p. 108
Conditions	p. 109
Expressions	p. 111
Actions	p. 117
The Text Adventure Markup Object	p. 124
Properties	p. 124
Conditions	p. 125
Expressions	p. 130
Actions	p. 131
The Text Adventure Messages Object	p. 132
Properties	p. 133
Conditions	p. 133
Expressions	p. 133
Actions	p. 135
The Text Adventure Pages Object	p. 135
Properties	p. 136
Conditions	p. 136
Expressions	p. 136
Actions	p. 137
The Text Adventure Words Object	p. 138
Properties	p. 138
Conditions	p. 139
Expressions	p. 139
Actions	p. 141
Chapter Summary	p. 142
Dungeon of Text	p. 143
Game Concept	p. 143
Maps	p. 145
Game Features	p. 147
Setting Up the MMF2 File	p. 147
Coding Dungeon of Text	p. 148
Setting Up the Start of Frame Code	p. 150
Timer Setup	p. 153
Room Setup	p. 155
Moving in Directions	p. 158
Direction Not Visited 1	p. 161
Updating Debug Counters	p. 162
New Location Group	p. 163
Direction Not Visited 2	p. 165
Game Over	p. 166
Chapter Summary	p. 169
Text Adventures in Depth	p. 171
Simple Text-Entry Directions	p. 171
Simple Direction Code	p. 173
Simple Direction Issues	p. 177
Using States and Arguments	p. 178
Using the Words Object	p. 180
Objects	p. 186
Objects Code	p. 188
Chapter Summary	p. 193
Graphic Text Adventures	p. 195
Graphics Objects	p. 195
Internal and External Images	p. 196
Adding Graphics	p. 197
Active Objects	p. 197
Active Backdrop	p. 202
Active Picture and Picture Objects	p. 205
Backdrop	p. 206
Quick Backdrop Object	p. 207
Storing and Retrieving Graphics	p. 208
Storing and Loading an Image	p. 209
Chapter Summary	p. 211
Wild West	p. 213
Game Introduction	p. 213
Game Map	p. 215
Grid Map	p. 216
Game Layout and Setup	p. 216
Scene Images	p. 218
Application Properties	p. 220
Game Code	p. 221
Chapter Summary	p. 223
Editors	p. 225
What Are Editors?	p. 225
Why Create an Editor?	p. 226
Ideas for Editors	p. 226
Re-using Editors	p. 228
Data Handling	p. 228
Arrays in More Detail	p. 229
.ini Files in More Detail	p. 232
Chapter Summary	p. 233
Creating and Editor	p. 235
Data Requirements	p. 235
The Editor's Look and Feel	p. 236
Creating the Editor	p. 238
Programming the Editor	p. 241
Creating the Files	p. 243
Loading the Data Files	p. 245
Initializing the Data	p. 246
Updating the Original Game	p. 272
Chapter Summary	p. 274
Point-and-Click Adventures	p. 277
What Is Point and Click?	p. 277
Point-and-Click Features	p. 278
Ordering of Objects	p. 280
Changing the Order of Objects	p. 282
Layers	p. 284
Pop-up Menus	p. 286
Graphic Cursors	p. 289
Conversation/Dialogue Trees	p. 291
Code for SimpleTalk Example	p. 293
Chapter Summary	p. 295
Sherlock Bones Underworld Detective	p. 297
Sherlock Introduction	p. 298
Layers	p. 300
Inventory Box	p. 301
Counters	p. 302
Sherlock Code	p. 304
Start of Frame Initialization	p. 304
Hide Mouse Pointer	p. 305
Pressing Escape	p. 305
Always Setting Icon Position	p. 306
Inventory Visible and Invisible	p. 306
Changing the Cursor	p. 307
Groups	p. 308
Final Code	p. 316
Chapter Summary	p. 318
Hidden Object Games	p. 319
What Is a Hidden Object Game?	p. 319
Features of a Hidden Object Game	p. 320
Hidden Object Game Designs	p. 322
Story	p. 323
Story Ideas	p. 324
Objects	p. 325
Using Photos	p. 326
Chapter Summary	p. 327
Lost and Found	p. 329
Objects and Numbers	p. 330
Lists	p. 334
Mouse Cursor	p. 337
Mouse Cursor Example Code	p. 339
Random Placement of Objects	p. 340
Game Code	p. 343
Code Run-through	p. 345
How to Improve	p. 347
Chapter Summary	p. 349
Graphic Adventure Games	p. E-351
Story Adventure Maker	p. E-365
Compiling Games	p. E-375
Help and Support	p. E-383
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